Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Beat the Braves

12:56 CST: Coverage is about to start in Today's rubber game against the Atlanta Braves. There is nothing I like more than beating the Braves. A series win here gives the Cubs a slight playoff chance.

1:02 CST: I finally got to see some of the highlights from last night's game. I was working last night. Good to see the offense finally break out a little.

1:06: A nice little feature on Jerome Williams about his family and playing in Chicago. He is also kicking the MP3 Oakleys. Nomar Garciaparra is on the bench as Neifi Perez is still starting, but Nomar will not go on the DL.

1:10: Jorge Sosa back in the starting rotation for the Braves. He is 6-0 with 1.98 ERA on the road this season.

1:15: Burnitz is hitting .409 in his last five games with 2 HR and 9 RBI. We need that production to continue. Almost time to play some ball.

1:30: Top of the First.......Furcal grounds out on two pitches and that is not a bad start. Did not know Prior was 0-3 against the Braves with a 7.88 ERA against them. After a close couple of pitches, Marcus Giles walks with one out. Walker makes a nice play to get the lead runner, but I was worried for a second that ball might end up somewhere other than 2nd base. Prior strikeouts A. Jones to end the inning. Braves 0, Cubs 0

1:42: Bottom of the First..........Matt Lawton leading off today. Lawton reaches on a chopper after Sosa dropped the ball on the throw. A nice hit and run for Todd Walker. First and third with no outs. How many times have we seen this? Derek Lee unable to pick up another RBI. Aramis Ramirez does down tripping over 1B. I don't know how bad it is. Braves 0, Cubs 0

1:51: Top of the second.........Jose Macias is not in for Ramirez. This just sucks. The "Old Man" of Baseball Julio Franco grounds out to start the inning. Super rookie Francour flies out to Walker for the second out. Prior has thrown 37 pitches so far. Braves 0, Cubs 0

1:58: Bottom 2nd...............Burnitz flies out to left to start the inning. Neifi Perez makes his team high 95 start at SS and we wonder why the Cubs are not contending? Perez then flies out to centerfield. Corey Patterson is 6 for his last 33...scratch that 6-for-34 as he strikeouts to end the inning. Braves 0, Cubs 0

2:03: Top 3rd.................Prior issues a leadoff walk to Atlanta's backup catcher. Here comes the sac bunt, but Sosa pops out for the first out. Furcal beats out a DP ball to keep the inning alive. Derek Lee digs the throw from Perez to end the inning. Braves 0, Cubs 0

2:16: Bottom 3rd.............Why did the Braves ever take Sosa out of the rotation? Henry Blanco flies out to start the inning. Wow, Prior tries to bunt for a basehit. Chipper Jones just gets him. Lawton walks to keep the inning alive. Braves pitchout but still can't get Lawton. Ramirez is listed with a left quad injury, of course you could see that on TV. Walker has a great AB as he rips a double to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Not have Ramirez has led to the Braves walking Lee to get to Macisa. Macias then flies out to end the inning on a first pitch swinging. Cubs 1, Braves 0

2:29: Top 4th.............High chopper by Chipper, but Neifi makes the play for the first out. A. Jones ends Prior's no-hit bid with a one out single. Blanco and Prior have a meeting at the mound during the Franco at bat. Franco k's to end his AB. Super Rookie runs the count full and gets his first career walk. Langerhans up with two men on. Prior battles back from 2-0 to get Langerhans on a 3-1 groundout. Cubs 1, Braves 0

2:36: Bottom 4th............Soas gets Burnitz to groudout to start the inning. A. Jones plays center with such ease as he retires Neifi. The boo birds out in full force as Patterson strikeouts again to the end the inning. Cubs 1, Braves 0

2:45: Top 5th...........I get up to do one thing and come back and the Braves already have an out. Prior then strikeouts out Sosa for the second out. Prior has another full count at bat and then walks Furcal to bring up Giles. Furcal steals his 37 base this year. Prior gets Giles to strikeout to end the inning. Cubs 1, Braves 0

2:54: Bottom 5.......Hey Blanco singles to start the inning. Prior has to get the Sac bunt down, but he pops it up. Both pitchers have done it now. Great play by Furcal to get Lawton. Cubs can't score Blanco. Cubs 1, Braves 0

3:00: Top 6...........Chipper flies out for the first out. A. Jones swings with his whole body again. Another 3-2 count for Prior, but he gets Franco to groundout. Cubs 1, Braves 0

3:07: Bottom 6..............The Cubs really need some extra runs now. Looked like Lee was going to get a HR, but the wind knocked it down. A. Jones gets a glove on it, but can't hold on as Lee gets a double. Macias lays down a good sac bunt to put Lee at 3B. Burnitz fly was not deep enough to score Lee. A nice dig by Franco to get Perex and the Cubs leave another scoring chance at third. Cubs 1, Braves 0

3:30: Top 7.........Braves get the leadoff man on a bunt hit. An error by Mark Prior allows the Braves to get runner's on first and third with no outs. That was the 87th error of the year. The Cubs only had 86 in all of last year. Prior gets McCann to strikeout for the first out. Adam LaRoche up looking for his first hit of the series. No double play to end the inning as Prior throws a wild pitch. Prior follows that up with another K. Two outs and Furcal up to the plate. Blanco blocks his second ball in the dirt to save a run this inning. Furcal gets a single to give Braves a 2-1 lead. Giles then singles to give the Braves a 3-1. The game is looking bad as Prior is being pulled. Ohman comes in to face Chipper and gets him to groundout.

3:38: Bottom 7........Patterson k's for his third time. He has to go and I will trade him for a bag of peanuts. Blanco pops out for the second out. Hollandsworth K's to end the inning. Again I say...Patterson must go. Braves 3, Cubs 1

3:48: Top 8...............Roberto Novoa in for the Cubs. A. Jones grounds to Neifi for the first out. Have to go register for my Free Roll Poker tournament. Novoa strikeouts Franco for the second out. Then Francoeur singles to keep the ining alive. He does cause trouble. Braves 3, Cubs 1

3:59: Bottom 8.........Dusty pulls another bonehead move as he he pinch hits for Lawton. The bench is thin and you have Patterson possibly to come up with another AB. Haisrton almost gets a hit and then Walker is out. Two outs and here comes "The Farns." Lee gets a double after A. Jones can't catch a ball in CF. Macias grounds out and the Cubs are still down 3-1.

4:09: Top 9....Kerry Wood comes in and strikeouts the first batter he faces. A groundout and a nice catch by Todd Walker ends the inning. One last chance. Braves 3, Cubs 1

4:15: Bottom 9.........Burnitz, Perez and Patterson this inning. Farnsworth still in to start the inning. Burnitz gets ahead 3-0 but then strikeouts. Niefi ahead 3-0 and not it is 3-2. Neifi strikeouts for the second out. Patterson walks for the love of God, but Barrett strikeouts to end the game. Hope is dying my friend.