Cubs 3-1 Dodgers:  Too Little, Too Late

This game was, in some ways, the 2009 Cubs season in microcosm: solid starting pitching, inept offense, some uneven bullpen work, but soomehow they eek out a win…to avoid a four-game sweep. So, thanks for coming in today, fellas, but this kind of effort would have been helpful before you dropped 8 of your last 13. Ryan Dempster was very sharp, going 7 innings, allowing 1 unearned run, while K’ing 5 and walking just 1. Grabow came on in relief and started wild, but got lucky on a terrible call from the 2B umpire for the first out, and then got a very sharp play from Ramirez to turn an inning-ending DP. Carlos AMrmol pitched a very sharp ninth, even K’ing Manny looking for final out. To avoid a four-game sweep. Jake Fox was the hitting star, going 4-4, with a long HR and 2 RBI. If this guy had even a remote idea of how to play defense and were 3 years younger, he might be a real prospect. As he is, well, he can hit fastballs, and maybe play 1B. It will be interesting to see what the Cubs do with him in the offseason. Seems like we were sayingmuch the same thing about a hot-hitting Micah Hoffpauir around this time last year. Oh, wait, we were. At any rate, Fox hit the hell out of the ball today. To avoid a four-game sweep. As if it mattered, the Cardinals look set to win, so the Cubs remain 8 games back. Off day tomorrow. Try not to kill yourself in all the excitement.