Ballgame64

Mr. Ramirez might be back! 3 run homer...

Please be good tonight Cashner.

Walk off home run by lead off hitter in bottom of the 9th for the Rockies. Chris Ianetta hit it. Cards lose again.

Colorado has runners on 1st and 3rd with one out in the bottom of the 8th, game tied at 7. Cardinals announcers can't believe it is happening again.

Way to go Starlin!!! Great piece of hitting there.

The inability to get a runner in from 3rd base with one out is maddening. Hopefully Soriano picks up Ramirez.

So the line-up starts to show signs of life and Dempster gives it right back. Sure would have liked to see a fastball on the inner half to the opposing pitcher. Oh well, time for the offense to get going again.

I think Lou would have went to Zambrano instead... Nice to see D Lee producing like mad after standing up to big bad Carlos last Friday. Bat him 8th Lou, show them you are truly sick of this crap.

Seriously, when does someone lose their job? I know it won't make a difference at the end of the year, but that doesn't mean it should not happen.

The important thing is they are loose and there's a whole new vibe now that Zambrano is gone. They sure do give people plenty of ammo to make fun of them.

3 whole hits and no runs in 5 innings against a guy making his 5th major league start whose name is not Strasburg. In 2 1/2 games against the worst starting pitching staff money can buy, the Cubs have managed 4 runs. I guess they better find another scapegoat for the team's problems.

So how many more losses will it take for someone to lose their job? Or is everyone in the organization happy now because the Toyota sign is up and they showed Carlos Zambrano who was boss.

Why isn't Marshall in to face Church? Cashner got you one scoreless inning Lou, why do you insist on sending him out for another inning. Why on earth would you take out Marlon Byrd? Leave the pitcher in the 9th spot, Lee made the last out and you are not going more than one inning with Marmol anyway. My gosh, does Lou think he always has to do a double switch late in the game?

My guy - not my guy. That is what you get with Lou Piniella. 17 straight road losses, one of the worst starting staffs in baseball and Lou Piniella can't get this team focused to pound the sad sack Pirates. Can't hit homers in this piece of crap park tonight Marlon.

Come on Theriot, you have to get Castro in from 3rd. How about a wild pitch? Edit - You have to be [expletive] kidding me. Another double play on a first pitch. The pitcher is in trouble you morons.

But I thought there was a lot of energy in the clubhouse now that the bad boy was sent away. This organization is a such a joke. Who are they going to blame next? Nice first outing by Brian Schlitter. Way to pitch around another mistake by the defense.

Unfortunately, the thing that gives will probably be 17 straight road losses.

The interesting thing to me is how Lou and the Cubs organization have targeted Zambrano all year. Has he performed up to his capabilities, no. But Zambrano's performance is only one of the many things that has gone wrong this year. Was Lou embarassed when they were swept in Pittsburgh? Was he embarassed when Soriano took off running from 2nd base with no outs on a line out to the left fielder in Seattle? Was Lou embarassed by Aramis Ramirez absolutey ridiculous laziness on the ball Alexei Ramirez hit today? Was Lou embarassed by Nady hitting into multiple double plays this week? I find it particulary amusing when Jim Hendry acts all tough about suspending Zambrano, but doesn't do crap about a manager who admits he has no answers and doesn't know what to do. Hey Jim, why don't you think it is unacceptable to have a manager continue to let Lee and Ramirez bat in the middle of the line-up when they are not hitting? You pulled the same crap last year with Bradley, long after the horse was out of the barn. Calling out the last 50 starts of Zambrano? Really. Have you looked at YOUR track record? Was Zambrano wrong to do what he did? Probably, but maybe he is sick and tired of watching the lack of consistency on offense and the ridiculous defense lately and he just couldn't take it anymore. Perhaps he was fed up with being the guy whose performance gets scrutinized so closely by management. Maybe Lou and Hendry are mad because they know deep in their heart that Zambrano was right. He brought attention to the lackluster effort of the team and that makes them look bad. Arguments in the dugout happen. The way the Cubs are handling this is a joke. If they are really this fed up, just release him. You've destroyed any trade value he had and will continue to do so if you place him back in the bullpen. As far as going to dinner with Ozzie Guillen, who cares? There are a lot more pressing issues with this team.

Maybe people are hoping the family will realize that changing the bathrooms, adding food choices and installing a Toyota sign were not and are not things fans really care about. The whole "fan experience" crap makes me sick. A winning team is the best experience. Why the Ricketts family worries about "perserving Wrigley Field for the next generation of Cub fans" is beyond me. THE tradition at Wrigley Field is losing, do they not realize that? Every team in the division has a new stadium, except for the team that has made the most money.

Lou just confirmed that Byrd bunted on his own. Bad decision by Marlon. Cubs are only 17-17 at home. That is terrible.

It is really too bad that Silva has to get an L today after the defense and bullpen gave a few away after he left the game. For all the good things Byrd has done this year, today was a head scratcher. To bunt with two on and no outs was silly and then to swing at the first pitch he saw in the 9th was another horrible decision. The pitch might have hit him if he had not swung the bat. But the Cubs inability to score multiple runs with the bases loaded and only one out was the key to me. I don't expect Howry and Grabow to be good, but the defense did not do them any favors.

Another tape measure shot. How about another one Geo?

That was a blast. I think Colvin deserves to stay in the line-up.

Year 2 of the "no suitable back up for Ramirez" watch. Those errors were ridiculous.

The mental approach to hitting is a big weakness of this team. The Cubs seem to be very impatient when they have a pitcher in trouble. Which seems weird since Lou was supposedly a good hitting coach and they hire the guru, Jaramillo.