Game One Hundred Twenty-Four - Cubs 9 Nationals 4
WP - Angel Guzman (3-3) LP - Jason Bergmann (2-3) Save - None
The Cubs did just enough in the first seven innings Wednesday night then pulled away late to pick up the win against the Washington Nationals. The final score does not indicate how close the game was for the first seven and a half innings. Milton Bradley drove in the Cubs' first three runs, including the eventual game winner in the seventh that gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Bradley gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead in the third with his 11th home run of the season ... a two-run shot off of Livan Hernandez. Bradley's third RBI came on a fielder's choice with one out in the seventh that plated a hustling Koyie Hill.
The Cubs blew the game open with six runs in the eighth inning. Koyie Hill (3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI) doubled to right with one-out in the eighth and plated Kosuke Fukudome and Jeff Baker.
With the Cubs up 5-2, Mike Fontenot notched his second pinch hit of the year (2-for-15), a double to right that was misplayed by Elijah Dukes. Ryan Theriot and Milton Bradley walked ahead of a two-run double by Derrek Lee and a RBI infield single by Aramis Ramirez.
Rich Harden was solid once again. Harden struggled with his command in the first inning, loaded the bases with no outs but allowed only one run to score. Harden left after six innings and another quality start ... two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Harden lowered his season ERA to just under four, 3.99.
Angel Guzman picked up the win after throwing a perfect seventh ... and John Grabow did his in the eighth. Grabow has not allowed a run since being traded to the Cubs.
Carlos Marmol struggled mightily with his command in the ninth. With the Cubs up by just one at the beginning of the eighth, Lou Piniella had Marmol warming up and brought him in for the ninth. Marmol walked the bases loaded to start the inning, gave up a sacrifice fly to Wil Nieves and a run scoring double to Willie Harris. Marmol threw 33 pitches in the ninth inning, 17 for strikes.
The Cubs avoided the .500 mark once again with their fifth win of the year against the Washington Nationals ...
The Cubs offense struggled once again with Livan Hernandez. The crafty veteran held the Cubs to just two runs (the two-run homer by Milton Bradley) on five hits in six innings of work. The Cubs managed just two walks and struck out six times against Hernandez.
Koyie Hill recorded the Cubs' first hit to start the third ... a single to right. Rich Harden tried to sacrifice him to second but he bunted the ball too hard and Hernandez threw out Hill at second. Ryan Theriot flied out to right and with two outs, Milton Bradley stepped to the plate.
Milton Bradley ripped a 2-1 pitch from Livan Hernandez down the right field line ... the Cubs' second hit of the game gave them a 2-1 lead.
The Nationals tied the game at two in the fifth. Wil Nieves led off with a single to center. Hernandez sacrificed him to second. Willie Harris struck out. Following a wild pitch that advanced Nieves to third, Cristian Guzman singled to center on a 3-2 pitch from Harden, Nieves scored the Nationals second run.
Koyie Hill led off the seventh with a single to right. Aaron Miles hit for Angel Guzman and sacrificed Hill into scoring position. Ryan Theriot blooped a single into left center, Hill had to hold but advanced to third on the play. Milton Bradley put the ball in play on a 2-2 pitch from Jason Bergmann.
Bradley hit a chopper toward third, Ryan Zimmerman picked the ball barehanded but his throw was wide of the plate. Hill broke with contact and scored the winning run without a slide. Derrek Lee struck out and Aramis Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning.
Up by a slim 3-2 lead, Kosuke Fukudome led off the eighth with broken bat, bloop single off southpaw Ron Villone. Jim Riggleman brought in Jorge Sosa to face Soriano ... and this is where the Cubs broke the game open.
After the struggling Alfonso Soriano struck out swinging, Kosuke advanced to second on the inning's first wild pitch. Jeff Baker reached on an infield single that was originally ruled an error on Adam Dunn. Baker hit a grounder up the first baseline, Dunn bobbled the ball but Sosa did not break in time to cover the bag. Baker reached and Fukudome advanced to third.
The second wild pitch of the inning by Sosa advanced Baker to second then Koyie Hill delivered a two-run double down the right field line. Fukudome and Baker scored, 5-2 Cubs.
Mike Fontenot doubled to right on a 0-2 offering from Sosa ... his second pinch-hit of the season. Hill scored, 6-2 Cubs.
Ryan Theriot and Milton Bradley walked to load the bases for Derrek Lee. Lee became the last position player to record a hit, a two-run double off the wall in left. Fontenot and Theriot scored, 8-2 Cubs. Aramis Ramirez then drove in the Cubs' final run of the game with an infield single to the hole at short. Bradley scored, 9-2 Cubs.
