Bruiser Chong

Nah, I liked last year's more. They seemed more upbeat and were fun to watch. The Sox have been hot as of late, but anyone who says they've been fun to watch all season are liars. Were it not for their hot start and hot streak the last couple of weeks, they'd be a .500 ball club. The incessant bitching that goes on in Boston has increased heavily this year. As ironic as it is for a Cubs fan to talking about it, the pessimistic outlook that most of Boston has had this year is much greater than last season. I no longer see the Sox as an underdog. They've got quite a bit of money, so there's no need to pretend like they're some small guy going up against the big, bad evil empire.

I don't like the Yankees, but something about the Sox has really rubbed me the wrong way this year. The sadist in me wants the Sox to get within a game or so of the Yankees before falling out of it completely.

Wood got tossed in the middle of the fifth, after he hit Jeff Kent. Dumb decision, since it makes no sense that he'd hit a guy with an eight run lead and just two outs short of qualifying for the win.

Oswalt was close to getting out of the inning when he walked Alou and Sosa reached on an error, which gave the Cubs the lead. Then Ramirez hits a three-run shot and on the next pitch, Barrett gets beamed and Oswalt gets tossed. IT'S A MIRACLE~!!! And it's only the third inning.

It should be noted the Nomar isn't in the lineup today, either. I thought the whole point of resting him yesterday was so he could be in there to face Oswalt today.

Uh, you mean Mo Vaughn? You mean Mo Vaughn, the same guy who fell down a flight of dugout stairs never to quite be the same again? You mean Mo Vaughn, the guy who hasn't played in a couple of seasons despite still being paid? Yeah, I'm sure the Sox miss him a whole lot.

And for anyone thinking anybody around here overreacts; just go to any contending team's message board over at MLB.com. It's been mentioned here before, but that has to be one of the biggest wastelands as far as baseball talk goes. I think only the Braves and Cards' boards have any optimism. It's hilarious reading the boards of contending teams after they lose. For instance, threads have been popping up about Gagne sucks and that he's no better than Matt Herges, following his weak performance the last few nights. Also, everyone was calling for LaTroy's head tonight and saying that they should've put anyone out there other than him. Please. I'm not crazy about him in the closer role, but there aren't many other options at this point. Some people were actually saying that FARNSWORTH was a better option than LaTroy because he "can handle pressure." BWHAHAHAHA!

Poor son of a bitch. Not exactly a game that wound up being worth waiting for.

Overreact nothing. They had just made a great comeback against one of the premiere closers in the game and then they blow it. Not because of what the Astros did, but because of an easy error. How ironic that Macias looked to figure into the original decision, only to figure in the real decision for entirely different reasons. And it seems to figure that the day the Giants FINALLY lose, the Cubs can't close the deal. Still 40 games left, but it's time to stop sitting around and waiting for it to happen.

I'm almost sick to my stomach. After one of the best late-inning comebacks all season from the Cubs, Jose Macias botches an EASY throw to first. Fuck him.

Oy. Prior can't seem to have two straight starts where he's on. He's already walked five, has over 60 pitches and isn't through three. He looked promising in the first; striking out the side, but since then, has been poor in the control area. Obviously with Oswalt pitching tomorrow, the Cubs HAVE to win tonight.

I must've jinxed it. Prior's walked three in the second inning (one intentional) and wound up giving up a two-run single to the pitcher. This is why I hate the intentional walk. Too many times we've seen the pitcher unable to find his control afterwards.

They seem to have about 23 uniform variations. I guess they're looking for the good luck variation.

And they didn't even plate any of those runners. Shame, too, since Shawn Green hit a grandslam in the bottom of the frame.

The Devil Rays picked up the recently-released Randall Simon. Okay move, but Simon more or less replaces Robert Fick. Not sure I see the logic of releasing a left-handed hitter who plays first and the outfield, but was having a poor season, for a left-handed hitter who plays first and was having a poor season.

