Cubs Take Advantage of Mistakes Late and Blow It Open

The Cubs were in a close one late with the Mets last night, holding a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth. Aramis Ramirez had hit a two run shot in the fourth for the Cubs offense and Jose Reyes hit into a double play with runners on the corners and no one out in the 6th plating the only run for the Mets. Carlos Zambrano was dominant again, and it looked like Kerry Wood would be coming in to protect the slim one run lead against the best hitters of the Mets, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado, the 3-5 hitters, the meat of the lineup.

But first, the Cubs would have a chance to try to get some insurance with their 3-5 hitters. Derrek Lee lead off with a ground ball to Jose Reyes, but he booted it and the lead off man was on. Aramis Ramirez who had already homered in the game stepped up and got pegged in the elbow. That brought up Kosuke Fukudome. He had a five minute long, 10 pitch at bat that ended with him going the other way through the hole between short stop and third base to load the bases with no body out.

Mark DeRosa and Geo Soto (both of whom were nominated for player of the week last week) would get a chance to open up the lead a little bit.

DeRosa struck out and Soto popped out on the infield, meaning the Cubs had gone from bases loaded nobody out and two hot hitters due up to bases loaded two outs and Ronnie Cedeno up. Cedeno found out he would be starting for The Riot about five minutes before first pitch.

As bad as the inning had started for the Mets, it looked like they would get out of it.

Cedeno, however, had other plans. He had a great at bat, facing a 1-2 count, he fouled off three straight pitches before sending the seventh pitch of the at bat into center field scoring Lee and Ramirez.

With runners at first and second and 2 out, Felix Pie came up for his first at bat of the game. He had been a defensive replacement in the previous inning.

At this point, I'd like to give you a chance to read this article which was posted right before the game.

Pie was pulled from the starting lineup so that he could use the time to work on his swing.

Apparently that time worked. Pie took the 2-0 pitch into the right field bleachers for a 3 run shot and suddenly Kerry Wood was able to close out the game (3 up 3 down) with no pressure whatsoever. Cubs win 7-1 and remain one game behind the Diamondbacks for the best record in the Majors.

Here are yesterday's other games.

Today, the Cubs send struggling Ted Lilly up against Nelson Figueroa and the Mets. So far this season, the Mets have struggled against righties, but are dominating against left handed starters. Add that stat to the fact that Lilly hasn't looked good yet this season and this could be a long afternoon. The Cubs offense needs to keep up their hot hitting for the Cubs to prevail today in my opinion.

Here are the rest of today's games.