Forecast: Doom.
This was the winnable game in the series, and the Cubs did everything they needed to do to win it. Matt Garza pitched well. Kosuke Fukudome went 5-5(!) in the leadoff spot. The Cubs had a huge first inning, including Darwin Barney’s first homer. Jeff Samardzija and Marcos Mateo shut things down.
But the Cubs also did everything they needed to do to lose the game. They gave the Rockies four runs, including three on three errors by Starlin Castro in one inning. They went 0-10 with runners in scoring position. They went limp after the first inning offensively.
And now, with James Russell and Casey Coleman going against two of the hottest starters in the NL, the Cubs will be very, very fortunate not to be swept. As I said: doom.