Let’s sweep the Sox!

time to put this behind us but I’m really worried about the night game/day game long flight home. The Sox just have to drive across town. We looked a little tired and that may be DLee’s problem. We haven’t been on the road that much and this goofy trip through Cooperstown had to tire out the players. I’m hoping for 2 of 3 this weekend.

Swept by a good team, on the road, playing AL rules down a top bat. It happens. The window is closed and I can’t even see the ledge from here.

Time to make hay while the Sox bats of Thome/Konerko are benched and Dye’s, Swisher’s & Quentin’s are napping. So the White Sox swept Pittsburgh, doesn’t everyone these days? Here’s hoping we see the hittable White Sox pitchers, rather than those with “no-hitter” stuff.

We were never going to make it through the year without losing 3+ games in a row, so this blip was inevitable at some point.

This week we played a hot-team in their home park. We lost 2 one-run games which is a little unlucky, and we’re carrying a few injuries (of varying severity) that make the team look and play a little tired.

Remember though – the team is 45-28 (17 games over .500), we are 3.5 games ahead of the Cards, and 5.5 games ahead of the Brewers. If you had been offered this position at the start of the year you would have been delighted. So until something major happens to shift my optimism, I am going to remain delighted.

I know he went 3-4 last night, but it was the softest 3-4 I’ve ever seen. When it really mattered he struck out on a terrible swing and looked just awful doing it. You can see the frustration affecting him – I’ve never seen him slam his bat down so many times. I just hope it’s nothing serious.

That was awful.

my concern is with Marmol. What the hell was that last night? Anyone can and does have a bad game, but it’s not like he was getting smacked around. He completely lost it. It’s as if I was put on the mound. That’s frightening. Has there been any explaination at all as to his wildness?

I do buy the fatigue factor that’s been mentioned, but I’m worried, too. I’d told my wife on Wednesday afternoon that I had a bad feeling about the Rays series and the recent injuries. Now, going into the Crosstown series, I’m really concerned. I’m not a ledge jumper, so I’m still chillin’ and enjoying our success, but damn if I ain’t afraid of just about everything right now. I’m on eggshells.

just couldn’t get the pieces of the puzzle together for this series….. at times we saw good starting pitching, good relief and good hitting. just fell short and never saw all three in any one game during that series. we were the last team not to get swept (or at least lose 3 in a row) and it’s late June. Not too bad for this team, especially considering the injuries.

The only time we get profiled as the lead article on MLB.com is when we get swept! Hmmph. Not sure if that is a good thing or not.

Blowing in or out today…. predictions? why is this game not on WGN, they’re almost always on national TV for Friday afternoon games. urgh….

How do you figure this game has “real meaning, real playoff implications?” Yes, the game has meaning, but a game against an AL team in June, to me doesn’t really come off detrimental to the playoffs.

at ESPN about how the cubs can win it this year. Moreover the first couple paragraphs about the feel in the clubhouse after being swept by the Rays is interesting. Sounds like last nights loss is already past them.

... I’m heading to the park soon. Game thread will post at 11:30 CDT.

And really that’s all that matters. No one jumped off the ledge last night, the plane didn’t crash on the way back to Chicago, and we’ve got another game in a few hours. I think as Cubs fans we have all become SO MUCH more critical of this team, because they are finally living up to the expectations of a winner, and as fans we’re not quite sure how to handle losses like last night. I said it in the 2nd overflow, and I’ll say it again, this team has a ton of losses in front of them, so we all need to learn how to lose as well as we’ve learned how to win. This 08 team has carried an air of distinction with them all year… when they’re good, they’re unbeatable… when they’re bad… well, you were watching last night.

Anyway, there are more important things in life than baseball (even though I don’t believe that sometimes myself) and we have a LOT of winning ahead of us, but remember, we have a lot of losing as well. Baseball is one of those weird sports where you’re considered successful if you fail 7 out of 10 times… we need to learn to shake off these losses as fans and just get ready for the next winning streak… because the true fans (and we were there at the end last night, with 2 outs, still thinking we can come back) know that streak is just around the corner. Let’s go get ‘em today!

Gallagher has put together a string of pretty impressive starts. He is looking like the real deal in his last few starts.

a 162 game schedule there will be bumps, Cubs hit one. Marmol has been outstanding, he had his melt down last night. Eyre has been real sharp also, he gives up a jack, these things happen and no one will be spot perfect for the whole year.
Lets see how the team responds this next ten games, starting by taking this weekend series.
I agree gwood, Gallagher looks like he can be a pretty solid 4-5 starter at this point.
Go Cubs, lets have a good bounce at home.

Okay, this Cubs team doesn’t stack up to the 1998 Yankees. That’s not a requirement to make the playoffs or win the World Series. The Cubs are a very good team that lacks that extra quality starter and extra quality reliever to be a great team. Making the playoffs with whatever record, getting healthy, and getting hot in postseason are the requirements to win the WS. This is a very good team Cubs team that should win 95 games in the regular season. I don’t see them getting to 100. They don’t have to get to 100.

I’m more worried about Marmol. He was OFF last night.

The WSox flag is flying on Wrigley, viewed on the CubWorld Wrigley Field cam. Makes me a bit ill, seeing it there.

Hoping we beat those fools today ! !

just popped up in my weather box… the clouds are gathering but with luck it may be clear by game time.