... for the end of this one. You'll have to wait till the game is over to click here for details of the Cubs' loss to the Marlins -- yes, I'm assuming it's going to be a loss, even though it's right now only the bottom of the 8th and the Cubs are losing 6-0.
I'm pretty disgusted today. This game wasn't going to be easy to win with Mark Redman going; he's been one of the Marlins' best pitchers, coming in with a 7-4 record and 3.28 ERA, and the all-right-handed hitting lineup had lots of trouble solving him. Matt Clement did OK trying to keep up with Redman, but as often happens when you are going bad, a single just got under the glove of Alex Gonzalez; then a ground ball which could have been a DP was handled by Mark Grudzielanek, but he missed stepping on 2nd and threw late to first. Then Clement lost it and hit Derrek Lee, and with the bases loaded, Todd Hollandsworth doubled and it was 2-0 Marlins.
Even at that, the Cubs went into the 7th down only 3-0, but bad Kyle Farnsworth showed up and gave up two long home runs and made it 6-0.
Worse was the news that Mark Prior's shoulder is still bothering him and as a result, his scheduled start Sunday is being pushed back to Tuesday. It doesn't seem serious, but the Cubs don't need any more problems. Carlos Zambrano will start in his place.
Are we at the point at which we should stop thinking about picking up help for the stretch run and start being sellers? Maybe, but the problem is -- who do the Cubs have that anyone would want? That's not a slam, it's just the fact that several Cubs -- notably Alou and Karros -- are untradeable due to their contract status. The Astros won tonight and thus the Cubs, who were in first place only a little over a week ago, find themselves four and a half games out, and under .500 for the first time since April 6, when they were 2-3.
Since I started typing this, the game has ended, in the same 6-0 score. I still think this Cubs team can compete with the Astros and Cardinals, both of whom are flawed teams.
But they had better start doing that tomorrow.
I'm pretty disgusted today. This game wasn't going to be easy to win with Mark Redman going; he's been one of the Marlins' best pitchers, coming in with a 7-4 record and 3.28 ERA, and the all-right-handed hitting lineup had lots of trouble solving him. Matt Clement did OK trying to keep up with Redman, but as often happens when you are going bad, a single just got under the glove of Alex Gonzalez; then a ground ball which could have been a DP was handled by Mark Grudzielanek, but he missed stepping on 2nd and threw late to first. Then Clement lost it and hit Derrek Lee, and with the bases loaded, Todd Hollandsworth doubled and it was 2-0 Marlins.
Even at that, the Cubs went into the 7th down only 3-0, but bad Kyle Farnsworth showed up and gave up two long home runs and made it 6-0.
Worse was the news that Mark Prior's shoulder is still bothering him and as a result, his scheduled start Sunday is being pushed back to Tuesday. It doesn't seem serious, but the Cubs don't need any more problems. Carlos Zambrano will start in his place.
Are we at the point at which we should stop thinking about picking up help for the stretch run and start being sellers? Maybe, but the problem is -- who do the Cubs have that anyone would want? That's not a slam, it's just the fact that several Cubs -- notably Alou and Karros -- are untradeable due to their contract status. The Astros won tonight and thus the Cubs, who were in first place only a little over a week ago, find themselves four and a half games out, and under .500 for the first time since April 6, when they were 2-3.
Since I started typing this, the game has ended, in the same 6-0 score. I still think this Cubs team can compete with the Astros and Cardinals, both of whom are flawed teams.
But they had better start doing that tomorrow.