Time Machine

How the Cubs have played the last three days (not including tonight at the Mets) represents the last three years of Cubs baseball.  On Friday, the Cubs won 7-2 on strong offense and good pitching.  The Cubs did all the fundamental things right, coming through in big spots and playing good defense.  There was one error in right center on a misunderstanding between Fukudome and Byrd, but they laughed it off and prevented major damage.  Even not being a notably good team defensively in 2008, they were able to kept the errors to minimal damage, like was done here.  Soriano made two very nice plays with confidence, the first good indication of his fielding ability all season.  The Cubs offense was a little quiet until they were able to put together a nice rally in the 7th including a creative safety squeeze from Ryan Theriot and then the Cubs hitters were patient leading up to Derrek Lee's big three-run homer.  The Cubs won, and all fans in Wrigleyville were more than content with this new style.  For a day.  Of course, the Cubs couldn't just keep it going, they had to add more questions to the list that had momentarily stopped growing.  On Saturday, the Cubs played 2009 baseball in that the offense was held dormant by a good pitcher in Roy Oswalt and the late comeback attempt wasn't enough.  Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Gray couldn't stop what was the worst offense in the league up to then.  Who do the Astros have that could possibly cause them trouble?  I'm pretty sure J.R. Towles, Chris Johnson, and Jeff Keppinger wouldn't have been your top answers.  Yet there is Towles, the supposed future behind the plate in Houston, hitting a home run while the Cubs can't score.  On Sunday, we saw what the Cubs have shown again and again in this young season.  Ryan Dempster pitched an excellent outing and held a 2-0 lead going into the eighth, but Jeff Keppinger was there again to knock in a run.  However, the Cubs got out of it and it looked like they would hang on to win.  But in the 9th for the first time, it was Carlos Marmol who blew the lead to Geoff Blum (ugh...) on a double.  Of course, the offense is still hush since Marlon Byrd's two-run single in the 3rd.  Sean Marshall allows Pedro Feliz a sac fly, and Matt Lindstrom saves his second straight.  We all got to see a little brief history of the Cubs, depressingly so.  I've learned a lot in my 11 years as a baseball fan (ever since I learned the rules) and 4 years as an intense fan.  I've learned that many times, no matter how frustrating it was for your team, you just have to tip your cap to the other club.  This was not one of those instances.  I used to love the Houston Astros franchise, but the blunt lack of talent on the squad is an inevitable result of a horrible minor league system and a veteran-laden roster.  They have no business marching into Wrigley Field at 1-8 and taking two of three from a team that should win 90 games.