I can’t sing either.

I’m guessing the Cubs won’t be joining you.

i could tell after just a few pitches that this guy had trouble hitting the strike zone and the cubbies should just lay off.

d. lee sure does love swinging at those low and away pitches, though.

but only once after the 2nd inning. This one is on our offense….....obviously

gave up three runs in six innings. Frankly, that’s his job. This one isn’t on him.

I got my AAA teams confused. But the Sounds probalby could have beaten the Cubs today, too.

kiddies at the bottom

No that I’m advocating putting him on the Monster

Or does Lilly look like he has a porn stache?

gave up 5 hits and 4 walks in 6 innings. He didnt pitch that great, we just failed to get a hit when it mattered. I wouldnt think too deeply on this one.

especially when he didn’t even join the Pirates until last week, and you had no idea that he would start. To say that Lou is changing the dynamic is factually incorrect. Dusty flipped the script when he came here, and almost got the team to the WS in ‘03.

A more concentrated effort by Lou in areas that such as scouting a player that you had no idea you would possibly be facing? You must be joking! The Pirates are a ML team, and no game is ever a ‘gimme’, not even for a WS contender. It’s one thing, Karstens & the Pirates pen pitched a good game, we made good contact, but hit into too many DP’s. Not cashing in on opportunities can’t be forgiven? Again, you’ve got to be pulling my leg. It’s a 162 game schedule, you can’t win them all. Check back in again after the Cubs take the next two, I’ll be willing to bet your attitude will be different.

Please stop. Actually, even the best teams have losses like this.

And learn how to spell “losers,” please.

Didn’t we start the season winning the first 8 against this team? So what is our record for the season against this team? 13-4 ….That’s damn near .700 ball? You can’t win them all even if you are a first place team.

could probably use a day off. Nothing to do with his swing or performance. He is 2nd in the NL in AB’s this year, only Jose Reyes has more.

How ya doin’ friend?

But still in perspective… if we win 5 outta 6 I’ll take it w/o hesitation.

As you know, you are spot on with your assessment of this game as a hiccup, or momentary sputter. I’m sure they will right the ship tomorrow, and put a lot of runs on the board. They didn’t get to be this high powered of an offense by not putting runs on the board. I see no signs that they will slow down the pace offensively. To the contrary, after being shut out today, I expect they will win handily tomorrow.

The Nashville Sounds are a Brewers Affiliate and the Indianapolis Indians are a Pirates affiliate

I especially enjoyed this part:

I think Lou is trying to send a message, that he is holding this group up to a higher standard and he does not want them to take their foot off the pedal.

That is just a perfectly worded explanation, and I can add nothing to it but total agreement.

2nd game I missed this season (cos I was still in bed hungover, it being a real early start for New Zealand) but I caught the 9th inning. There’s a lot of difference makers between this team and the 2003 Cubs for my mind the biggest one is Lou. If ever there was a vision of the dynasty that this club can become I’m sure that’s what you can see in Lou’s eyes….then again it might just be indigestion.

sounded pissed (and tired). Not snappy or bristling at the reporters like he is after a more intense loss, but very dissatisfied. It was also the shortest post-game I’ve ever heard—lasted all of 55 seconds.

Hit into too many double plays – get you out of a lot of innings quick
Give their pitchers credit – they pitched well
No hangover after MIL series – 54 games to go, hangover this quick is no excuse
Marquis pitched fine, gave us six innings 3 runs

innate skill?

Understand this: not having a good scouting report is not an excuse, it is a fact. The Cubs got a last minute scouting report on Karstens, and a last minute scouting report can not be classified as a good scouting report. Unless you have stepped in the box and faced ML pitching, it is disingenuous for you to say that you can “get a pretty good idea of what a guy is throwing by simply taking a few pitches.” As far as not hitting minor league journeymen and frightened pups from AA or AAA being tiresome; Karstens is a young pitcher with some ML experience. Most of this experience with a team called the Yankees. Additionally, I would hardly call him a journeyman- he was traded by the Yankees to get pieces they needed from the Pirates.

The only difference between a AA/AAA pitcher and a ML pitcher is good experience, learning how to pitch effectively, get ahead in the count, knowing what pitch to throw in what situation, etc. Take the Shark for example. He learned as he went along this year in the ML’s, and gained valuable experience by learning, then applying what he learned in a manner that allowed him to have success that reflected in his results. It was never a matter of his ‘stuff’.

So you want the team to come out and say that they were tired, and deflated & sucked, when it just isn’t the case? They didn’t use the lack of a good scouting report as an excuse, it’s the truth. Honestly, you really could have much worse things to complain about.

However, maybe I should have let it. Usually, a knocked-over Big Gulp is a sign of a win to come.

Stop trying to antagonize people, and simply go away…

as such, should be covered by the ground rules. This is supposedly what the umps and managers talk about in that little pre-game meeting at home plate…

Anyway through the power of the Internets, I found this on the cubs.com site. And based on the first rule, no HR – ball is in play.

Wrigley Field Ground Rules

Baseball hits top or face of screen in front of bleacher wall and bounces back on playing field—In Play

Baseball hits top of screen and drops between screen and wall—Home Run

Baseball hits screen and bounces into bleachers—Home Run

Baseball sticks in screen in front of bleachers—Double

Baseball sticks in vines on bleacher wall—Double

Baseball comes out of vines—In Play

Baseball hits leftfield or rightfield foul markers above painted mark—Home Run

Baseball hits foul markers below painted mark and bounces back on playing field—In Play

Baseball goes under grates in leftfield or rightfield and remains there—Double

Baseball goes in or under grates on either side of home plate and remains there:
- Pitched Ball One Base
—Thrown Ball – Two Bases

Also: Players cannot enter the dugout steps at Wrigley Field to catch any foul pop fly

because there were a couple balls that got hit to the basket in right field during the series with the marlins. one of them went in and bounced out, and one of them hit the edge and bounced down. they said the only probable way for it to bounce up and still be in play was for it to hit the yellow wire, and lo and behold, it did this time.

I’ll be here for the game tomorrow.

Goodnight Gracie…