DELUSIONAL CUBS FAN

Randy Wells prays that Kevin Gregg won’t close out this game.

Cubs Let Down Randy Wells. Again

Man, if you watched this game tonight, you know how I feel.  If not, think back to one of those other times in the past when the Cubs looked like they were trying their hardest to lose a game they should have easily won.  They made errors, gave up walks, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, gave up more walks, and just looked awful.  It was frustrating to watch and I’m only now beginning to calm down.

Randy Wells has just not been able to get that first Major League win.  It’s not from lack of trying or from lack of skill or execution.  He’s pitched as well as you could ever hope a rookie pitcher would.  Better then you would ever expect in fact.

In five starts, Randy Wells has pitched five quality starts, never failing to pitch five innings and never giving up more than two runs in a game.  He’s thrown two shutouts already; in the first one he left with the score 0-0 in the 6th, and then the very next game he pitched another shutout, leaving with a 4-0 lead in the 7th.  In both games, the bullpen let him down.  In other games it was the offense, as Wells took a loss in a 2-1 final.  Randy Wells now has an 0-2 record and a remarkable 1.69 ERA.

On June 2, 2009 though, Randy Wells would truly learn what it is like to pitch for the Chicago Cubs.  On this night, Wells would pitch yet another gem, looking confident and dominant as he quickly took down the Atlanta Braves, no-hitting them for 6 2/3 innings until reigning NL batting champion Chipper Jones broke up his no-hit bid.

In the eighth inning Wells gave up a solo home run to Garret Anderson.  After the home run, Derrek Lee made a rare error on an easy ground ball and Lou Pinella decided to pull the kid, even though he had thrown only 83 pitches.  With Randy Wells and his dominant pitching out of the game, the Cubs could finally get to work blowing what had been a five run lead.

The usually reliable Carlos Marmol came in and just looked utterly lost.  Two walks and a hit batter later it was 5-3.  Then in the ninth, the usually worrisome Kevin Gregg Comes in and blows yet another game for Wells, giving up a game tying two run home run, right after striking out the previous batter who went to first on strike three when Soto couldn’t stop or get to the ball.

The Cubs closer now has a 5.24 ERA.  Come on Gregg, it’s June already!  Wake up!  Is this as good as you get?  And Soto, lose some weight behind the plate, you look out of shape.  Marmol, what is going on with you?  All you have to do is throw strikes!  You looked like Neal Cotts out there tonight.  Heilman, this loss wasn’t your fault even though you gave up the winning run, but you are still a bum.  I’m ready to ditch the lot of ya.  Koyie Hill should be starting until Soto can show that he’s really healthy enough to play.

It’s not your fault either Soriano, but you have got to lay off those low and outside pitches, come on!  You’re limping around too and could probably use a day off, but Bradley is injured (again) so you’ll probably have to keep playing.

The bullpen has looked terrible.  I’ve tried to give you the benefit of the doubt Kevin Gregg, but I just can’t do it anymore.  I don’t feel comfortable seeing you pitch will less than a four run lead and even then, I’m a little worried.  You do not seem like a stopper at all.  In fact, you seem like a BUM!  Start throwing strikes before we trade you to Baltimore for a handful of beans.

This was a hard loss and the Cubs looked terrible doing it.  I might even have to take a few days off from watching the games in order to recover from watching this one.

Ugh.

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