Man, you really hate that kind of loss.
They all suck in their own way, but coming back from three down only to blow it in the 9th? Against the Cardinals? When going for the sweep? Eff, man. And then the Cubs score in the 9th, putting the tying run on second and come up short? Just so eff.
Jason Hammel got hit a little more tonight than he has been so far this year, but he managed to limit the damage, relatively-speaking. And he drove in two of the three runs the Cubs managed tonight, so you’re not going to complain about his overall game.
If you’re going to complain …
In the 9th, Rick Renteria called upon Hector Rondon to keep the game tied. I like the use of a great reliever in a high leverage situation, but it was Rondon’s third straight day pitching, and fourth appearance in five days. Rondon loaded the bases, looking shaky at times, and had to face Yadier Molina with the game on the line (and having already thrown 25 pitches). Naturally, Molina singled to score the game’s two winning runs. Lefty Wesley Wright was up and ready to face Matt Carpenter (a lefty), the batter before Molina with two outs, Renteria stuck with Rondon. Carpenter walked on four ugly pitches from Rondon, then Molina happened. I just didn’t like how any of that inning played out – and I don’t even mean the fact that the Cubs lost it.
But, hey – at least we got to see a Luis Valbuena bat flip followed by a helmet flip, all on the same play.