Yesterday's loss was tough. Seeing my girlfriend in a Marlin's jersey was worse.
[Side note: let's talk about the Marlins. This obsessive hatred goes so far beyond 2003, which I'm sure most of you can attest. First and foremost, they've picked up two World Series in seven years. After each title, they dismantle the team, rebuild, and are ready for another title bout. And this most recent rebuilding phase? Well, they've started 2009 10-1.
You do the math.
They had Dontrelle Willis when he was still Dontrelle Willis, a former Cubs prospect. They fleeced us for Juan Pierre, who left/was run out of town after only one year. They gave us Kevin Gregg for one of the most promising prospects in our minor league system. They did give us Derrek Lee, but we haven't won a postseason game since. And yes, they capitalized on one of the worst collpases in sports history. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why my girlfriend in a Marlin's jersey made me nauseus.]
Fortunately for me and the future of my relationship, Alfonso Soriano intervened. Soriano provided some more late-inning heroics, hitting a two-run shot in the eighth inning to put the Cardinals away for a come-from-behind 8-7 victory.
Our very own lighning rod continues to shine late in games, and memories of his three previous strike outs were quickly erased. For people who have spent the past 100 years pining, we seem to have short memories when it comes to our left fielder.
But before we annoint Soriano and the Cubs as saviors of sanity on the North Side, let's explore the journey they took to get to the eighth. Carlos Zambrano struggled mightily, giving up all seven runs and blowing an early 3-0 lead. However, since the bullpen was so depleted, Zambrano had to suffer through seven innings and 109 pitches. The home run proved to be his undoing, as he gave up two to Ryan Ludwick and another to Brian Barden.
And for our next activity, please pick out Brian Barden from this lineup. Can't? Yeah, that's what we thought.
But enough about Zambrano. Our offense saved us, refusing to acquiesce. Derrek Lee continued to impress, as did Micah Hoffpauir, and Kosuke Fukudome continued to set the table at the top of the order. Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto also got in on the action, coming up with the kind of situational hitting that the Cubs rarely seem to possess.
Simply put, the offense showed more character than James Cromwell, and Soriano put the Cardinals away on a no-doubter.
Carlos Marmol and Aaron Heilman also deserve their Kudos bars, as Heilman bridged the gap to the ninth, and Marmol continued to make us second guess this Kevin Gregg experiment. After walking the lead off batter and plunking Albert Pujols, Marmol resumed filthiness and evened the series at 1-1. Nausea, and potential ealry-onset insanity, avoided.
Too bad the morning's fish food beat the Cardinals to the punch.
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