Cubs -- What, me worry?
Yes, it’s time to worry now and no, I’m not happy with how Lilly pitched last night. Our pitchers are pressing though because we aren’t getting any offense.
This series is very simple — if Lee and Ramirez do not hit, we will not win. We’ve paid these guys a boatload of money, Lee butchered us in 2003 so we know he can hit in the post-season. Where is it? Some have mentioned Soriano but I see Soriano getting on base at least which is a far cry more than Lee and Ramirez right now. If healthy he would have made that catch against the wall but he’s clearly toughing his injury out and smashing into a wall to play a ball is not going to happen rought now. We’re not getting any offense anyway so maybe Pie in center wouldn’t have been a bad idea right now.
The Cubs can still win this series, I know they can. But it will take Lee and Ramirez showing up to do it. If our big guns can’t outduel the great Augie Ojeda and Stephen Drew we don’t deserve to advance anyway. Both of them seem to have no timing at all with Lee not looking at all comfortable and Ramirez trying to swing out of his shoes every time up.
Soriano has been aggressive on silly pitches though, he could have jumped on first pitch fastballs (Valverde gave him one two nights in a row) in the zone but has waited. Then he’s been chasing curve balls later in the count.
One ray of hope out of all this — Kerry Wood was truly impressive. That, and the play of Soto was good to see. The rest of these guys need to step it up or it’s going to be a long winter.