Cubs blow it in the ninth, lose 4-3 to Reds

Just like 2003. Ground ball hit to the shortstop--error. Marlins go on to win. Today, groundball hit to the shortstop--errror. Reds go on to win. Season over!! Cubs will be in second place by this time next week. So much for this year. One dead fan in this household.

DARRELL wrote:

I am going to cut Ronny Cedeno a little slack on this one. That ball took a really bad hop. If you look at the replay, the second hop hit the lip of the grass and nearly bounced over his glove.
But walks do hurt. They really hurt.

Agreed. Bloop hit, no biggie. Funny bounce of the lip, no biggie. Two walks....bad news.

Lay off Wood please. Wood has not blown a save since July 5. He has 28, considering not too many people thought he would last the season. I think Wood has done a great job. Again, the ball to Ronnie took a bad hop. Without his hit, the Cubs do not have the lead going to the ninth. But the Cubs lost this game by not hitting with RISP. Not by Wood or by Cedeno.

Sleepless in Seattle wrote:

I hope today was the low point of the last two weeks. Lou needs to wake this team from its slumber now. With two starters hurt & most of the remaining games on the road against contenders, they are going to really have to earn it. On a positive note, if they are going to fold, much better to do it before the playoffs rather than two outs away from the WS. I don't need to watch that replay again.

Well said. The entire team needs a big can of whup-**s now! And then go and break out of the slump against the redbirds.

Ronnie Cedano, the Leon Durham of the new millenium...still can't believe we lost this one...boo hoo

Yippee, our Cubbies do it again! NO team that is championship-bound blows games like this, over and over again. Always by one or two total losers, or all by the collective efforts of many losers. Same old collective bunch of losers. Blown opportunities throughout. No matter what Lou does, until all the fans of Chicago stand up and say "NO!" to this crap, we won't win it all. Too many fans/media who justify, rationalize and defend this crap. On what basis? We haven't won in 100 years, have seen decades of this jokery, and "fans" tell us that "it's part of baseball" or "stop being negative" or "hey, you guys aren't real fans". We are the ones made fun of. Yeah, right. We ARE real fans. Fans who understand winning. What kind of "fans" are you? If you don't want to win, care about winning or demand winning, then LEAVE CHICAGO!

Bases loaded dp, and runner at second no outs, whifs. D Lee isn't getting any big hits either.Lou better throw a base or two, in the clubhouse would be nice.

Question for Jim Edmonds:

Exactly when will it be time to panic? I for one would like some type of formal notification, possibly via certified mail, so I don't waste all this time panicking.

Wood as a closer is nuts. He walks and walks and walks batters, then wonders why he loses. Next year the Cubs should trade him for a couple of GOOD prospects, and dump Cotts, Wuertz, Howry, and a couple other non-producers. All these guys do is blow saves and eat innings in bad games, many of which they create themselves. Today is a photo of what is likely to occur in the playoffs.

It's over, boys

Sorry to say that, but this is typical Cubs mojo. They may make the playoffs, but they'll be one series and done.

After following this team for 40 years, nothings changed. The goat and Bartman are alive and well.

Hey Lou, call Ozzie Guillen... he may some advice for you on how to coach out of losing streaks and not give lame answers in post-game shows like "we got out-played today, fellas." You were hired to light a fire. Compared to the fires Guillen has lit this year (taking a predicted fourth place team to first), you could use the insight. That is, if you care to win. Haven't been convinced of it yet.

Rocket Man wrote:

Their singing now: BLOW CUBS BLOW ; BLOW CUBS BLOW ; HEY CHICAGO WHAT DO YOU SAY, THE CUBS ARE GOING TO BLOW TODAY
I will say in defense of Cedeno that the ball did come close to the lip of the grass and infield dirt but come on, make the play and the game is over with a "W". Of course, once again, the Cubs had plenty of opportunities to break the game wide open throughout but did nto do the job. Let see, now the Cubs cannot even be a team that has a guy who has FIFTEEN losses on the year. When they are staying at home in mid-October, they will only have themselves to blame. Way to ruin an already bad fishing day. Tanks for nuttin'.

I am an adult Sox fan. Please let us know when you reach puberty.

