Cubs fall to Braves 2-0 in makeup game

The Cubs took a detour on their winning streak. Check that, they made a U-turn. After winning four straight with runs aplenty, they went back to their old ways, pounding out 10 hits but none when it really counted.

[Oak Park Lefty]

Same old Cubbies! Decent, often great pitching, plenty of scoring chances.....then zilch.

[WBrown Memphis]

Tons of chances, no runs. Out hit the opponent, and don't score. GRRRR

[Kerry Wood]

Can't play last-place teams with gift-bearing closers four days in a row. Welcome back to Earth.

[Leo]

With $28 million (Soriano/Bradley)sitting on the bench, Dempster bats for himself leading off the 7th, down 1-0. Strikes out. Loo, WAKE UP! With 9 outs left and down a run, you don't let a weak-hitting pitcher give the other team an automatic out. Don't tell me the bullpen was tired--only 3 relievers were used Sunday, so 4 guys should have been able to pitch and they couldn't have been nearly as tired as Dempster after struggling through 105 pitches in 6 innings on a humid night in Atlanta.

At the very least, letting Dempster bat for himself in the 7th in a close game is questionable, if not outright dumb. Yet Dave Van Dyck, intrepid, second-string Cubs beat reporter fails to mention it. Good job, Dave. Don't question Loo's ridiculous decision. He might get mad at you and won't give you any more juicy scoops like "Uhh, yeah...um...uhhh...where am I?"

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

This is such a different team on the road versus playing in the Friendly Confines. No friendly winds blowing out and no baskets in Atlanta so Lee's deep fly ball to right center gets caught on the warning track. The same hit ball was probably a basket shot for Derrek last week and over the weekend in Wrigley. This team can drive a person crazy. After 66 games, I still can't tell if we have a good team or not. Were the last 4 wins just luck that we got to hit against some pathetic relief pitchers or does this team have fire in its bellies. In any case, good thing Guillen was dumb enough to bring in Linebrink on Thursday and Kerry blew 2 saves, including handing us the game on Saturday. I'm not complaining, a win is a win, but I am still waiting for the real Cubs team to show up.

[Bob Fosse]

I think that Fukedome would look much cooler if he spun aound on roller skates.

[Bob Fosse correction]

around

[Larry]

After learning that he was going to be removed from the game Dempster got peeved and Lou gave in and let Dempster hit in the Seventh which was a dumb move, Lou put Dempster ahead of the team, there is no way Lou should have let Dempster hit for himself leading off the seventh

[gee]

I didn't see the game, but I saw a few high/low lights. This game had to be excruciating to watch.
AS a professional athlete, You'd think it wouldn't be so difficult to get a hit in clutch situations.
The 2009 Cubs- might be the most enigmatic Cub team I have witnessed.

I'm learning/starting to "Mentally Detach" myself from this team.

When does Bear training camp begin???

[David]

When the rainout was rescheduled in this manner, I knew that the game would turn out the way it did. The Cubs treat such a game -- first and foremost -- as a major inconvenience rather than a game to be won.

Over recent days we have learned what it will take for this team to be a contender: a season schedule filled with games against Cleveland. Short of that, the softness and lack of character displayed in Soriano, Bradley, et al, will rule the day.

[jerry]

This team is missing something. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to when and where players play. Lou seems to just randomly throw lineups together. He also refuses to admit that Soriano is not a leadoff hitter and Milton Bradley needs to work out his problems from the 6 or 7 spot in the lineup. At least he has come around to playing a .350 hitter like Fox every day. When Ramirez gets back Fox should be in right every day.

[John Anthony]

1908...

[gee]

1- of the more interesting "dichotomies" of this season thus far is watching the 2- leadoff men of both Chicago teams. Podsidnek(sp?) is your "consumate" lead-off man, who can flash some pop, will do anything to get on base, then a base or 2 for you. Contrast him with Soriano who MIGHT hit a lead-off HR, who MIGHT get a hit, has lost a step or 2, strikes out entirely too much, and has no discipline at the plate. Plus Soriano has a manager who doesn't have the "stones" to move this guy out of lead-off spot.
It's like the Cubs are in a softball league where you start the inning with 1- out.

I'll take Pods over Soriano anytime!

[Typical Cubs Fan]

When do we start the World Series?

