In more ways than one, I might add. Zambrano pitched a good game and left with the score tied 4-4 only to have Wood blow the game with an uncharacteristically bad inning.
Actually, the Cubs had blown the series opener much earlier with some genuinely awful fundamental play. Soriano allegedly slipped and fell backwards while attempting to field a line drive hit directly at him. Actually to this observer it looked as if he lost the ball in the lights or just didn't pick it up and then just ducked in fright. Anyway, you wonder how long the Cubs can afford the luxury of playing an outfielder who on his best days gives up on defense as many runs as he produces on offense.
Aside from missing cutoff men all day long and cutoff men being out of position all day long, the other egregious misplay came when Koyie Hill couldn't catch a perfect throw from Fukudome that had the runner beat by 20 feet. Two runs on those plays right there. Zambrano showed unexpected equanimity by not bopping one or both of these guys right then and there.
You cannot afford to be losing games like this day in and day out. Even with all the sloppy play, they might have pulled it out had they been able to come through once or twice with men on base. 13 hits, 3 walks, 4 runs, 12 LOB.
Add to this losing Soto to the DL for at least 15 days and you have the makings of a really bad day for Cubdom. Not that Soto was burning up the league, but he did give the team a quality at bat most of the time, unlike the first-pitch swingers who bat ahead of him. This may be a blessing in disguise if Quade can install Wellington Castillo in the principal catching position for the interim. Castillo can hit and looks like a decent defensive catcher. If he gets a chance and Hill does not take too many of the starts, the Cubs might finally decide to part company with Hill's anemic bat. It is clear that Quade has almost no confidence in Hill as it is, since he has started only 3 of the team's 33 games. At this stage of the season a backup would be expected to have started twice that number at least.
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