6/12/08 vs Braves; W 3-2; (43-24)

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (from a Cub perspective)

The Good

• After Zambrano allowed a leadoff walk in the eighth, Scott Eyre allowed a double to Brian McCann. An intentional walk loaded the bases with no out. Eyre worked two strikeouts and then gave way to Carlos Marmol. Marmol picked up one more strikeout to leave the Braves scoreless and keep it a one run game.
• Jim Edmonds hit a game tying home run in the ninth inning. He had driven in the only other Cubs run of the day with a sac fly earlier.
• Kerry Wood struck out four in two innings keeping the Cubs in the game during extra innings. His reward...his third win of the year.
• The Cubs patiently worked the Braves pitching in the eleventh. Ramirez walked on five pitches, and advanced to second on a passed ball. Fukudome was intentionally walked. Geovony Soto worked 3-2 count before his single loaded the bases. Reed Johnson didn't have to be so patient; the first pitch he saw hit him to bring home the winning run. That is the sixth extra inning win for the Cubs this year and their eleventh one run victory.

The Bad

• Lou leaves Zambrano in to hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The Cubs had scored one to pull within a run of the Braves. They had runners at first and second. Zambrano is a good hitter, batting .364 on the season, but you had the whole bench available. Hoffpauir and Fontenot as lefties since Campillo was pitching. The result is a popup on the infield to end the inning. Going from bad to worse....Zambrano walks the leadoff batter in the eighth and gets pulled.
• Ryan Theriot managed no hits in five at bats.

The Ugly

• The 1948 Cub blue stirrup socks with red stripes.
• Andy Pafko, a member of the 1945 World Series team, needing a cheat sheet to sing the seventh inning stretch.