Back to Wrigley North, for the final series of the regular season. All the pressure is on Milwaukee, as they are tied with the Mets for the Wild Card spot and need desperately to win. Their pitching staff has been over-extended and they are looking to possibly bring back Sabbathia on just 3 days rest, for the 3rd time in a row, for Sundays game. In the first game, it will be the starter in the NLDS, Ryan Dempster for the Cubs. He will be looking to increase his already career high single season win total. He is 17-6 with a 2.99 ERA. He will be opposed by Jeff Suppan, who is 10-10 with a 5.06 ERA. Soup has been mediore on the season, but far worse of late, with an 0-2 record and a 12.27 ERA over his last 3 starts. Then in game 2, it will either be Ben Sheets (If his elbow tendonitis subsides enough) or Dave Bush, facing Ted Lilly. Lilly, like Dempster has already established a career high in wins in a season, with 16. I am guessing Sheets will try to pitch, but will not be surprised if he leaves the game early. Then Sabbathia, who lost his last time out against the Cubs, and who's team lost in the other start against the Cub's, has to be pretty gassed. The whole Brewer bullpen is pretty used up too. I'll be there on Saturday and could not be happier that the game will be an intense one, rather than one where 2 teams are just going through the motions, playing out the string. This is gonna be fun. Cubs 2 of 3, if not a sweep.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I would rather the cubs lose either today or tomorrow, I think that would ensure the wild card race going down to the last day. I want the Mets to throw Santana and the Brewers to throw CC on that final Sunday. I want the rotations for any first round opponents to be in flux. If the Mets win both their games and the Brewers get swept the next two games, Sunday becomes moot.

The Mets could still have a chance to win the division but if they qualify to make the playoffs, NY might want to rest Santana for game 1 and then a game 5.

I really, really want the Brewers to make the playoffs.

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Fire Phil Emery

Enigma-thats a real good point. Having your best pitchers all lined up and rested vs the other guys starting out with lesser talented starters, who are a bit overused, would be a plus. I don't think the Cubs need any advantage, but that would be one.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Nice avatar

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If I were a cub fan I'd want them to sweep the Brewers this weekend. I'd much rather play the Mets over the Dodgers in the first round. The Dodgers have hit well since they acquired Manny, they have 2 good starters (Lowe, Billingsley), they have a good bullpen (Saito, Broxton) and they have a manager who has done this once or twice before. The Mets on the other hand have 1 starter, the worst bullpen in baseball and Jerry Manuel. This should be a no brainer.

I al'so don't think the cub's 'should be pitching their starter's right now. 'Something tell's me that it i's the chance of injury or ju'st plain 'stre's's that i's what we 'should be 'sweating over. Folk's? Doe's anyone el'se have thought's?

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Well, I wish they had sat Soriano. If they had a better left fielder in there Durhams double would have been caught and it's still 1-1, not 2-1.

No killer v, I do not agree. The starters should pitch so they stay sharp. Lou just needs to keep their pitch counts low, so they are strong in their next starts in the post-season. You can't give a starter 10 days between starts and expect him to be sharp. If Dempster had not pitched tonight and pitched next in game 1 of the playoffs, it would have meant a 10 day span. Thats too much. Gotta keep everyone in a fairly normal rythem.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Wel'l, I' thi'nk the Cub's have gotten' int'o a decen't groove lately bu't everythin'g could change' thi's week.

It's driving me nuts, watching Gaudin and Howry these past few games audition for a playoff spot, while they blow games that Marmol and Wood could normally be nailing down. The one weak spot I see, is the 7th inning releif spot. It was supposed to go to Howry. Then Samardjia looked like the best candidate, but he has slipped a bit (especially with reguards to his control) and Lou has made mention of liking guys with experience in the playoffs. It's gonna be interesting to see who he picks for that slot. I don't care to see Gaudin or Howry ever again this year.

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Go Cubs!!!!

The one good thing that will come of this game, if indeed the Cubs lose as it looks like they will (down 5-1 in the 8th) is that it will eliminate Houston from playoff contention. So they will not have any worries about playing the game Monday vs Houston, that they would have, had to, if the Astros been able to win out, while the Brewers and Mets gotten swept. The Mets have lost tonight, so now the Brewers will take a 1 game lead for the wild card. Boy, what an atmosphere it's gonna be all weekend in Milwaukee. Glad I didn't sell my tickets to tomorrows game (game time now 2:55, not the Noon start originally planned, as it will be nationally televised). I may have to make a sign up for tomorrow and you KNOW what it will say....THE CUBS END THE WAIT IN 2008!!!!

