Day 1 (Mostly)

Brewers @ Phillies
1 - 3
Cole Hamels looked exceptional on the mound today, making the Brewers lineup look foolish scattering two hits and nine strikeouts and one walk in an eight inning start. On the other side, Yovani Gallardo was chased from the mound after only four innings after surrendering three runs on three hits, and five walks. The Phillies bullpen continues their dominance courtesy a save from Brad Lidge. Not much else to say here, as both teams only had four hits and one error. Game 2: 10/2 @ Philadelphia


Dodgers @ Cubs
7 - 2
The LA Dodgers actual arrived about 300 miles away, and 10 months early... for the home run derby. The Dodgers hit three, and produced 6 RBIs from those homers. James Loney his a grand slam in the fifth, Manny Ramirez hit a ridiculous homer from his shins in the seventh, and Russel Martin hit his in the ninth. The Cubs struck first in the second by a DeRosa homer right down the right field line, but left eight on base; yet another example of the Cubs struggle to put runs across the plate. Ryan Dempster started out pitching well but fell apart in the fifth, where he walked three straight, and then gave up the big grand slam. I trust that Zambrano will be a better fit on the mound tomorrow. Game 2: 10/2 @ Chicago


Red Sox @ Angels

Yeah, they're playing too, but they're on late, so I won't cover them.
Game 2: 10/2 @ Anaheim (Yes, Anaheim)





White Sox @ Rays
Game 1: 10/2 @ Tampa Bay





Winners & Losers:
Mil@Phi
W: Hamels (1-0)
L: Gallardo (0-1)
S: Lidge (1)

LAD@Chi
W: Lowe (1-0)
L: Dempster (0-1)
H: Wade (1)

Game To Watch: It was going to be Sox @ Rays due to the Rays making their first postseason appearance ever, but it's going to be Dodgers @ Cubs. I chose this game due to the fact that is is crunch time for the Cubs. If Zambrano doesn't deliver, the Cubs are looking at going home.
Dodgers @ Cubs 8:30 CDT on TBS & 720 WGN Radio


Other Stuff: Cubs lose seventh straight postseason game... Brewers make first postseason appearance since 1982... Red Sox have never lost to Angels in postseason play

Kiss Him Goodbye; Sox Win AL Central

I was absent from my house, so I kept track of the game on the fly, and for six innings, all I saw were eggs. Both pitchers were throwing gems of a game but Central Illinois hero Jim Thome put a pretty big crack in Nick Blackburn's gem, a solo shot (34) to put the Sox up 1-0, and that was all they needed. Maybe next year, Twins.

W: Danks (12-9)
L: Blackburn (11-11)
S: Jenks (30)

Look out Hollywood!

Well, it's postseason time again, and the Cubs are going to the party! In fact, we won the Division Title consecutively for the first time since we won back to back World Series. It's been a great seaon, with one of the greatest highlights being Zambrano's No-No against Houston in Milwaukee, the first since Milt Pappas for the Cubs. But one of the saddest developments of the season recently was the Mets failure to make it to the postseason after a promising run, disallowing them one final postseason series at Shea Stadium before demolition. With the Mets falling they gave way to allow the Brewers to earn the Wildcard spot. According to MLB rules, the team with the best record in their conference (Cubs) plays the Wildcard in the first round (Brewers), UNLESS, the Wildcard comes from the same division which would pair the best team with the team with the worst record of conference winners (Dodgers). So we see the Man-Ram, while the Brew Crew gets to try to stop the Rynoceros know as Ryan Howard.
The season was supposed to have ended on Sunday, with all of the postseason matchups set in stone and the teams taking these two days off to prepare for their series, but the White Sox and Twins were unable to pull away from each other. The Twins are holding the lead by a half game over the Sox due to a game that wasn't played between the Sox and Tigers, which is being made up today. If the Sox are able to win, they force a tiebreaker game against the Twins tomorrow, if not, it's curtains for the Crosstown World Series. So, we might know what's going on today, or we might have to wait, either way, it's going to be a great postseason.

Winners & Losers:
Here, I will post winning and losing pitchers from the games played, and also will give random game notes

Game to Watch:
Sox vs. Tigers 1:00 PM CDT- Even the Cubs fans care about this one. It should be good.

So... SO!!!

I have a reason to write now! WE'RE GOING TO THE POSTSEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!

So...

I haven't posted in a while, because I feel no one reads this blog. If someone does, send me an email at worldserious08@gmail.com

It Could Be, It Might Be, It IS!!! 10,000!

A 100 year drought needs at least one giant bright spot, and that spot came late at night on April 23, 2008. Freakin' win no. 10,000 for MY Chicago Cubs. Unbelievable. That win pushed them to six straight, capping off one of the Cubs best starts in history. But of course, milestone games never come easy for the Cubs, because they won't let them. The Cubs led all the way into the sixth, until the Rockies gave the Cubs a taste of their own medicine by scoring five, taking the lead 5-3. The seventh inning looked promising for the Cubs until a crucial double play abruptly ends the rally. the ninth, where The RBI Machine, or what I like to call him, Mr. Clutch steps up and sends one a mile high into the night sky to give the Cubs the lead 6-5. And I know all of Cubs Nation was thinking 10,000 here we come, we're three outs away! Once more, they give the lead up, with K-Wood earning his second blown save of the year/career. But the Cubs pull it out in eleven, a fitting end, for a fitting win.
W: Wood (2-0)
L: Wells (1-1)
H: Marshall (2), Buchholz (5), Fuentes (6)
BS: Wood (2), Corpas (4)
SV: Marmol (2)

Win #1

First and foremost, take note that the blog has changed it's title! Now that the Cubs are playing incredibly well, I'm no longer in the same agony I've been in years before! Today was an important day in the Cubs Nation. Ted Lilly got his first win of the season, and the Cubs "swept" the Mets to go on a five game winning streak. I just can't understand how the Cubs continue to explode in singular innings. April 21, a five run eighth inning led by Felix Pie's first homer of the year, a 3-run shot. April 20, a five run fifth inning with a 2-run shot from Aramis Ramirez. And, today, Ronny Cedeno comes in and singlehandedly makes the game unsaveable for Kerry Wood, and Wood takes another day off. Ronny Cedeno has a career day as he says "Hello, Waveland" and jacks his first career grand slam to make a career high 5 RBIs for him today and cap off the five run rally in the eighth. Also, Carlos Marmol continues to roll, as he goes 1-2-3 in the eighth with 2 Ks. The Cubs are going on a five game road trip beginning in Denver as the Rockies are hoping to cool off the Cubs at Coors Field in the Rocky Mountain air. And the Nationals, well... they're going to try not to get shutout every night. After that, the Cubs are going to end the month the same way they began, at home against the Milwaukee Brewers.
W: Lilly (1-3)
L: Figueroa (1-1)
H: Howry (4), Marmol (7)
Notables: John Smoltz notched his 3,000th Strikeout tonight at home against the Nationals! Congratulations!