Although i was about to have another heart attack, puke, etc... the cubbies did pull one out of there rear tonight. If was the first time all year that Dempster has looked this off. The offense is still to non existent for me to really believe that a WC run could be in the cards. The fortunate thing is that we have 10 games left with the Astros including the last four games of the season in Houston. So in a way, we may end up controlling our own destiny in the seasons last weekend. As for tonights game, i am still wondering if something was wrong with Z and if not, why was he pulled after 8 and throwing a mere 104 pitches. On the norm he is allowed to throw 130 just to complete 7! Just another odd move by Dusty. All though to Dusty's credit, he didn't throw the 16 balls to 4 straight batters in the ninth. I do question a few moves in tonights game however:

1. Fouth inning, 2 on 0 out and Walker at the plate. Why was walker not asked to bunt in a scoreless game and your big horse on the mound? Instead he swings away, flies out and Nefi follows with a double play grounder. Now im thinking that being that early in the game, the Phillies would have had the infield back conceding the run for an out, therefore if Walkers gets the bunt down and advances the runners, Nefi's DP grounder instead scores a run.
2. Why does Dusty continue to bunt in front of D Lee and allow the opposing manager to take the bat out of our best hitters hands? I would rather take the chance of a DP grounder and see Lee swing the bat (although the last 8 games he has actually been slumping believe it or not), than to just make the other managers decisions that much easier.

This team has to be one of the worst if not the worst team in MLB at scoring runners from scoring position and less than 2 outs. I'd like to see a stat of all teams avg. with runners in scoring position. I'd have to think the cubs are near dead last. If you know of a link to that stat, please post it here.

The Good:
Ramirez bails out Burnitz with a huge 2 out 2 run single in the top of the 8th in a scoreless game, just after Burnitz was picked off first.
Lawton goes 2 for 5 with a run scored in his cubby debut and gets on base at a crucial time late in the game.
Z pitches lights out for 8 innings walking just 1 batter and yielding but 4 hits (1 after the 2nd inning).
I hate to say it, but Dempster striking out the final two batters after putting himself in that huge hole was deffinatley a good thing. That also took some BIG cahona's! ;)

The Bad:
Still showing a huge shortfall in playing fundemental baseball
Once again team fails to have any run production
Burnitz getting picked off first in the 8th with 1 out and sacs full
Dempster walking 4 straight batters to force home a run and load the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the ninth before bailing himself out.

POTG (Player of the game) Aramis Ramirez

Next game: at Phillies tomorrow night

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