The Gist: Game 106

Jesus Christ...who needs a cigarette/shot of Jack/Valium?



The words "playoff atmosphere" and "playoff intensity" are thrown around far too often, usually by ESPN when the Yank-Me's and Red Sox play. But tonight, at Miller Park, the calendar may as well have said "October".



It was a back-and-forth game between two teams built to clash with each other. Word out of Milwaukee was that Brewer fans/radio personalities were assuming this morning that games one and two of this series (with Sabathia and Sheets going) were already in the bag and the Brew Crew only had to focus on winning the last two. Hopefully, tonight's game was a wake-up call. On second thought, hopefully it wasn't.



Coming into tonight's game, I felt like the pressure was actually on the Brewers. Forget that the Cubs have been scuffling lately, the game was in Milwaukee and the Brewers have been on a tear lately. The biggest news in this rivalry so far this season was the one-upmanship that was the Sabathia/Harden saga. Their "big guy" was up, and they were still looking at our asses in the standings.



The Good:

• Alfonso Soriano is showing signs of going on one of his patented tears. I thought that he'd struggle coming back from injury, but he's looking like he's stepping right in where he left off before his injury. And all that time nursing his hand may have let his legs come back. He at least felt good enough to steal third.


• Ted Lilly was a gamer. He struggled early in the year, but Ted's been just as good as last year since May.


• We beat the Brewers' shiny new toy. They also left that shiny new toy in to throw 124 pitches in less than 7 innings. If you take a look at Sabathia's pitch count from his last few starts, it looks like the temperature recordings taken during summer in Arizona: 124, 106, 110, 122, 97, 123. In fact, Sabathia's only thrown less than 100 pitches 4 times this season. Whoever signs this guy long term this winter is buying damaged goods.


• Derrek Lee came through with a clutch hit when he could have easily grounded into another double play.


• Marmol, while still shaky, nailed down the save again.

The Bad

• Bob Howry = Career Fail. His ERA is almost 6. Fuck him.


• If not for a sweet hard slide by the Pride of Riverside, Derrek Lee would have grounded into his 4,325th double play of the season.


• Russel Branyan? Seriously? He's like 90 years old.

Tomorrow has the best pitching matchup of the series (at least, on paper) with Big Z and Ben "OW!" Sheets. And don't forget about our secret double agent who will be checking in from time to time, Mr. J.O. Sampson! He'll be "brewin" up some trouble for the home team.



That was way lame. Looks like my time is up. Rockies in 6.



EDIT: In our excitement, Chip Wesley Gisted the game at the same time as I did. His is also excellent. I leave you with his immortal words:



I know what you want. Hot bullet point action.

• Hello, my name is Alfonso. I don't give a shit how many straight complete games you've pitched. I own your tubby ass!


• Salomon Torres earned me -7 points in a fantasy league tonight, and I couldn't be happier about it.


• Corey Hart, still has a midget face.


• Why the hell did Mike Quade wave Lee home in 6th? He was running all gimpy and everyone knows Cameron has a good arm. That was just asinine.


• More on Lee. He was damn lucky Reed Johnson slid hard into second to break up that double play. Derrek has been getting a bad wrap lately for hitting into so many DP's, and rightfully so as he leads the majors in GDP. But honestly people. This is more fluke than anything. Looking back at the past 5-6 seasons, aside from Miguel Tejada or Paul Konerko, very few guys are consistently at the top of the league in GDP. I say cut him some slack, and hope Reed Johnson murders the shortstop on his slide more often.


• A few months back in a fit of frustration I deemed Mike Fontenot "Lou Piniella's Neifi". I would like to have that statement stricken from the record.


• Offensively, the Brewers do have an intimidating lineup, but honestly, can you really deem a team a postseason threat when they're handing the ball to Eric Gagne in the 8th inning?


• Chad Goddamn mows down the heart of the order with a dick-dropping 3 strikeouts in the 8th. For those scoring at home, Chad now has two more wins as a Cub than Rich Harden.


• Brewer fans leaving early in the 9th with 2 outs and the tying run at the plate was priceless. Jesus folks, I know it looked dire, but try to show some faith in your damn team.


• We got Ben Sheets tomorrow. Ben is 10-7 lifetime against us and has been a Cub killer in the past. But we got Fat Z pitching tomorrow too, and more importantly hitting. In 14 plate appearances against Sheets, Carlos is batting a fat .357 against him.

Cubs win 6-4. Thanks O.J- I mean J.O. (wink).



I'm out, Rockies in 6!

I have come to hit home runs and dance with your dates.