Walk (off) This Way
The Chicago Cubs are finally playing the way you'd expect a team that spent $300 million in the off season would play: seven consecutive victories, including two in dramatic walk-off fashion. The latest winning streak has helped bring the Cubs back to .500, and back into striking distance in the playoff race. So what triggered this dramatic turnaround? Well, I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but it all began by playing one of the league's punching bags, the Chicago White Sox!
The Cubs finished a three-game sweep of their south side rivals to ignite this winning streak. The fourth victory in the current winning streak is probably second most memorable baseball games I have ever been at (my number one game I have ever been at was Game 2 of the 2005 World Series when Podsednik hit his walk-off). The Cubs fell behind in the first inning 1-0, but they quickly overcame that and built up a pretty sizable 8-3 lead heading into the ninth inning. Nothing to worry about, right? Wrong. The Rockies strung a bunch of hits together, and next thing you knew, it was 8-6, and still nobody out. But that's ok, two runs are still tough to get in just one inning, right? Wrong. A couple of base hits, and then a three-run home run gave the Rockies an improbable 9-8 lead.
At this point, you would think that the Cubs are toast. Can a club recover mentally from completely squandering a 5 run lead int he ninth inning? Usually not, but there was an error that extended the game and bring up superstar Alfonso Soriano, who promply ended the game with a walk-off single. And then there was much rejoicing.
I think that the walk-off took a lot out of the Rockies, as they haven't won a game since then. Ahhh yes, isn't momentum in sports a funny thing?
Anyways, next up for the Cubs is the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, who are in town until Sunday. The Cubs took the series opener today in dramatic, walk-off fashion as well (although I don't think it was as wacky as Monday's walk-off). The Cubs quickly found themselves in a 5-0 deficit in the first inning, but kept clawing back, getting a run back here, a run back there, to make it 5-3 going into the ninth inning. The Cubs wasted no time in stringing a few base hits together to make the score 5-4. With a runner on, enter Aramis Ramirez. First pitch: exit Aramis Ramirez. Game over. Cubs win! Cubs win!
Who said there's no emotion in professional sports?
The Cubs finished a three-game sweep of their south side rivals to ignite this winning streak. The fourth victory in the current winning streak is probably second most memorable baseball games I have ever been at (my number one game I have ever been at was Game 2 of the 2005 World Series when Podsednik hit his walk-off). The Cubs fell behind in the first inning 1-0, but they quickly overcame that and built up a pretty sizable 8-3 lead heading into the ninth inning. Nothing to worry about, right? Wrong. The Rockies strung a bunch of hits together, and next thing you knew, it was 8-6, and still nobody out. But that's ok, two runs are still tough to get in just one inning, right? Wrong. A couple of base hits, and then a three-run home run gave the Rockies an improbable 9-8 lead.
At this point, you would think that the Cubs are toast. Can a club recover mentally from completely squandering a 5 run lead int he ninth inning? Usually not, but there was an error that extended the game and bring up superstar Alfonso Soriano, who promply ended the game with a walk-off single. And then there was much rejoicing.
I think that the walk-off took a lot out of the Rockies, as they haven't won a game since then. Ahhh yes, isn't momentum in sports a funny thing?
Anyways, next up for the Cubs is the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, who are in town until Sunday. The Cubs took the series opener today in dramatic, walk-off fashion as well (although I don't think it was as wacky as Monday's walk-off). The Cubs quickly found themselves in a 5-0 deficit in the first inning, but kept clawing back, getting a run back here, a run back there, to make it 5-3 going into the ninth inning. The Cubs wasted no time in stringing a few base hits together to make the score 5-4. With a runner on, enter Aramis Ramirez. First pitch: exit Aramis Ramirez. Game over. Cubs win! Cubs win!
Who said there's no emotion in professional sports?
posted by Jerry at 5:51 PM
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