Seconded. After the first inning, I though we were in for a slugfest. At least the Cubs kept up their end of the deal. This is the team I've envisioned all season long. Solid pitching and a potent lineup that put up numbers like the Cardinals have. Unfortunately, I've got the Houston feed. Their announcers really rub me the wrong way. They're so jaded at this point; it's hilarious. It's 9-2 right now in the ninth, so they've brought Farnsworth in with the bottom of the order due. I think this is the only situation I trust him in. *knocks on wood*

Lloyd McClendon got Julian Tavarez tossed from Game 1 of a double-header today, because of "stuff" on the bill of his cap. Tavarez saluted Lloyd as he headed back to the dugout, before tossing his cap to a guy who looked like MiB. Jason Isringhausen made things interesting in the ninth, as he let both inherited baserunners score, in addition to one of his own.

The opening game last night between the Dodgers and the Braves was a good one. I can't remember the Dodgers fans being so damn crazy, though. I know they're not the most reasonable fans out there, but they were booing the hell out of Ishi halfway through the first inning.

It's not that tough to get Dotel and Foulke to blow a save, though.

I think the window to fire Bowa is closed. Go ahead and do it, but it won't make a difference at this point in the season. In other news, Jose Mesa continues to his stride towards becoming the closer the Phillies knew all too well last season. Only needing one more out to give Oliver Perez a much-deserved victory, Mesa gives up the game-tying homer to Reggies Sanders. Watching the Cardinals this season; it's refreshing to see an entire team having such a great time playing ball. As much as I dislike them on principle because of the Cubs, that demeanor isn't too common these days. They remind me of the Red Sox of 2003 in that respect. Just a bunch of guys who support each other; go out and have a good time playing baseball and winning in the process.

This Twins/Yanks game has been the best one I've seen in a LONG time. What looked to be a blowout in the Yankees favor, the Twins wound up coming within one before the 8th. Gordon had runners at the corners with nobody out. He got the first two and had Shannon Stewart at a full count, before he hit a triple to score the game tying and go-ahead runs. Then, Nathan blows the save in the 9th, as Sheffield hits his second homer of the game. Awesome stuff. It should also be noted that there was a controversial play earlier in the game, where a Twins run was scored as the runner was thrown out at third making the third out. But the out was recorded before the run crossed the plate. Of course, Bruce Froemming blew the call and the run counted. Not that I wasn't in favor of that, but hey, more proof that Froemming sucks.

Not just a blown save, but he gave up FOUR earned runs. Quite unlike Gagne. The real kicker is that he gave up the three-run double to LENNY HARRIS.

Plasma's are a waste of money. Snazzy looking in the beginning, but once that unrepairable picture starts to go, you'll be damning the day you emptied your bank account to join the plasma revolution. The oldest TV in the house is the one in my room; which we've had since 1993, I think. Picture's still fine and dandy, but the imitation wood casing is a huge tip-off that it's old school, as the kids say.

More fundamental errors from the Cubs aren't enough to cost them the game, as they win a wild one, 9-6. Even though they were down 4-1 in the second, I had a feeling it was long from over. Moments later, Lee tied it with a three-run shot. Still, the Cubs are continuing their tendencies to make easy errors and really bad base-running moves. Lee trying to go from first to third on a ball that was cut off took the wind out of what could've been a big inning. And Alou's horrible base-running blunder in the 9th was so bad, Steve Stone flat-out slammed it. "That's a smart move by Alou; take the Cubs out of the inning." And someone watch out for Al. I believe he's on suicide watch after this series with Houston. I figured the Phillies had this one locked down. 'Twas not to be, I guess.

I just heard that Patterson won't be in today's lineup, as he'll be resting up a minor injury today (sore tendon). A shame, too, since he's been one of the hottest Cubs in the last two weeks. This also doesn't bode well, since we've usually got a weaker lineup as it is when Maddux pitches (since Bako gets the start). Gonna be a tough win today, especially since we're facing a lefty on top of all this.