Wasted opportunities…

That about sums up last night after the Cubs lost to a team that is 31 games below .500. What wasted opportunities you ask? Where to begin…

1) How about the very first inning, where the Cubs had runners on 1st and 2nd with one out – typically they failed to score after both Ramirez and Burnitz flied out to center field.
2) Top of the 2nd – Michael Barrett leads off with a double – and advanced to third after a Neifi Perez ground-out. A runner on third with one away – and yet once again the Cubs failed to drive the run in after Patterson and Rusch each lined/grounded out – typical.
3) Top of the 4th – Burnitz singled to center and then advanced to second after Michael Barrett’s single to left – runners on 1st and 2nd – no one away. Then Niefi grounds into a double play and Patterson (of course) flies out to left field. Once again, runners were in scoring position with no one away and the Cubs couldn’t get it done.
4) Top of the 8th – After Lee scored on a Ramirez single – Ramirez advanced to second after Burnitz singled (and don’t even get me started about Dusty pinch running for Ramirez in that situation). Michael Barrett then drew a walk – bases loaded and only one out. Can the Cubs cash in? You know better than that – Niefi weakly popped out and then (who else) Corey Patterson ended the inning with a ground out to second.
5) And to top all of this off – three of the teams ahead of the Cubs in the WC lost last night – Houston, Florida, and Washington. All of them lost last night, giving the Cubs a chance to pick up a game on each of them.

More wasted opportunities.

Wasted opportunities - from start to finish. That’s why I continue to believe that it will be a miracle of biblical proportions for this team to make the playoffs. Even when the teams ahead of them lose, and they are playing what is essentially Colorado’s AAA team – they still can’t manage to play fundamental baseball and win the games they are supposed to win.

Pathetic.