Filed: September 23rd, 2008
Representative. Yeah, right.
After having spent a few hours this afternoon chuckling at and enjoying the Cubs great win last night against the Mets, I got to tune in to tonight's game -- sadly, a 6-2 loss -- and see the sort of "representative lineup" that Lou looks to field this week. Casey McGehee at third, extended at-bats for Micah Hoffpauir in left, Henry Blanco behind the plate, and my personal favorite; Reed Johnson batting cleanup. Oh, and Sean Marshall starting in place of Rich Harden, who's had his next start moved back to Thursday. It was the sort of traveling lineup that usually gets you a call from the Commissioner's office during Spring Training. You get the idea.
The "C" team actually did have some luck against Mets starter Johan Santana, jumping out to a 2-0 lead early. Credit Kosuke Fukdome -- 2-4 -- and Reed Johnson -- 2-3, with a walk -- for RBI hits in the second and third innings, respectively. Even Casey McGehee faired well, hitting a double in the second inning against Santana that I'm certain will be one of his most memorable major league experiences. Actually, the Cubs cruised thru the fifth, with Sean Marshall more than managing the Mets.
Then things just got so Cub. I mean, I know the game doesn't matter really, but call me greedy, at least as long as 100 wins is still up for grabs. So, it was frustrating to see the Mets manage to grab a pair in the fifth, when Sean Marshall just ran out of gas. It didn't help that Johan Santana extended the inning with a broken-bat infield hit, that hit the shattered bat again as Ronny Cedeno attempted to field it. I've been watching baseball for 25 years, and I don't think that I've seen an odder hit.
But Chad Gaudin had nothing, really just coming undone in the sixth, and that was pretty much the ballgame. After getting giving up four straight hits, and committing an embarrassing throwing error that allowed Carlos Delgado to score, he was mercifully lifted. Kevin Hart then jumped in with the bases loaded, and Jose Reyes promptly cleared them, screaming a three-run triple down the right field line. Eshh.
Santana would go eight, before giving way to that crazy mets bullpen. The Cubs were able to stage a mini-rally of them in the ninth, but ultimately they got Mike Fontenot and Daryle Ward out to end the game.
So, while we're waiting out the playoffs, a couple of things. Saturday's game against the Brewers has been moved to Fox, and the game time to 2:55 CT. Also, Phil Rogers thinks that Carlos Zambrano is a third starter in the playoffs. Wow. I'm trying not to laugh. Trust me guys, dance with the girl you brought. But, what do you think?