... about a game in which Rich Hill appeared to be the bad old Rich Hill from 2005 and the first half of 2006.
Four home runs? In a park that isn't conducive to home runs? It appeared that Hill's pitches were up last night, something that used to get him into deep trouble, but also something I had thought he had stopped doing. In any case, it appears that it's time for him to go back and look at some video of his outings last August and September.
I had to go to sleep so I could get up for work at 3:30 am. By the time it was 4-1 starting the fifth inning, I figured it was over, since after the Cubs had Jake Peavy a bit on the ropes early, they went out meekly the next four innings, so I shut it off.
I was right. The Cubs lost 5-1, and if they had to lose, at least it was to Peavy, probably the best pitcher in the NL (and maybe all of baseball) right now.
There really isn't that much more to say. I didn't see Angel Guzman's 1.2 scoreless innings of relief -- anyone who did, please post your observations (the boxscore numbers, nine strikes in 12 pitches to get five outs looks pretty good, though). The Brewers lost 3-2 to the Dodgers, so the Cubs lost no ground, and with Houston's loss to San Francisco, the Cubs are now tied with them for second place, such as it is with a record three games under .500.
I had asked Mark, who is off school and could stay up and watch, to email me his own recap, but he didn't. Maybe tonight.
Have at it. Sean Marshall makes his season debut tonight against a guy who made his own major league debut when Marshall was not quite five years old.