[Art]

Leo wrote:

With $28 million (Soriano/Bradley)sitting on the bench, Dempster bats for himself leading off the 7th, down 1-0. Strikes out. Loo, WAKE UP! With 9 outs left and down a run, you don't let a weak-hitting pitcher give the other team an automatic out. Don't tell me the bullpen was tired--only 3 relievers were used Sunday, so 4 guys should have been able to pitch and they couldn't have been nearly as tired as Dempster after struggling through 105 pitches in 6 innings on a humid night in Atlanta.
At the very least, letting Dempster bat for himself in the 7th in a close game is questionable, if not outright dumb. Yet Dave Van ****, intrepid, second-string Cubs beat reporter fails to mention it. Good job, Dave. Don't question Loo's ridiculous decision. He might get mad at you and won't give you any more juicy scoops like "Uhh, yeah...um...uhhh...where am I?"

I was going to rant about the same exact thing but you beat me to it. The one thing I believe you forgot to mention though is after Dempster hit to lead off the 7th he promptly gave up the Braves' 2nd run in the bottom of the same inning. Didn't make sense to me at the time and still doesn't. Who knows - if Marshall starts the bottom of the 7th maybe the Cubs only give the one run up the entire game - and with Blanco getting the leadoff hit in the 9th, maybe the Cubs play the 9th differently instead of Bradley, Theriot and Fox swinging at just about everything in the top of the 9th.

[nova0311]

John Anthony wrote:

1908...

Bragging about your weight again, John?

[nova0311]

gee wrote:

When does Bear training camp begin???

July 31st.

[overthehill]

gee wrote:

1- of the more interesting "dichotomies" of this season thus far is watching the 2- leadoff men of both Chicago teams. Podsidnek(sp?) is your "consumate" lead-off man, who can flash some pop, will do anything to get on base, then a base or 2 for you. Contrast him with Soriano who MIGHT hit a lead-off HR, who MIGHT get a hit, has lost a step or 2, strikes out entirely too much, and has no discipline at the plate. Plus Soriano has a manager who doesn't have the "stones" to move this guy out of lead-off spot.
It's like the Cubs are in a softball league where you start the inning with 1- out.
I'll take Pods over Soriano anytime!

The gap in performance goes beyond hitting. I also prefer Pods to Sorry-ass-o. How Sorry-anus could be worth 12 mill/yr is beyond me.
He is at best a lack-luster defensive outfielder, showing no commitment to actually catching the ball unless he can do his little faggalah hop as he does it.
And don't even get me started about his base running. He finally stole a base the other night and Lou/Bob were ranting for a half an hour. Sorry-butt-o stands at the plate and admires his batwork too much and is a good candidate for being picked off when he finally does get a hit.
How a player like Pods could be job-hunting early in the year is beyond me.

[overthehill]

Art wrote:

<quoted text>
I was going to rant about the same exact thing but you beat me to it. The one thing I believe you forgot to mention though is after Dempster hit to lead off the 7th he promptly gave up the Braves' 2nd run in the bottom of the same inning. Didn't make sense to me at the time and still doesn't. Who knows - if Marshall starts the bottom of the 7th maybe the Cubs only give the one run up the entire game - and with Blanco getting the leadoff hit in the 9th, maybe the Cubs play the 9th differently instead of Bradley, Theriot and Fox swinging at just about everything in the top of the 9th.

I'm with both of you guys. Here lately Lou has made some real bone-headed decisions. Bull-pen tired. What a load!! Looks like Lou decided that the game just wasn't worth any real managerial effort.
The capper for me was putting Marmol in with the bases loaded and a one-run lead in Saturday's game. Marmol is largely running on last year's performance. Issuing a walk in this scenario was a given.
Lou is looking more and more like a sleep-walker instead of a manager. Yeah, Aramis is out, so what. The team that is left is still making millions. What is wrong with Milton/Alfonzo/Kosuke/ and the many other "stars".

[Disgusted]

Leo wrote:

With $28 million (Soriano/Bradley)sitting on the bench, Dempster bats for himself leading off the 7th, down 1-0. Strikes out. Loo, WAKE UP! With 9 outs left and down a run, you don't let a weak-hitting pitcher give the other team an automatic out. Don't tell me the bullpen was tired--only 3 relievers were used Sunday, so 4 guys should have been able to pitch and they couldn't have been nearly as tired as Dempster after struggling through 105 pitches in 6 innings on a humid night in Atlanta.
At the very least, letting Dempster bat for himself in the 7th in a close game is questionable, if not outright dumb. Yet Dave Van ****, intrepid, second-string Cubs beat reporter fails to mention it. Good job, Dave. Don't question Loo's ridiculous decision. He might get mad at you and won't give you any more juicy scoops like "Uhh, yeah...um...uhhh...where am I?"

This column is great for second-guessing by rank amateurs. And of course, if Lou had gone to the bullpen and it had gotten hit again, this guy would have been the first one writing to say that Lou had no business going to the pen when Dempster was going so well.