How many stories can there be in one game?
I thought this was gonna be all about Matt Garza's first start as a Cub, and it could have been with him getting 12 strikeouts, but...
Pittsburgh had a rash of singles - 16 total - and 12 were off Garza.
So not bad - Garza would have gotten the W - but he'll do better.
Carlos Pena was sooooo close to a grand slam.
Alfonso Soriano hit the first Cubs homer of 2011 - another clutch hit at the time.
Starlin Castro led off, went 3 for 4 with a pair of triples and a run scored.
But there is no play like the play at the plate that gets the goosebumps going, and when Tyler Colvin threw the one-hopper to Geovanny Soto to nail Pirate runner Jason Jaramillo in the 8th, my whole block knew something good had happened with all the noise coming out of my house.
Colvin picked up Kerry Wood, who'd given up a couple hits and had the bases loaded when Jose Tabata hit the fly to Colvin.
Lots of bits of excellence yesterday.
So we're all in heaven with Carlos Marmol taking over in the bottom of the 9th, but it just didn't happen.
He walks Garrett Jones, then gives up a single to Neil Walker.
Overbay's out on a bunt attempt, runners move up to 2nd and 3rd.
Then Pedro Alvarez hits a grounder to Castro, and... he's still the youngest player in Major League Baseball.
It was a little sissy thing that barely gets by Marmol and it's going sooooo slow...Jones is running for home and Castro gets to the ball and makes an off balance throw to first while Walker takes off for home...Castro's throw is off line and Pena has to dive for it...he gets up and fires to Soto an eyelash too late and the winning run scores.
Yeah, the Cubs had 3 more outs but nothing happened.
Anyway, momentarily excruciating, this one.
But painful as it might be, I'll happily watch Starlin Castro grow at short.*
And I'll watch without booing when Carlos Marmol has a hiccup now and then.*
And if the Cubs can keep up the kind of team play they had today, they'll win some games.
And that's a start.
LASTLY: This Tuesday night there will be a screening of Mike Diedrich's "Ballhawks" movie at the Midwest Independent Film Festival. You've seen the guys in this movie standing out on Waveland with baseball gloves, catching homers that fly out of Wrigley Field.
This is their story, narrated by Bill Murray.
Here's the trailer.
Here's where you can get ticket info, etc.
It's at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N Clark with a cocktail reception at 6 and the movie starting at 7:30.
I'm going, so maybe I'll see you there.
*I just read a bunch of comments from people online and there's serious panic and stupid finger pointing already in game 3 with Castro and Marmol catching heat.
These guys are the rarest, most precious, talented, amazing athletes on the team.
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT THERIOT? ABOUT KEVIN GREGG?
Castro and Marmol have a chance to be truly magic players and Cubs.
Like I said - the rarest.
