9/3 LAD @ CHC, 3:05 p.m.; TV: WGN; Radio: WGN

[VanMan]

The L.A. Dodgers of Chavez Ravine, L.A. County, etc. (picking on the Angels name) come into the Friendly Confines looking to improve on their playoff positioning, being four games out in both the NL West and the Wild Card race. The Cubs are looking to extend the winning homestand after taking two of three each from the Brewers and Astros, and hope to add to their 1 1/2-game lead in the NL Central.

Today, Carlos Zambrano will attempt to open September in a way that would make everyone forget the bad August he had. The Dodgers send Esteban Loaiza to the mound. Tommy Lasorta is in the stands for this game, so this has to be a classic.

[VanMan]

Dodgers 1st:

Furcal strikes out swinging.
Pierre flies out to Jones in center.
Ethier singles to right on a line drive.
Kent strikes out swinging.

Middle 1st, Dodgers 0, Cubs coming up

[VanMan]

Cubs 1st:

Alfonso Soriano homers to left on the second pitch.
Theriot grounds out to Loaiza.
Lee flies out to Pierre in left-center.
Ramirez reaches on an error by Furcal, and takes second as the ball flew into the seats.
Murton flies out to Ethier in right.

End 1st, Cubs 1, Dodgers 0

[VanMan]

Top 2nd:

Luis Gonzalez grounds a 3-2 pitch up the middle through Zambrano's legs for a lead-off single.

[VanMan]

Martin lines the first pitch over Theriot into left field, Gonzalez advances to second with no one out.

[VanMan]

James Loney chops the first pitch to DeRosa, his momentum makes the only play to Lee at first to retire the batter, Martin moves to second and Gonzalez to third with one out.

[VanMan]

LaRoche offers at a slider away, went too far, strike one. Grounder into the hole to Theriot, Gonzalez will score, LaRoche thrown out at first, Martin returns to second, two out, 1-1 tie.

[VanMan]

Loaiza fouls the first pitch off. Fastball, 93, misses off the outside corner, 1-1. Sinker, 92, is swung and missed, strike two. Slider misses well outside, 2-2. Hard slider/sinker, 93, misses low and away, full count. Fastball, 95, blows by the opposing pitcher to retire the side. One run, two hits, one left.

Middle 2nd, Cubs 1, Dodgers 1

[VanMan]

Some updates of games of interest to Cub fans:

Milwaukee is leading Houston, 5-3, in the top of the 7th.
However, in St. Louis, Pittsburgh has 11 on the board and are shutting out the Cardinals in the 7th.

[VanMan]

DeRosa takes two pitches away, 2-0. He fouls one off Martin on the bounce. Foul off to the right, 2-2. Pop up, foul ground near the Dodger bullpen, Loney is able to make the catch, one out.

[VanMan]

Jones takes a two-seamer outside corner for a strike. Slider away misses, ball one. Another slider is swung and missed, 1-2. Pop up to left, Gonzalez is there for the second out.

[VanMan]

Blanco takes a slider high, ball one. Check swing mini-pop up floats right to Loney for the third out. 1-2-3 go the Cubs.

End 2nd, Cubs 1, Dodgers 1

[VanMan]

Houston pulled to within 5-4 on an RBI ground out by Lance Berkman scoring Hunter Pence. That game is now in the bottom of the 7th.

[VanMan]

Furcal takes the first two offerings from Zambrano low. A 94 mph fastball is at the knees, strike one called. Grounder to DeRosa retires Furcal.

[VanMan]

Pierre shortened as if to bunt, but takes a pitch for a strike. He then fouls off the next pitch, 0-2. Slider, 88, misses low and in. Slapped grounder to Theriot, he hustles his throw to Lee to just get Pierre, two down.

[VanMan]

Ethier takes a pitch low and away, ball one. Fastball, 94, swung and missed, 1-1. Another 94 mph fastball is swung and missed, 1-2. Ethier checks and goes too far, he thinks he fouled it off as it goes off Blanco's mitt. Ethier is complaining for a foul ball, Blanco meanwhile gets the ball and tags him. Grady Little is out to argue. The umpires consult, and the play looks like it'll stand, even though replay shows the ball was deflected by the bat. It goes as a swinging strike out in the scorebook, though, and the Dodgers go 1-2-3.

Middle 3rd, Cubs 1, Dodgers 1

[VanMan]

Zambrano, as WGN is late coming back on air, fouls a 2-1 pitch over the Cubs dugout. He fouls another one to the left-field stands. Grounder foul past first. Soft liner up the middle finds the grass in center for a base hit for Z.

[VanMan]

Soriano, who homered to lead-off the Cubs line-up last time up, fouls the first pitch back over the screen. Fastball, 87, swung and missed high and tight. High-tight fastball, 85, fouled off the screen. Slider, 77, lined into left-field corner. Z around second, being held at third... BUT HE RUNS THROUGH THE STOP SIGN!! Throw to the plate is well in time. Soriano takes third on the throw with one out.

[DLee25]

What was Zamby doing? wow

[VanMan]

Theriot fouls off the first pitch. Grounder through the hole to right, base hit, Soriano scores. It's 2-1 Cubs.

[VanMan]

Lee almost got hit on a slider that got away from Loaiza. Roller to LaRoche, over to Kent for one, to Loney to complete the double play. Cubs get a run on three hits, no one left.

End 3rd, Cubs 2, Dodgers 1

[VanMan]

Cubs could've had a really big inning if Zambrano had actually seen the stop sign Quade put up on Soriano's double. Cubs could've had two runs at least in that inning.

