Cubby-Blue

Cubs Sweep, Lou Sings

I hope you've heard of this song, it's been covered by about a million blues artists, and now Lou gets to sing it.
Because the Cubs just swept the Brewers in a gigantic 4 game series in Milwaukee.
Rich Harden was brilliant today, 7 innings 9 strikeouts, his first Cub win.
Jimbo Edmonds hits two homers, and one of them came with the bases loaded and effectively ended the game.
But the final was 11-4.
There's so much to talk about with this sweep, so much amazing stuff.
The Johnson slide in game uno, Big Z and Dempster and Lilly and Harden, the bats coming to larger than life, no errors, Jeff Samardziga, Fukudome leaving funk behind, the 7 hits in a row, the whooping of CC Sabathia and Big Ben Sheets... it was just 4 straight days of absolute domination.
You have to feel a little more comfy with the season ending up in Milwaukee.
And you have to be pretty damn happy right now.

Hey Cub Fans...shhhhhhhh

Hi.
This entire post?
I'm whispering.
If you were at the Masters and Tiger Woods was lining up a 27 footer, you'd have a little respect and keep it down, right?
That's where we are in this series with Milwaukee, because if the Cubs win tonight, it's a swee... DOH!
Almost said it, and I'm not gonna talk about it.
Because really, this is like it's the 7th inning of a game, and Carlos Zambrano has the no-no going... it would simply be unmentionable.
So instead, did you know that in our back yard, it's finally Tomato Time!?
Yep, they're finally ripe on the vine, and my favorite Summer treat.
Well, unless you include this series where the Cubs are bashing the Brewers back into oblivion.
But, um, not talking about that.
We also have some fantastic basil that we've already been munching on, and now we can finally make my fav side-dish: the fresh tomato/basil salad with mozarella and toasted pine nuts.
That is really goooood eating, kinda like Manny Parra's pitching last night, with Ryan Theriot and Alfonso Soriano just feasting on it.

Okay, okay.
We can talk a little, but only in really hushed tones...

HOW AWESOME IS THIS SEASON!
MOTHER OF GOD!
IF YOU'D HAVE SAID THE CUBS COULD BE IN A POSITION TO SWEEP THE BREWERS IN A 4 GAME SERIES IN MILWAUKEE AT THE END OF JULY I'D HAVE SAID YOU ARE CURRAAAY-ZEE.
That's all I'm gonna say about it.
Go Cubs.

Kosuke Fukudome's Famous Triple

When Kosuke Fukudome's liner to left got past Brewer left fielder Ryan Braun, it was the biggest hit in a night of big hits.
He hit it right into Braun's personal black hole, the no-man's land where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't go for it, and young Ryan was damned because he did.
It went past him and rolled to the wall while Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez crossed the plate and Kosuke ended up at third.
It was also the 3rd straight hit by the Cubs off Brewer stud Ben Sheets.
Like some kind of machine gun, it went on.
DeRo single.
Fontenot single.
Soto single.
Big Z single.
Finally Alfonso hits one a little short of a homer to straightaway center and got the first out, but Sheets' fat lady had already sung about 4 hits ago.
I couldn't believe Ned Yost left Sheets in like that - neither he or pitching coach Mike Maddux ever even walked to the mound to talk about the weather or ANYTHING to break up the rhythm of the Cubs' bats.
7 hits in a row, Cubs 6 Brewers nothin.
It was the 6th inning.
On the other side of the ball was our ace Carlos Zambrano, who gave up 5 hits and zeerow runs over 8 unbelievable innings.

It ended up 7-1, but trust me the Cubs CREAMED 'em.
In every facet of the game.
And it'll be awhile before Ryan Braun sleeps without spending a little time with Kosuke's triple.

Okay, at 7:05 it's 11-4 Ryan Dempster vs. 9-3 lefty Manny Parra.
What are you gonna be doing?

Alfonso Soriano's Switch Is On

Wow.
Could you ask for anything cooler than a 6-4 Cub victory over CC Sabathia?
Alfonso Soriano is on, and right at the right time.
On the 2nd pitch of the game, he hit one about 4 feet short of a homer.
That swing did a couple things.
Took the breath out of the Brewer fans before they finished their first brat.
Took the currently building myth of Sabathia and busted it.
And took second base barely, trotting around first thinking he'd hit it out.
You can argue all you want about where he should bat in the line-up, but when he starts off a game like that he really can open the door for the rest of the team.
D. Lee knocked him in.
The next time Alfonso came up, he took it out of the park.

There were tons of amazing contributions last tonight.
Ted Lilly absolutely SHUT THEM DOWN for 5 innings.
With the bases full, D. Lee hit what could have been a double play but Reed Johnson decided to play football, barreling in to Ricky Weeks and forcing him to throw the ball past Prince Fielder.
That little play scored 2 runs.
Derrek Lee with his 3 RBIs and 3 hits including a double in the 7th with Reed and Alfonso on base, scoring both.
Mark DeRosa went 2 for 4 with the insurance RBI, maybe breaking out of his funk a little.
He also started in right field, moved to 2nd base, and then back to right as Lou made substitutions (there is simply nobody like him playing the game at the level he does at all the positions he plays).
Chad Gaudin struck out 3 in the 8th, and Carlos Marmol looked more like himself in the 9th, striking out 2 and getting the win on (I think) a 1-2 pitch that some guy I never heard of hit to Alfonso.
With the lead switching back and forth, this game was as exciting as it was important.
Honestly, I figured no way they win that one.
But now this series is changed, and the Cubs have grabbed the momentum.
Don't miss tonight, because I think Alfonso goes deep again.
Oh, and it's Big Z against Big Ben.
What a season.

Lou Piniella Kicks The Cub Bus Back On Track

Since the All-Star break, the Magic Bus seems to have meandered off the road.
Head Bus driver/mechanic Lou tinkered, and finally just kicked the thing back on.
Me, Sutter and Kim went to Wrigley for the very satisfying W over the Fish.
I realize they need a couple more like yesterday for us all to feel like the bats have returned, but I left yesterdays game thinking that sneaky Alfonso Soriano might be just about ready to go on a tear.
When he starts getting those line drives like yesterday (one went out, of course), it's time to pay attention.
Nothing would be better than CC Sabathia's first pitch to go sailing out of Miller Park tonight...
Mike Fontenot is this year's bench God.
His bases-clearing pinch-hit double had me screaming as hard as I ever have.
And I have to do some kind of drawing depicting his AMAZING base-running adventure that came next.
You could hear the Hanna Barbera bongo sound effect as he saw Marlin 3rd baseman Jorge Cantu with the ball, reversed course and hauled back safely into second.
After the emotional roller coaster of the last week, the rush of taking a significant lead away from the Marlins, it felt like everybody really let go with a giant belly laugh with Fontenot.
The whole park laughed as loud as they boo'd Jason Marquis earlier.
Not gonna dwell on that because the really big thing that everybody's thinking is...can Samardzija really be the missing bullpen piece?
Looks to me like he just came up here and said, "gimme".
I don't think closer, but I do think Howry and all the rest of those guys just moved back a row in the bus.

As you all know, tonight the most important series of the season begins.
This season being the season it's turning out to be, you have to modify the "most important" part with "so far".
It'll be Ted Lilly vs. CC Sabathia, who has won all 4 of his starts since becoming a Brewer.
In fact, he pitched complete games in his last 3 starts where he threw 122, 110, and 97 pitches.
Okay, go Magic Bus!