There are two ways to look at last night. One school of thought is to be pessimistic and feel like the end of the world is upon us after the dismal performance turned in by basically the entire team. The other school of thought is to look at it from the viewpoint that it’s merely one game in a series of five, a series that the winner only has to play a game over .500 ball to win. Since I have no idea what school of thought you subscribe to, I figure I’ll present some material for both.
The End is Nigh:
- TBS ran a stat that was something like 24 out of 28 NLDS series, the team that has won the first game has won the series.
- Alfonso Soriano looked completely lost at the plate and appeared willing to swing at any pretty little breaking ball that looked his way. That played out to the tune of two K’s and three men left on base.
- Every pitcher that entered the game gave up a run, and one of them wasn’t even Bob Howry.
- The loss yesterday puts big time pressure on a guy like Zambrano who really doesn’t need any extra pressure at this point.
- Home field advantage now goes to the Dodgers as they steal one from us at home. We’ve played terrible with the bat in LA this year, which adds more pessimism to the mix.
Come on, it’s only a game:
- Taking a look at the rotation we have coming for the next three games, it’s as good if not better than what we ran out there last year for games 1-3 against Arizona. Zambrano, Harden and Lilly come next and swapping Harden for Hill is alright with me. Why panic yet?
- Kosuke Fukudome did his job defensively with a nice play going over the mound in foul territory and making a catch. He also hit the ball really hard but was credited with reaching on an error. He shouldn’t be in the two hole, but he played acceptable for a seven or eight hitter.
- Mark DeRosa didn’t appear to show any effects of the calf injury that kept him out for the last series, and he even provided a big home run to get the Cubs on the board early.
- Neither Kerry Wood or Carlos Marmol came in yesterday so they are fresh and ready to go if needed tonight.
- The crowd seemed to suck last night so we should still get some momentum from a good crowd tonight.
- The Dodgers are pitching a 24 year old kid tonight. There is a chance he may get caught up in the moment and come out looking like Jeff Samardzija looked last night. He could over throw, which may allow us to get to him early.
Regardless of which way you fall right now, it’s a must win tonight. Am I worried? Yes, but am I panicking? No Way!!! I Still believe we’re going to win the World Series this year and tonight is just the first step on that journey.
I believe it was 23 of 26. But the positive spin on that is that the AL shows something different, with the loser of game 1 actually winning 14 of the 26 ALDS.
I think that the Cubs are more than good enough to still win the series. We just need a good game from Zambrano, and Marmol can throw 2 innings, especially with the day of tomorrow.
But I am with you – slightly worried, but not panicked.
I’m very worried and on the edge of panicking. Save for one glorious exception, Zambrano has not looked good at all in September. Perhaps it’s the panic in me talking, but at this point I have more faith in Ted Lilly than Z.
I hate short series.
I don’t recall hearing/reading anything about how Z reacted to not getting the Game One Start. I half expected to hear that he felt dissed…
Tonight is his opportunity to reassert himself as the staff Ace. And I would be shocked to learn that he isn’t fully aware of that.
That we have Zambrano, Harden and Lilly on deck for the next three games is certainly reason for optimism.
I woke up this morning with the thought that game 2 might be the biggest game of a five game series. One team has the chance to stomp on the throat of the other team and put them in a 2-0 hole and needing to sweep the next 3 straight to advance. The other team can pull even with a win and make it a best of 3. I know that is a little circular but it gave me some hope. Let’s go out and get this one.
We are good to go. Since I am not going to the game tonight, I am confident we will win. I am 0-3 in my career and will not be going to anymore home playoff games. We need Big Z badly and we need an early lead of more than two runs. I am pannicking can’t help it!
Yeah… it was 24 of 28 times on the NLDS. The timing of that stat made me want to put my head through a wall.. I truly believe we are a better team than the Dodgers. I did not think that last year when we were playing the D backs. I know they have Manny but it was not Manny that beat us last night. The only time he did damage was with no one on base, which is just the way you would script that. I know this is beating a dead horse here, but you take away the walks in the 5th and you wipe at least 4 runs off of the board for the Dodgers. I say at least because the bullpen would have been used differently if they were still ahead.. but, alas, our season sits squarely on the shoulders of Carlos Zambrano.
I need some Maalox.
On Tuesday night, I had a double header for the first round of our playoffs. It’s a best of three. We lost Game 1, 11-4. Our collective butts were handed to us. We won Game 2. There were no worries, we just went out and did what we were supposed to do.
Am I worried. A little. I think Lou figured a win with Demp would be a plus, with Z going in Game 2. Z going in Game 2 would get him fired up, since he always beleives he’s a Game 1 pitcher. I predict a fiery Z, that’s throwing BB’s. As in the small led balls. Not walks.
beebees? or walks?
Fixed.
I’m pretty worried.
South Side for 50 years – never been to Wrigley (against my deepest convictions to do so) and still mourning the loss of Old Comiskey … but I simply can’t stand it anymore ….
GO CUBS!
Looking forward to talking some SERIOUS smack in two more series each, boys – take care of business up in Wrigleyville!
Likewise, Sox Fan!
Yes, I am worried big time. Soriano, Lee, and Ramirez are choking like they did last year. Even if the pitching holds up, if these 3 don’t wake up fast, this will be over in 3 games. Please prove me wrong!!!
The crowd tonight and last night was nervous. Tonight they’re at least trying to energize the team. The errors tonight reminded me of the heart wrenching errors by Alex Gonzalez and others after the bartman ball. I’m panicking, but we will win the series.
Do they sell Maalox by the case?
This is horrendous.
and painful!! The only thing I like about this game was the small ball the Dodgers played by bunting over the runner from first to second and then score him on a single. Why can’t we do that? I hated watching that, but it was so text book baseball. I live in LA and this makes me hate the Dodgers even more. OUCH!! We need a hero on this team. Someone to step up and carry us to a victory.
Okay… now is the time to panic.
Fukadome is a crap hitter if he starts game 3 we deserve to lose.
I’m a Cub fan. I’ve been a fan as long as I can remember. Since at least 1965. I will be a Cub fan til the day I die. The Cubs are in my DNA. I blame Ray Raynor (but I don’t really know how it happened).
If this team, the team I firmly believe to be the best Cub team of my lifetime, finishes this series the way they have started it, then I hope it is dismantled. I hope they are all traded off and we start over*. What the crap good is it to have the best record in the National League when you play like crap in the post season? They should AT LEAST COMPETE!!!
*I think Soto would be the player I’d be most reluctant to trade, but if they’d get enough for him….
In the meantime, it ain’t over til it’s over. I’ll be rooting Saturday night.
A reporter asked Joe Torre what pitcher he would select for game four. His response: I do not know if there will be a game four. Rich, I feel your pain in your post. But, we need to ask ourselves, what team would take our players given the contracts they have and the way they play? We could not trade Lee, Afonz, Fdome, or Marquis if we tried. This is our team for the next three to four years. We are stuck with these players. Let’s hope for a miracle – three wins in a row!!!!
jose,
I understand that it may not be realistic that all of these guys can be traded. I’m just saying that as many as possible should be and that there are no “untouchables” in my book.
I have little hope that it will actually happen.
“Let’s hope for a miracle – three wins in a row!!!!”
Yup. It can still happen.
I panicked the second I saw the grand slam during Game 1. Looks like I was entirely correct to do so. We are NEVER going to win the World Series, let alone get to one. I have truly given up all hope. It’s no use keeping it when it’s the Cubs you’re rooting for.
Rich I was agreeing with you and sharing your frustration.