Voice of Reason wrote:

If i'm Lou I call Ronnie into the office and give him his ticket to Iowa. I'm tired of this sorry *ss excuse for a shortstop. Lou should tell him that these kind of mistakes can not be tolerated in the middle of a playoff race. True Kerry didn't have his best stuff (again) but he did give Ronnie an easy chance to end the game and go another game up on the Brewers.

Voice of "reason"

For a backup infielder, Ronny has been really really solid. I don't understand all the hate that this guys gets. He has gotten some big RBIs throughout the season, and usually plays solid defense. I realize he should have made that play tonight, but that being said, it wasn't as easy of a play as it first seemed. The biggest knock I can see on his game would be the strike-outs, but even those are not coming at an alarming number, and he seems to have reduced them from years past.

He is a back-up infielder (would probably start on more than a few teams out there), no one should expect him to be Barry Larkin.

I will take a guy like Ronny as a utility guy any day.

I am a Sox fan. I do not understand the Cubs fans on this site. What place are you in? The Cubs are in the playoffs. No team in the history of baseball has gone 162-0. What is your problem?

DARRELL wrote:

I am going to cut Ronny Cedeno a little slack on this one. That ball took a really bad hop. If you look at the replay, the second hop hit the lip of the grass and nearly bounced over his glove.
But walks do hurt. They really hurt.

If he keeps his eye on the ball instead of looking over to second, it's not an issue. That was little-league fielding, period.

clyde wrote:

Wood as a closer is nuts. He walks and walks and walks batters, then wonders why he loses. Next year the Cubs should trade him for a couple of GOOD prospects, and dump Cotts, Wuertz, Howry, and a couple other non-producers. All these guys do is blow saves and eat innings in bad games, many of which they create themselves. Today is a photo of what is likely to occur in the playoffs.

Better yet, sign K-Rod who is a free agent!! Wood makes me the most nervous. He always seems to be in trouble. You cannot keep doing that especially in the playoffs.

100 Year of Futility wrote:

LOL the mighty Reds...Just imagine how the Cubs will do when they don't get to play Houston, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.....I think they get swept by LAD or Arizona

Have you seen their record this year against Arizona and L.A.? If not, go look at it and S T F U.

Joey M wrote:

Yippee, our Cubbies do it again! NO team that is championship-bound blows games like this, over and over again. Always by one or two total losers, or all by the collective efforts of many losers. Same old collective bunch of losers. Blown opportunities throughout. No matter what Lou does, until all the fans of Chicago stand up and say "NO!" to this crap, we won't win it all. Too many fans/media who justify, rationalize and defend this crap. On what basis? We haven't won in 100 years, have seen decades of this jokery, and "fans" tell us that "it's part of baseball" or "stop being negative" or "hey, you guys aren't real fans". We are the ones made fun of. Yeah, right. We ARE real fans. Fans who understand winning. What kind of "fans" are you? If you don't want to win, care about winning or demand winning, then LEAVE CHICAGO!

You are right. Sports are so serious that people who are not constantly complaining about The Cubs (who are still the best team in the NL, by the way) are nothing but complacent losers who are far too focused on being passionate about trivial issues like health, family, work, and friendship. Anyone who is not making non-stop negative comments about the Cubs should be sent to a remote colony to live like a leper. It makes me sick that there are people who have the audacity to say "oh well, they still have a solid team" and go about enjoying the day instead of becoming enraged and feeling a strong sense of entitlement to be provided with winning baseball every day. When will people grow up and become adult enough to complain about baseball! For shame!

2 times bases loaded for insurance runs and they can't get the ball through the infield...thanks Marshall, good effort...at least we didn't have to Howery

Curley wrote:

<quoted text>
Better yet, sign K-Rod who is a free agent!! Wood makes me the most nervous. He always seems to be in trouble. You cannot keep doing that especially in the playoffs.

If you watch enough Angel games, you would see that K-Rod gets in a lot of dicey situations as well. When Wood has his command he is a solid closer. Every since struggling at the beginning of the season he has been at least decent. Just has to cut down those walks. It took a bit of bad luck with the bloop and the funny hop for Kerry to lose the game tonight as well, so those walks really became compounded, but I guess if he doesn't walk those guys the bloop and bad hop are non issues. Oh well, let go get those dirty birds.