Here's what it says in the box score:
Sean Marshall entered the game in the bottom of the 8th, and threw 0.2 of an inning. While he got a strikeout, he didn't give up a hit or a run, there was no earned run or walks, no homer.
But it's a better story than that.
There were runners on first and second with only one out because young Andrew Cashner, while striking out Logan Morrison, allowed Gaby Sanchez to hit a single and then walked Dan Uggla.
The Cubs were up by two on a night when Ryan Dempster had thrown 123 pitches through 7 innings to hold the Marlins to nothing. And if you're one of Ryan's team mates, you have to be aware that he's been pretty freaking masterful this entire season. But name it - a breakdown in the defense or the offense has let Ryan down so many times it's like a felony. And every time, Ryan sits in that room afterwards with all those reporters and explains that he gave up that one home run (or whatever), and it's okay. He'll take the blame.
If you're one of Ryan's team mates, you'd probably want to win just a little bit more for the guy.
So Mike Quade calls in Sean Marshall.
When you see that shot of him running onto the field before they cut to a commercial, don't you feel an unusual sense of calm?
Unlike almost every other Cub, Sean Marshall has earned our confidence.
And he delivered.
Next comes Carlos Marmol, who kind of inspires the opposite feeling even though he's 5th in the NL with 31 saves (32 after last night).
And he walks the first two guys and maybe you should turn off the tv, but he gets a guy to fly to center. Then he gets a strikeout. And then the dinky pop up behind third that's falling fair and nobody's gonna get to it and suddenly there's a weird special effect that looks like Starlin Castro coming out of nowhere to divebomb the hit into the last spectacular out of the game.
Castro, he's exactly like Sundance.
Right in here, Strother Martin is hiring Butch and Sundance to be guards.
Look at the part where Sundance can't hit the coin until he moves, about 1:35 into the clip.
"I'm better when I move." he says.
That's our Starlin.
The Cubs are playing their most exciting ball of the season.
If you're not watching, you're missing it.
PLEASE GO HERE TO SEE THE RULES FOR THE PAINTING GIVEAWAY COMPETITION, AND THEN ENTER!
The illustration of Marshall is also in the latest issue of VINELINE.