The
Chicago Cubs, those darlings of destiny, fell to their supposed patsies, aka
the Cleveland Indians, at Wrigley Field last night by a score of 7-2. The Cubs were so flat, so totally out of it,
that Kyle Schwarber never left the bench as Chicago now teeters on the brink of
elimination, three games to one.
Cubs’
manager Joe Maddon has garnered the reputation of dugout genius. The question is, why? He let his starter—snarling, overrated and
over the hill—John Lackey lead off the bottom of the third inning with his team
already two runs down, and what did Lackey do?
He took a called third strike.
How ironic that Maddon didn’t use Travis Wood to pinch hit. Wood has nine regular-season homeruns plus
another this postseason. As it was,
Maddon brought him in to pitch in the seventh inning. But he doesn’t pinch hit Wood, the same
player he put in the outfield three times this season while in the course of
being brilliant. Go figure.
And
while you’re at it, ponder Maddon’s defense of Jorge Soler not running from the
start on his triple. Maddon told the
Tribune, “At the best, he was going to get to third base anyway.” Joe’s not making excuses, mind you, “I’m just
saying the best he could have done is get to third base.” Right, because Indians’ right fielder Lonnie
is the second coming of Roberto Clemente; never mind how Chisenhall misjudged
the ball or that he’s shown a tendency to lose his footing in right this
season. No, Soler never could have caused
Chisenhall/Clemente into an overthrow by hustling out of the box.
Talk
about leading from behind.
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