What Can You Say?

The Cubs were poised to win their third game in a row going into the 9th inning on Wednesday, ahead 5-2 after another superb performance by Jeff Samardzija.  I guess it was not a surprise that after pitching well enough to be appointed the official closer, Pedro Strop just fell apart.  Of course, he had help from both the baseball gods and Starlin Castro and his own wildness.

I've got to say that was some freaky inning.  The ball that bounced off the corner of second base was just weird.  Castro's error was simply inexcusable.  It's also a little strange that after the game, Castro explained that he hurried the play because he wanted to get two even though he knew that was improbable given Campana's speed.  He should have known that then, but, then again, that is why in his fifth year as the starting shortstop on a major league team, he is still considered a work-in-progress.

In reality, the Diamondbacks made like six outs in the inning and hit only one ball hard, the Montero single.  I only saw the play on TV, but the winning hit, the blooper that resulted in the Ruggiano injury, looked catchable.  Ruggiano played both that ball and the Montero hit very tentatively, although for sure, given his positioning, the Montero ball was clearly going to be a hit.

I wonder if I am the only one who has noticed how tentatively all the Cubs outfielders are playing this year.  Every time they go back on a ball they start feeling for the wall with one hand as soon as they hit the first stride of the warning track.  Maybe they need to get someone to coach outfield play like Dave McKay, who managed to teach Soriano how to play a passable left field.

All in all, a rather typical end to the big ballpark anniversary.

Thursday's game the team looked flat and exhausted all the way through after the first inning.  Jackson got himself behind early before turning in a decent start.  After the game, Renteria opined that Veras looked a lot better, had better command.  Geez, sometimes you wonder what game these guys are watching.  Veras gave up two runs in the 8th inning and effectively turned a close game at 3-1 into a hopeless cause.