That's what last night's frustrating 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Reds felt like. It was the Cubs' second straight extra-inning loss after six straight extra-inning wins this year without one.
I mention tonsils because my daughter Rachel is having hers out this afternoon. She's a bit worried about it, but I know everything will be just fine -- I never had my own out, but I know this kind of surgery is totally routine these days. And no, I didn't specifically schedule this while the Cubs are out of town, though it's a serendipitous coincidence -- this is the only date between school and summer camp that the doctor had available. Lucky me, I guess.
The Cubs had seven hits and five walks and the Reds kept trying to give the game away but the Cubs wouldn't take it. Why would you intentionally walk Lenny Harris, someone who came into the game with a .270 OBA and was 2-for-20 as a pinch hitter? Well, you do it because that allows you to double off Alex Gonzalez on a short fly ball, thus killing a rally. And I still don't understand why Bobby Hill's been called up to sit on the bench.
Dusty Baker may be a great motivator of men, and he still has this somewhat ragtag bunch of Cubs in first place (by a half game), but sometimes his lineup selections are absolutely mystifying. We were warned about this by Giants fans before the season even started, and it's turned out to be true. Nevertheless, Dusty came up with good results almost all of his ten years in San Francisco, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt till there's a long losing streak -- which there hasn't been; the longest losing streak of the year is still only three games.
Sammy Sosa comes back tonight and I have the sense he's going to go on one of his hot-weather tears; June has always been one of his best-hitting months.
I mention tonsils because my daughter Rachel is having hers out this afternoon. She's a bit worried about it, but I know everything will be just fine -- I never had my own out, but I know this kind of surgery is totally routine these days. And no, I didn't specifically schedule this while the Cubs are out of town, though it's a serendipitous coincidence -- this is the only date between school and summer camp that the doctor had available. Lucky me, I guess.
The Cubs had seven hits and five walks and the Reds kept trying to give the game away but the Cubs wouldn't take it. Why would you intentionally walk Lenny Harris, someone who came into the game with a .270 OBA and was 2-for-20 as a pinch hitter? Well, you do it because that allows you to double off Alex Gonzalez on a short fly ball, thus killing a rally. And I still don't understand why Bobby Hill's been called up to sit on the bench.
Dusty Baker may be a great motivator of men, and he still has this somewhat ragtag bunch of Cubs in first place (by a half game), but sometimes his lineup selections are absolutely mystifying. We were warned about this by Giants fans before the season even started, and it's turned out to be true. Nevertheless, Dusty came up with good results almost all of his ten years in San Francisco, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt till there's a long losing streak -- which there hasn't been; the longest losing streak of the year is still only three games.
Sammy Sosa comes back tonight and I have the sense he's going to go on one of his hot-weather tears; June has always been one of his best-hitting months.