Neifi!

After Dempster walked the pinch hitter (and he had him down 1-2 before eventually walking him - throwing a miserable SLIDER on a 3-2 count no less!), and THEN gave up a single double to Eckstein (a play in which I very nearly threw my remote through the television) - I will admit that I thought the Cubs had blown it [again].

And yet, after a Todd Walker double, an intentional BB for Lee (whom the Cardinals avoided like the plague tonight), an excellent sac bunt by Burnitz (when the heck was the last time he was asked to lay down a bunt?!), and another intentional BB to Aramis (which loaded the bases)...

Neifi! comes through with a very surprising grand slam home-run (and after Neifi's homer, there's no need to dwell on the miserable AB by Barrett - and don't even get me started on the AB by Jose F. Macias)!

Very nice boys - although I don't know how many of these types of games I can take. Even though the Cubs won the series - I feel like we just committed a crime and we need to get out of town as quickly as possible to tell you the truth.

In any event, this is what this team needs to continue to do - just win series. 1 down - 20 series left. If they win them all, they finish with 94 wins.

win 2/3 vs. SF
win 3/4 vs. AZ
win 2/3 vs. PHI
win 2/3 vs. NYM
win 2/3 vs. CIN
win 3/4 vs. STL
win 2/3 vs. HOU
win 2/3 vs. COL
win 2/3 vs. ATL
win 2/3 vs. FLA
win 2/3 vs. LAD
win 2/3 vs. PIT
win 2/3 vs. STL
win 3/4 vs. SF
win 2/3 vs. CIN
win 3/4 vs. STL
win 2/3 vs. MIL
win 2/3 vs. HOU
win 1/2 vs. PIT
win 3/4 vs. HOU

That gets them to 94. Split a 4 game series or lose a 3 game and it reduces their total possible wins by 1 (assuming the Cubs don't make it up by sweeping a subsequent series).

Nomar will be here in Peoria!

Nomar will be here in Peoria Tuesday as the Chiefs open up a 4 game series against Dayton and it would be nice if the wife and I are able to get over to O'Brien field to see how he looks. We'll see - I'll report if we're able to make it to a game.