The Dodgers Series

The Cubs had a good run against the Dodgers.  They won the first game behind Paul Maholm who turned in another good start.  On Saturday, of course, Volstad turned in his predictably lousy start and the Cubs fell to the Dodgers in lackluster fashion.

I had my misgivings about Travis Wood in the rubber game, but after a little bit of a shaky start, he settled in to keep the Cubs in the game through six innings.  Wood presents an interesting problem for the Cubs.  He clearly has a lot more upside than the awful Volstad and I rather thought the Cubs might keep him around and either demote or try to dump Volstad, but no such luck.  I read this morning that Wood had been sent back down in favor of calling up the reserve infielder Cardenas to replace the genuinely useless Blake DeWitt.

Back to Sunday's game, which had the sleepy quality of a game played late on a lazy, hazy afternoon under a shadowy light that was neither day or night.  Kind of dreamy in a way and not without a certain enchanted quality.

The Cubs seemed determined most of the way it give it up with some oddly aggressive base-running (a less charitable reviewer would characterize it as stupid).  I've got to confess I am not a big believer in Sveum's Ty Cobb style of baseball unless you have Ty Cobb on the roster.

A case in point.  Tony Campana at second base in the first inning.  Right-handed pitcher, one out. Starlin Castro at bat with Bryan LaHair on deck.   Steal third base, right.  I mean, the element of surprise.  Campana doesn't have to steal a base every time he has a chance whether it makes sense or not, does he?  So naturally Campana is out and the inning is over when Castro strikes out.  I mean, what was the point of that?  Just because a guy has a good record stealing bases doesn't mean you have to play as if your team had to manufacture a run when you have two guys who are hitting .370 due up.

The same kind of aggressive tactics backfired a few innings later when Castro drove in two runs with a two-out hit to CF.  Lets think about this, don't you want to make the CF throw home with Campana running and no chance to make the play rather than throw behind you and risk being out at second, possibly negating the second run?  Of course not, you're running.  Castro would have been out by ten feet had the Dodgers fielder not overthrown his cutoff man and forced the catcher, who was not even covering home, to make the play.

Later on, in the ninth inning, the Cubs tied the game on Tony Campana's one-out double with runners at first and second.  OK.  One out, Castro and LaHair on deck.  Game certainly tied.  Lets send DeJesus to try and score from first on a ball that doesn't even reach the wall and risk getting thrown out instead of playing for the winning run with your two best hitters up and the infield in, etc.  Come on, guys, lets start thinking here.

Fortunately for the Cubs, the relief pitching held up and a somewhat calmer approach took over in the 11th.  Barney got a lucky high-hop double over the third baseman's head to start the frame.  Sometimes all it takes is a little luck and a little patience.  Castillo was walked intentionally.  Samardzija was inserted to pinch hit or pinch bunt for the pitcher.  I normally question this sort of move, but, in this case, give Sveum the benefit of the doubt.  The alternative would have been Jeff Baker, summoned from his hospital bed.  Odds are, best scenario, a strikeout.  More likely, a double play.

Anyway, Samardzija gets hit by a pitch attempting to bunt.  More dumb luck.  DeJesus then walked on a 3-2 pitch to win the game.  Somewhat anti-climatic.  Actually, DeJesus never did see a pitch even close to the strike zone, but at least he was able to curb his enthusiasm and take the last one for his team.