The New York Post is reporting that Fukodome, Soriano and Soto have been elected as starters for the All-Star game. They are also reporting that Brandon Webb will be the starting pitcher which I don’t get. Haven’t Volquez and Lincecum had better first halves?

and I plan to take advantage of it. My heart breaks tonight but wasn’t this game a metaphor for all our ups and downs? We still have tomorrow.

Apropos of Al’s observation about turning off the TV, I started out of the stadium as soon as Ankiel made contact.

So frustrating. Let’s get ‘em tomorrow.

We win tomorrow and this is fine. Sometimes this crap happens during the season and you need to put it in perspective. Same lead we had two days ago….

Now we need to win tomorrow. Let’s go get em!!!!!!

Just pissed MR. HGH won it for them.

and it’s not the end of the world, either. We won yesterday, so both games taken together are a wash. We’ll get ‘em tomorrow.

Woody did not have his good fastball…plain and simple.

Molina was out….plain and simple.

Lee was in the wrong spot…plain and simple…

We will get them tomorrow. We are too good of a team to let this get us down. It happens.

There simply isn’t a team in the National League – at least for right now – that can go out and completely blow away the competition. There’s no 1976 Reds or 1986 Mets or 1995 Braves in the bunch. No team is flawless, and each club has holes in its game one way or another.

Unfortunately these holes can creep up at inopportune times, like in today’s Cub game and the Brewer game last Thursday. Seems that the Phils have had their rough patches as well, and Arizona and Colorado have fallen on hard times. So I wouldn’t count on any team at any time being a lead-pipe cinch, whether they’re facing the Pirates next Tuesday or each other in October.

One one hand this makes for an exciting pennant race. On the other hand, it also means there’s no relaxing and thinking things are in the bag. Not until the last out in the final NLCS game will we know who’s going to the World Series. So if you’re like me, you’ll have to either patiently watch the rest of the games with this in mind or just stay away from the TV/radio/computer until the World Series and watch it only if the Cubs made it.

Cubs have already had too many demoralizing losses to the Cards and the Brew Crew. What I don’t understand about the 9th inning today is why Kerry Wood did not slow down when he got into a world of hurt. It seemed like he couldn’t wait to get the ball back from Soto and immediately fire to home plate. Why not step off the back of the mound for a moment of self-compusure?

Anyway, like I said, way too many tragic losses to the Cards and Brew Crew already.

but it’s not the end of the world. They aren’t going to win every series. I’m not going to look back only looking forward. I hope Kerry puts this one behind him and moves on too. Life goes on.

I am sorry for the way I acted in the Game Thread after the loss. These kind of losses can do that to you. I also overracted when the Brewer fan came over here.

Hopefully we make a worthwhile addition to this team at the deadline and I think we’ll be good to go.

Here’s Lilly working to Pujols. Got a couple of others, but might as well just leave it at this for today.

He was looking back over his shoulder at the outfielder.

This was not the Cubs’ best game even prior to Wood’s poor inning.

Time to score some big runs tomorrow.

One of those gut wrenching, “oh my gosh why do i like this game at all” loses.

Bright side: we play them tomorrow. There are games left even after that one. This isn’t a soul crunching loss, however much it hurts today.

Woody had converted the last 12 save opportunities before this one. 12 out of 13 is doable. We’d all love perfection, but it isn’t happening.

So everyone have some food if you’re so inclined go blow some fireworks up, and be ready for the game tomorrow.

Lets take this series! Go Marshall!

I’m the type that prefers to think there’s a reason for everything, so is it pitch selection, mental durability, needing to develop a third pitch?

Ugh. That was painful. This was the first game I’ve been able to watch in awhile too. Man, I am worried a little bit. Not so much of the Cardinal’s coming and knocking us out of first place, but just because it seems like this team… well, it beats itself. Almost like we’re too sensitive or fragile. I’m more worried about the Brewers than the Cards down the road, but the fact that our last month schedule is horrible… with us being at home for only like 6 or 9 games…. well… I’m worried. Get a player or two who has that “killer” instinct… we need it for the road.

first off Molina went around on that swing. Had that been a strike out we would have most likely won that game.

Ankiel really makes me mad. ESPN praises the guy and his “Cinderella” story. This guy would not be in the league if it weren’t for the use of HGH. He is a PROVEN cheater. Rant over for now..

Just because of the who beat us and the situation. Winning tomorrow could ease the sting but I don’t like the match-up. Does Marshall have a win?

It seems like we’re finding different ways to lose almost every night.

Hardly. Disappointing, sure. I think painful is when your left fielder has the final out in his glove in Pittsburgh only to let it drop, and we subsequently lose. Pittsburgh!! (Not hating on Soriano, that’s just an example to make a point.) The Cards are a legit competitor with actual talent. Should it be so shocking that they can score three runs when you spot them two baserunners?

If they win tomorrow. Their track record has been to loose a close one, and then blow the series. If they lose tomorrow, this was a devastating loss. If we take the series, the, “it happens.”

Woody seemed to stay away from the heater a bit. When he walks the first two guys (guess it would be worse if he hit them both) and has already thrown 15 pitches, nothing good can come of that.

There were other games that he went heat, heat, heat, and only a few offspeed pitches in there, maybe at only a 20-25% clip.

Just have to shake it off and move on. Woody has been real sharp the last month and a half. Unfortunately living on the East coast I got the wonderful Yanks/Sox, followed the game on the computer till the Derosa HR, had to go to church, then came home and got the last inning on the computer. Couldn’t get the feel of the game. Did see the highlights, and Edmonds hesitated on the sac-fly. I agree with the rest, why was Lee not closer to the line? I guess the Cubs rational will be Woody throwing gas Kendeny won’t be able to get around, but he did.
Lilly continues to throw well, Marmol got a good inning in, Ramy went deep, Lee is hot, so some good out of this horrible loss.
Move on, get the game tomorrow.

Peoria’s streak stops at 11 with their lost tonight. More on this with the minor league wrap.

Last time I checked Vitters had a nice game in Boise, also.