Home Sweet Home!
The Chicago Cubs returned home and ....for today at least....cured all that ails them.
- For only the fourth time this year, we won while scoring 3 or less runs
- We broke the pattern of win one, lose two
- They beat the team with the best winning percentage in the majors....presumably the team they will have to beat to get to the World Series
Ted Lilly backed up his solid performance against St. Louis with a season high ten strikeouts in seven innings. The home run in the first inning by Chris Young was the only run allowed. Stephen Drew tripled in the third, but no other Diamondback made it past second base. Lilly also helped his own cause with a single in the fifth to score Mark DeRosa.
Soriano followed that single with a two out double to give the Cubs the lead. It was Alfonso's only hit of the day, but came at a key point. His performance lately can be commended. He has four extra base hits in his last six starts. Derek Lee added an insurance run with a solo shot in the eighth inning.
Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood took care of the last two innings. Each struck out one in their respective inning. Watching the game, I was a little concerned with Woody. His last two outs came on 0-2 pitches that got way too much of the plate. That will burn him at some point. For today though, we rejoice. We're back home....we beat a good team...with a good pitching performance by somebody other than Big Z or Dempster...and Fukudome got a hit. Now if the Brewers will just beat the Cards!
2 comments:
VERY encouraged about Lilly's performance. It would seem we have our legit #2 back.
I hate to complain about his one mistake, but shouldn't we have learned to not give Chris Young a first pitch fastball strike? That pitch was grooved, as was the Rich Hill pitch in Game 3 and Lilly's pitch in game 2 (followed by the famous mitt-toss). Woody starting him with a slider in the 9th for a strike was the right thing to do. I just don't know why it took so long to figure out?
I didn't see the home run, I was following on Gameday at that point. I would agree though.
What about the 0-2 pitches in the ninth by Woody?
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