[VanMan]

Update in Milwaukee:

The Brewers have the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th with one out, and they've already scored a run earlier in the inning on a double by Ryan Braun, scoring Gabe Gross.

Zambrano issues a lead-off walk back in Chicago to Kent.

[Drockvb]

Carlos needs to find the control. This is starting to become a problem.
Walks kill him.

[VanMan]

Gonzalez takes a ball away, Blanco out to chat with Z after five straight balls in the inning. Fastball, 91, misses high and away, 2-0. Another fastball, 90, gets away from Z, but Blanco is able to rise up to get it before it gets to the screen. Another fastball, 89, catches the outside corner for strike one. Foul ball to the left fills the count. Kent runs, fastball called strike three, Blanco's throw to second gets Kent, the strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play!

[Drockvb]

I love me some Mr. White.

[VanMan]

Two gone for Martin, he takes ball one low. Slider misses low and away, 2-0. Fastball, 92, swung and missed. Fly ball down the right field line, foul, 2-2. Sinking fastball, 94, misses the outside corner, full count. Martin steps out. Z walks off the back of the mound to compose himself, then rares back and fires a 96 mph fastball low and away, ball four.

[VanMan]

Loney takes a fastball, 93, for strike one that missed in Z's favor. Slider is fouled off Loney's front foot, 0-2. Fastball, 91, elevated over the letters, ball one. Another fastball, 93, high and away, 2-2. Z getting upset at himself. Another fastball, 94, tails outside, full count. As Martin goes, Loney fouls off a breaking ball. Fastball, 94, low, ball four. Rothschild comes out to visit with Z.

[Drockvb]

This is soooo freaking aggrevating.

[Drockvb]

:mad:

UGH!!!!

Z is killing himself.

[VanMan]

LaRoche takes a strike. Slider, 80, misses away. Fouled off a fastball, 90, 1-2. Fastball, 94, misses high and away, 2-2. Shot down the right field line, Martin is around to score, Loney to third LaRoche with an RBI double, it's now 2-2.

[Drockvb]

This is ridiculous.

[VanMan]

Loaiza fouls the first pitch off. Grounder under Ramirez into left, Loney and Martin score, it's now 4-2 Dodgers on the Loaiza 2-RBI single.

[VanMan]

Furcal takes a strike. Slider, 83, misses low and away. Fastball, 92, swung and missed, 1-2. Fastball, 91, called strike three to end the inning. Three runs on two hits, three walks and one left.

Middle 4th, Dodgers 4, Cubs 2

[Drockvb]

Well, it's all too evident what Carlos' problem is.

His lack of control is what does him in. All the walks usually end up crossing the plate. And his pitch count goes through the roof.

[VanMan]

Ramirez fouls the first pitch off Martin's mask. Swing and a miss on a cut fastball, 0-2. Hanging breaking ball is flown to right-center, but Ethier is there on the track to catch it.

[VanMan]

Murton takes a fastball low and away, called strike one. One-hopper to Kent, to Loney for out number two.

[VanMan]

DeRosa lines the first pitch through the hole beyond the outstretched glove of Furcal for a single.

[VanMan]

Jones takes a slider low and away, ball one. Liner to right for a base hit, DeRosa moves up 90, two down.

[Drockvb]

Well good news in Brewer land. 7-7

[ARamfan]

Well good news in Brewer land. 7-7

That is good news. And Cards lost to the Pirates 11-0! :)

[Drockvb]

make it 8-7 astros.

We need to score some freaking RUNS!!!!

[Drockvb]

more 1-0, 2-0 counts.

Soooo aggrevating.

[ARamfan]

Well, if Z sees 2 guys warming up in the pen, maybe he'll get it together in order to stay in the game. He HATES to go out!

[Drockvb]

OUCH!!!!

This is getting very, very ugly. I feel like we will loose today.
Gosh this sux.

[ARamfan]

OUCH!!!!

This is getting very, very ugly. I feel like we will loose today.
Gosh this sux.

You might be right. :(

[Drockvb]

What a horrible performance.

[ARamfan]

OH MAN, here comes Ohman. Fresh back from Triple A. :eek:

[dundeecub]

just yeuch, z, yeuch.

brewers down 9-7

[Drockvb]

OH MAN, here comes Ohman. Fresh back from Triple A. :eek:

LOL. Well if there is a good time to play him it is now. I would much rather see him now than in a 1 run game.

[ARamfan]

LOL. Well if there is a good time to play him it is now. I would much rather see him now than in a 1 run game.

God, yes!

[Drockvb]

We will be lucky if we can get a split with the Dodgers.

Penny vs. Trachsel tomorrow. :eek:.

We aren't playing a crappy team anymore. This is the Dodgers and they are showing the Cubs what a winning team looks like.

[dundeecub]

well, at least the brewers lost

[Drockvb]

Does anyone else feel the same way i do? >>

When Len or Bob go ahead and say something like,

"the ball will be flying out of the park today", or
"wind blowing out, i doubt we will be seeing a 3-1 game today", or
"down 4-2, but i am sure the cubs will be scoring some more runs today, they are having some good swings at the pitcher thus far"

That the exact opposite happens? I don't believe in a jinx, but i wish they would stop making predictions. They never pan out.

[VanMan]

Sorry for the PBP being interrupted, because my dad was ready to go to dinner. We went to a sports bar and grill where we like to go every once in a while, and they had the game on the house PA and many of the TVs there. I was able to see the wheels come off. At least we won't lose ground today.