Let's Win Two Today!

What a day! What a couple days!

Last night, the Cubs got an assist from Mother Nature. The team was down 5 to 2 going into the seventh inning. The good guys rung up four runs in the top of the inning to take a one-run lead.

Then, after Bob Howry threw four pitches in the Pirate half of the seventh, the skies opened and the play ended.

Under the rules of previous years, the score would have reverted to what it was at the end of the sixth and the game would have been considered an official loss for the Cubs. In the off-season this past winter, the MLB officials made a rule change that would have allowed the game to end at that point and become official if the home team was ahead. In this case, the Cubs were in Pittsburgh, so the rule was to suspend the game to allow Pittsburgh a chance to complete the bottom of the seventh, and eventually the entire game.

I can’t believe I am saying this, but thanks to a rule change by the MLB, and thanks to Mother Nature, the Cubs one last night’s game today! Whew! Maybe the luck is changing in the Cubs favor!

There were a lot of other positive things that happened last night/this afternoon.

Alfonzo Soriano lead off the game last night with his first home run as a Cub.
Rocky Cherry earned his first win as a major league player.
Derrek Lee hit three doubles to extend his league leadership in that category.
Ryan Dempster earned his fifth save.
Jason Marquis picked up his fourth win of the season.
Soriano hit another solo home run in the second game today.
D-Lee raised his league leading batting average to .415.

The bad news is that former gold glove shortstop Cesar Izturis had an error in each of the two games.

This is a good team and it is only two games below the .500 mark. Thursday will be a day of rest. Then the northsiders take on the Washington Nationals. This could be the weekend the Cubs move ahead of the league.

On the south side of town, things are a little tougher. The Sox were shut out by the Mariners in Seattle and have lost four straight. The pitching performance by John Danks wasn’t too bad, but the offense is truly missing Jim Thome since he went on the disabled list. Hopefully his return will not take long.

The Palehose are just a game below .500. It they can beat the Angels twice in three tries this weekend, and handle the Twins the same way, they can be ready for a long, fun homestand, including a visit to Wrigley.

Let’s hope for two winning teams meeting on May 18th!