10/2 One more to go
The Cubs appear to have shutdown the offense for the season. They were shutout Tuesday for the second straight game, the first time they’ve been blanked in back to back games since July 21-22 at St. Louis. They’ve lost 29 straight games when scoring three runs or less, dating to a 3-2 win against the Cardinals on July 28. They’d like to end with at least one more “W.”
“Whenever you go into the winter when you finish good as a starter, whether you’re swinging the bat really well, you have a lot better winter, you sleep a lot better,” Dale Sveum said. “It makes a big difference how you finish.”
This was the first meeting between two teams with 100 losses since Sept. 30, 1962, when the Cubs and Mets squared off in the season finale at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won, 5-1, and closed the year, 59-103. That was the Mets’ first season, and they finished 40-120. Chicago and Houston close the 2012 campaign on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Cubs managed two hits. On Tuesday, they mustered four, and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
“Deja vu [from] last night,” Sveum said. “Not a lot of good at-bats, not a lot of quality at-bats again and left some guys, striking out with guys in scoring position. It kind of typifies the whole season these last two nights, swinging the bats.”
Sveum will shake up his lineup for Wednesday’s finale, and use the reserves. Expect Starlin Castro to start at shortstop, which would be Game No. 162 for him, but Adrian Cardenas, for example, will start at second.
“For the most part, the season didn’t go very well, obviously, but a lot of these guys deserve to kick back,” Sveum said of his regulars. “Just let them sit back and watch a game for once. I asked [Alfonso Soriano] if he wanted 110 RBIs or whatever, and he said, ‘No, I’m fine.’”
One more to go.
– Carrie Muskat
mlblogsmuskat1
In a sincere attempt to make peace on this site with Petrey and others I promise to type only stats directly from the baseball encyclopedia. I also want to state that Soriana ismy favorite player ever and Theo is a genius. Whoops–oh my god–my nose just grew 20 inches and is stuck in the whirling blades of my desk fan–oh -oh-the agony–the agooony—
Are you kidding me? There is a baseball encyclopedia? Mamma Mia, I sincerely hope you stay just the way you are – posting anything you are thinking, feeling about our Cubs. Any opinion, any ideas – that is what makes these blogs so interesting. Apart from those who choose to use offensive and abusive insults I think we all get along pretty well. So put a bandaid on your poor nose and throw the “baseball encyclopedia” away. Let the fun begin!
Thanks Ms White. You are certainly a very knowledgeable fan. Well, it was not until we hit the l00 loss mark that I gave up on this season. Although I am calling MLB front office today and ask that we be allowed in the playoffs as a wildcard team. The reason why is that I have read day after day that this seasons records do not count. Players and coaches and front office and most fans have taught me well. Some people might label it spin but it just seems like a real comfortable position. So let us all call Bud Selig today and get our Cubs into the playoffs.
Who was the gentleman with the pink cap who sang the 7th. inning stretch last night