Record: 4-2 (2-1 vs. Milwaukee, 2-1 vs. Seattle)
The week began with a loss by Edwin Jackson and ended with a win by Edwin Jackson, over Seattle teams both old and new (The Brewers being the former Seattle Pilots who relocated to Sausage City in 1970). Rickie Weeks did his best to wear out Bernie Brewer’s sliding pants by taking Jackson deep twice in the Brew Crew’s 9-3 win over the baby bears Tuesday, but Feldmania! and Matt Garza dominated the Bratwurst Bashers the next two games to secure a series victory. Garza had 10 strikeouts, two hits and was surprised to not be dealt to a contender before the team flight to Seattle.
Next on the itinerary: Interleague matchup with the Mariners! The Cubs took two out of three under the Space Needle and improved to 10-4 against the American League. After Sunday’s win, the club asked Bud Selig if they could follow their old buddies from Houston to the A.L., thinking the route back to the World Series might be accomplished as a junior circuit team. Bud just frowned like he did in 2002 during the infamous All-Star game tie.
Kevin Gregg, in homage to his released teammate Carlos Marmol, did blow his first save of the season Saturday, but the Cubs rallied to win 5-3 in 11 innings on a 2-run blast by Alfonso Soriano. Dioner Navarro hit his second homer of the week in Friday’s loss and is now hitting a home run once every 11 at-bats (better than that fat #@$%! Babe Ruth).
MVP: Alfonso Soriano – Old man Alfie hit .500 for the week with two homers and a double. Most of the damage he inflicted was from the mostly seated position as a DH. Hear that, A.L. teams, he hits great when he doesn’t field. You must trade for this man now!
LVP: Outfield fences – They claimed another hot-hitting Cub outfielder Saturday, taking Ryan Sweeney to the ground with a vicious body blow (after the left field wall laid waste to David DeJesus two weeks ago in New York). The surviving Cub outfielders played the remainder of the Mariner series closer to the infield than the mean, mean walls.
Ask the Magic 8-Ball: Will the next time you see Carlos Marmol be at 7-11, with him working the late shift?
Magic 8-Ball says: “It is decidedly so”
