Enhanced Box Score: Pirates 3, Cubs 5 – September 1, 2010
It will shock you as much as it will disgust you: the Chicago Cubs just beat the Pittsburgh Pirates… IN A SERIES!
Tom Gorzelanny went out early, but the bullpen stepped up. Andrew Cashner is quietly turning his season around – just enough that the Cubs will probably toy around with the disastrous notion of keeping him in the bullpen next year, rather than maximizing his value in the rotation.
Enhanced Box Score: Pirates 14, Cubs 7 – August 31, 2010
There are the Pirates we’ve come to know and love. Ryan Dempster was dominant in August until he ran into the buzz saw Pirates. At least there was one good, albeit odd, item from the game.
Enhanced Box Score: Pirates 2, Cubs 14 – August 30, 2010
Hey, what do you know? The Cubs actually treated the Pirates like the Pirates for once. Carlos Zambrano had yet another deceptive start – no earned runs, but he took 112 pitches to get through just 5.1 innings, giving up four hits and four walks along the way. The strikeouts were nice, though.
As for the offense: yo. They were on, and they were favoring one particular kind of hit.
Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Reds 7 – August 29, 2010
Some of the shine is coming off of Mike Quade’s eyebrow-less forehead… er, I mean luster. Kosuke Fukudome hit a two-run homer late to tie the game only to have the bullpen blow it. He’s, um, still available, by the way.
Meanwhile, Jay Bruce had a hell of a series against the Cubs…
Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 3, Reds 2 – August 28, 2010
Randy Wells threw a good game and won on his birthday. His 28th birthday. Betcha didn’t know he was already that old.
Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 1, Reds 7 – August 27, 2010
The Nats the Reds are not.
Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 4, Nationals 0 – August 25, 2010
If winning is foreign, I can’t wrap my head around a sweep. But sweep the Cubs did – good offense and good pitching throughout the series.
As for the latter element of success, either Casey Close, Carlos Zambrano, and Ryan Dempster are suddenly dominantly awesome, or…
Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Nationals 4 – August 24, 2010
The Cubs scored just enough to pre-overcome a nightmarish 9th, courtesy of Carlos Marmol. Clearly the team hates Lou Piniella, and loves Mike Quade.
Oh, or the Nationals are just bad.
