In a few years, having been at today’s game is going to be a great story, much in same way that having been aboard a sinking ship, and living to tell the tale would be. Today, however, I feel a little sick to my stomach. That’s a silly reaction, of course, given that this team was not about to rattle off a 20-game winning streak and make a surprising charge for the playoffs. It’s just … it was a fun damn day before that 9th inning. Why the cosmic hate for the Cubs?
Jeff Samardzija pitched well enough to win, and the bats supported him sufficiently this time around. But Pedro Strop came into his first save opportunity since the changing of the guard with a three run lead, only to throw all over the place. By the time he’d found his command, a Starlin Castro error had helped load the bases. A groundball that hit second base and a hit to right later (that maybe could have been caught), and the game was tied. A blooper to right later, and the game was gone. Justin Ruggiano hurt his hamstring on that last one, and just about no one will remember the homer he hit earlier in the game to extend the Cubs’ lead.