Warning: Those of you generally uninterested by sports-related ramblings, please skip to the bottom of this post. The following is a glimpse into why being a Cubs fan is frustrating:
Since April 6-8, the Cubs have failed to win a series, or to win two games in a row. During that span, we have gone 4-9. Please allow me to give you a game-by-game summary of the frustrating ways we have found to lose those nine games.
04/09 Houston 5, Cubs 3...In the home opener, the game is tied 3-3 in the 8th, when a 2 run blast gives the 'stros the lead and eventually the win. 04/10 Houston 4, Cubs 2...Not the most frustrating loss, as we trailed 4-0 going into the 9th. A two-run bottom of the ninth wasn't enough to overcome our Gold-Glove-winning shortstop's three errors in a single game. 04/11 Postponed due to hellish winter-like conditions 04/13 Reds 6, Cubs 5...Leading 5-0 after five, ace Carlos Zambrano gives up four runs and leaves the bases loaded as he leaves in the middle of the sixth. Reliever Will Ohman brilliantly walks the next two batters, walking across the game tying and game winning runs. 04/14 Reds 1, Cubs 0...Ted Lilly gives up only two hits through six innings and the relievers don't surrender a single hit...unfortunately, one run was all Cincy needed on this day. 04/17 San Diego 4, Cubs 3...After rallying in the late innings to tie the game at 3...we take the game into extras. After surrenderring a run in the top of the 14th inning, we get a man in scoring position in the bottom of the 14th, with only one out, but can't send him home to go to 15. 04/18 Atlanta 8, Cubs 6...Despite leading 6-5 at the 7th inning stretch, reliever Scott Eyre gives up a three run bottom of the seventh and it's another loss for the Cubbies 04/20 St. Louis 2, Cubs 1...Again, a Cub's lead was blown in the seventh to give the Cards a 2-1 advantage. In the bottom of the ninth, we had a chance to tie it up, but pinch runner Ronny Cedeno overslid second on a steal and was tagged out. 04/22 St. Louis 12, Cubs 9...Early on, we blew two-run leads on two separate occassions. The good news is we overcame a three run defecit in the sixth to tie the game. The top of the ninth was devastating as St. Louis scored 2 to give them the lead in what looked like another loss in the final inning. But then we knocked in two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extras! With momentum on our side, Ryan Dempster served up a three run bomb to Pujols to give the game away in the 10th. 04/23 Milwaukee 5, Cubs 4...Despite holding a 4-0 lead early in the game, we blow it again as the Brewers tied it up 4-4 in the 8th inning. Again in extra innings, we bring in reliever Rocky Cherry in his first ever major league appearance. He doesn't fare too well, as Prince Fielder hits one over the wall to give the game to the Brew-Crew in the 12th inning. Wow...every day it's a new way to lose! Each of those nine losses has been decided by 2 or fewer runs, been in extra innings, or both. Now, you might say, "of course, baseball is a low scoring game, so there are often close games." Or you might wish to request that I stop whining about losing close games, because the Cubs probably win some close games too, and that it all balances out in the end. But let me point out to you, that in that dismal 4-9 stretch, here are the scores of our four wins: 7-0 (vs. Cin)
12-4 (vs. SD)
3-0 (@ Atl)
6-0 (vs. Stl) That's right, in our four wins, we've outscored opponents 28-4. In nine losses, we've been oustcored by 16 runs total. Ugh. *Okay, everyone else can rejoin us. The only other news I've got is that the Nuggets are up 1-0 in the series...what?...oh, still sports. Umm...the only other non-sports-related news is that my French test is in T-minus seven days! Better study. | 