Kosuke Fukudome and Derrek Lee both doubled and ran their team lead in two-bag hits to 29 for the year.
The Cubs improved to 63-61 on the season with Wednesday night's win.
Randy Wells is scheduled to face rookie J.D. Martin on Thursday afternoon.
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Milton Bradley is undeserving of the opportunity to play this great game of baseball. His comments are as tiring as his performance on the field. The Cubs must find a way to cut ties with him and his final 2 years (3rd year is now guaranteed thanks to him making the necessary starts).
After the cubs part ways with this moron, I can only hope that another team does not entertain his irrational behavior and offer him a chance to participate in one of the great american games.
The season has been tough, but the cubs seperating from Milton Bradley will help start the healing process. Go Cubs.
It seems that he plays better with a chip on his shoulder and looks for things, and it seems he even makes things up, to get him going.
If that's what it takes to make him produce, fine. He just needs to keep his stupidity to himself (which he obviously is not smart enough to do). I wish he would have done this earlier in the year. Maybe he would have put up better numbers.
Jeff...amen.
What a cancer to the team. With a career track record of injuries and "me v. we", Hendry was just brilliant in turning a blind eye and offering this guy 3 years.
You read the comments made by Milton, and no-longer have confusion on why Cub fans not only want him gone, but more importantly that of Jim Hendry. No reasonable GM would have hired Bradley for 1 year, let alone the 3 he got here. Unreal!
Morning Math and Standings Fun, Stay with me now...
38 Games remain for the Cubs
I will present more than likely improbable runs that the Cubs have to make, and the record that Stl and Col will have to go to tie.
Cubs-Seas Rec--STL to tie---Col to tie
26-12 (89-73) 15-19 17-18
28-10 (91-71) 17-17 19-16
30-8 (93-69) 19-15 21-14
32-6 (95-67) 21-13 23-12
.684 .441 .485
.736 .500 .542
.789 .558 .600
.842 .617 .657
This tells me a few things:
-Man the Cubs are in a hole
-If the Cards play slightly below their current pace (.578) The Cubs need to go 30-8 to TIE!
-If the Rox play slightly below their current pace (.567) the Cubs will have to go 28-10 to TIE them!
-The Cubs would have to play WAYYYYY over their current pace (.508) for either of these scenarios to work.
The other day I said that the Cubs would have to go on a stretch of 18-5 over the next 23, (They are 1-1) even that would place the Cubs in a precarious position of having to take 11 or 13 of the final 17 games. WOW!!!!!!!!!
As a Cubby fan I try to be optimistic, you know glass half full, but there is barely a dribble in that glass folks. Keep this post in mind as I will track this, but in my estimation...we are on a 6-8 more loss ticker, click on the life support baby!
The revelation that they are out of it is just hitting you now ?
LOL
They were done about 10 days ago
No, not at all, I have known for a long time now. I have tried to hold out some dillusional hope that a miracle could occur, but even miracles may not be able to overcome that math.
Yes but without Uncle Milton,this would have been a loss.
I beleive he has the highest on-base % in the Cubs line-up
sorry,he's tied for first with Fukudome(391)
Quick takes: Cloy's very slim possibility is likely even less than that.
Bradley has improved his prospects for moving on the last couple of games. Keep it up M.B.!! We could have both Bradley and Soriano to anguish over again next year. It is likely that both will better next year--but moving one of them would also likely enable an important upgrade.
Byran asked if the Trophy Wife likes her name. T.W. works well and has some of her "senior" friends wondering what she's up to. Women over 50 or so, see trophy wives as the enemy, so to be held out as one when you remember the end of WW II generates a lot of positive vibes.
Women and baseball are the primary interests of nearly all on this site. So I'm happy to pass along this helpful observtion about women. (I know that you already know everythig about baseball.)
Women enlarge everything that you give them. Give them a smile, they give you their heart. Give them a house, they make you a home. Give them groceries, they make you a meal. So don't give them any crap if you don't won a ton of it in return.
JimK...re woman and baseball...I'm glad you said "nearly all on this site". Thankyou.
Both you and the "trophy wife" are very
lucky people to have each other indeed.
I also want to thankyou for the smile you put on my face.
The disappointment in this team is a
huge and palpable thing...so any smiles are appreciated.
Re: Bradley...It seems everytime he opens his mouth it negates the positive things he is doing on the field.
He appears to be an ideal 2 hole hitter
that Hendry tried to sell as a slugger
and 5 hole guy...
Like the season, Milton evokes saddness.