The Cubs felt good about their chances of winning the rubber match in Milwaukee. Especially with Ryan Dempster (4-5) on the mound.
Dempster who has consistently pitched into the 7th inning for most of the season, fell short on Thursday when he allowed 3 runs in only 5.1 innings of work. Dempster’s control wasn’t on point as he walked 5 Brewer batters.
Dempster left the game in line for the win, but the bullpen and the defense couldn’t hold the lead. Chad Tracy ruined a pickle situation and allowed the Brewers to pull ahead 3-2. Then in the 6th, Jeff Stevens walked in the Brewers’ 4th run to even the score at 4.
The Cubs’ offense came mainly from Xavier Nady who had an RBI sac fly and also contributed his 4th homerun of the season. Nady finished with 3 RBIs. However, Nady’s biggest impact came in the field, and not in a good way.
With the game tied at 4 in the 10th, the Brewers took advantage of the Cubs’ little league defense (3 errors) and scored the winning run thanks in part to a Nady throwing error when he overthrew the 3rd basemen trying to catch the speedy Carlos Gomez.
And just like that the Cubs lose 5-4. As bizarre as it was, the Cubs’ loss on Thursday is almost no surprise. It’s becoming the norm for Chicago to find a way a to lose (a trait found in bad teams).
The Cubs will have to figure it out and quick because starting tomorrow the Cubs start the BP Crosstown Classic with their rivals from the south side of town: the White Sox. Luckily for the Cubs, the Sox have been equally disappointing.
The Cubs will send Randy Wells (3-4) to the mound. Wells has struggled mightedly lately, especially in his 1st inning of work. The White Sox will send their big money pitcher Jake Peavy (4-5) to the bump. Peavy was acquired last year from San Diego and has been considered a bust thus far.
For More Great Chicago Sports Content
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