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Go Cubs!!!!

This is a time to be very concerned about the state of the Cubs bullpen! If this last week has proven anything, it is that beyond Marmol and Wood, Lou has nobody to turn to down in the bullpen! Gaudin - Crap! Howry - Crap! Cotts - Crap! Samadzidja - Crap! Hart - Crap! Guzman - Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! The Cubs have real issues here folks, and you can see by the looks and body language of Lou that he realizes it, too! On top of that, several starters clearly have issues that make one wonder what the state of our rotation is! Zambrano and Harden both look shaky at best! Even at his best, Harden will only go 5 or 6, and that means the bullpen crap is coming in!

The Cubs had better hope the Brewers don't make it, because it doesnt look like they will match up too well in a series with them right now, and you know the Brewers would be very hungry to knock the Cubs out, especially since the Cubs fans have been laughing at the Brewers for weeks now, about how they are choking and will not make the playoffs! This is not shaping up well at all for the Cubs! This layoff period is hurting this team! The Brewers have a fighting edge! They will be very hard to beat! The Cubs are lazy and look lethargic! This is not a good situation!

Today's game is a must-win for the Cubs! If they lose this game, the Brewers will feel very confident going into the playoffs, and the Cubs will be very sad, and feel defeated before the playoffs even start! They need to pound a beating on the Brewers today! A must-win!

PANIC! PANIC! PANIC! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH ALL HOPE IS DYING! THEY ARE OUT OF GAS!!!!!!!

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IT IS OFFICIALLY TIME TO PANIC!
DO NOT REMAIN CALM!
DO NOT MOVE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION!

Cubs pounding Sheet, even with the shit lineup in.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

Felix, you need to take control and catch the damn ball. No way that should fall when it hangs up for that long.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

Its safe to say Marquis will fit right in with the rest of the bullpen. This guy fucking sucks, can never pitch with the lead.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

I think he just pitched himself out of the post season

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

Can only hope so. Hopefully Cotts also.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

cotts and marquis are both on the post-season roster.

Why are you always so angry?

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Fire Phil Emery

If I'm Lou Piniella, who do I least trust coming out of the Cub bullpen with the National League Division Series starting Wednesday at Wrigley Field? While Jason Marquis pitched well as a starter, he looked ineffective in a rare bullpen appearance today. All bets are off with Neal Cotts & Bobby Howry as well, and even Kerry Wood closing is a high wire act...I bet at least half of Kerry's saves have made Cub fans sweat & Piniella age 15 years...

He'd then almost be as old as Larry King.

Colonel, Kerry's closing makes Piniella age to a point where going back to the broadcast booth wouldn't be such a bad idea. I'm in the minority on this one, but Kerry is no immediate threat to Dennis Eckersley or Mariano Rivera among closers...

Wood is fine Marmol is fine. They just could really use another guy to bridge any gap between the starter and the Marmol/Wood combo. It was a much better game than I expected today. When I saw the line-up, I thought it might go very differently. But Sheets elbow was killing him. He never should have been pitching in that game. His velocity was way down and he kept pacing around the mound and delaying, waiting for the pain in his elbow to subside. I actually felt sorry for the guy. Nice game for Fontenot, Big hit by Fukadome and a nice shot to get things started by Ward. Marquis proved to me that he does not belong on the playoff roster. Too bad, because he has had a pretty good season and it would have been nice to have included him, if he could be effective out of the pen. But that sure didn't look to be the case. I wish I could have gone to tomorrows game, even though it will be Angel Guzman going againsy Sabbathia, rather than Zambrano. What an exciting series to finish the regular season with. I really hope that the Cubs and Marlins win tomorrow. It seems fitting that the Mets and Brewers should battle it out head to head to decide the wild card.

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Go Cubs!!!!

What a choke fest b the Brewers so far. One hit through 6 against that steaming pile of shit?

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How bad are the Brewers? Yesterday the Cubs had the shit lineup in there, and won by 4. Now today there pitching all the shit in the bullpen and have a shutout.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

I havent been watching the game today, was it intentional to only let Guzman pitch a couple innings or did he get hurt?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

It was planned to get lots of guys innings today.

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I've never wanted the Brewers to beat the cubs so badly. Go Brew Crew!!!

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Fire Phil Emery

Nothing like walking in the tying run, thanks Wuertz.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

Your red ass approach don't really do much when the game means nothing

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."