Double low blow for Cubs – Cubs lose game and Rameriez
It went from bad to worse for the Cubs last night.
Lets just focus for a second on the good. Rookie pitcher Randy Wells pitched 5 shutout innings for the cubs in his first start as a major leaguer. He got himself out of a couple jams but threw strikes and got some good defense from Milton Bradley early in the game.
Pinella pulled Wells in the 6th for Angel Guzman and a 2-0 lead. Guzman gave up a homer to JJ Hardy, but struck out 4 in his two innings, and really looked quite impressive.
Cubs had a chance to add some insurance runs in the 8th inning, they had the bases loaded and only one out, but power hitting Ryan Theriot grounded into a fielders choice at home and Geovani Soto grounded out to short. When you leave the bases loaded like that with less then two outs, the baseball Gods will get you.
I must have jinxed Aaron Heliman yesterday saying he was doing well, cause the first hitter he faced he walked in the 8th and then gave up the 2 run bomb to Ryan Braun to give up the lead and essentially the game. Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman came in and struck out Miles and Hoffpauir both who never took the bat off their shoulders and Milton Bradley grounded out to end the game.
Tough game to lose especially when Randy Wells pitched so well.
Tougher pill to swallow is now losing A-Ram for 4-6 weeks with the dislocated shoulder. This has happened to him before in Pittsburgh over 9 years ago, so he knows his recovery time will be around that 4-6 week window. He dislocated it in the third inning diving for a ground ball toward the line and right away was in a great deal of pain. I guess Jim Hendry must have known something like this would happen as he pulled the trigger on the trade for utility infielder/outfielder Ryan Freel earlier in the day who can play third along with Mike Fontenot, and if need be recent call up Bobby Scales.
All in all a real shitty game. You hate losing, but when you lose the way we did to a rival like the Brewers it makes it even worse. Pour salt in the wound and lose our all star third basemen for two months and it’s even worse.
Good teams will bounce back. This will test Lou Pinella managerial skills.
So glad it’s still hockey season!
