Another One Bites The Dust

Cubs 1 Cardinals 5

When I heard the lineup today...I was in shock! I kept asking myself...why is Jose Macias hitting in the leadoff spot? Why is he playing 2nd base? Where is Todd Walker? Where is Jerry Hariston, Jr? What the (blank) is going on? Does Dusty not want to win? And all of this against the Cardinals with Greg Maddux trying to get to 15. I almost threw my XM out the window. I immediately got online...and what did I find? ANOTHER INJURY!

Jerry Hariston, Jr. arrived to the ballpark on Saturday on crutches. He hit a ball off of his knee on Friday and was unable to walk on it on Saturday. According to cubs.com Hariston was wearing a brace on his left leg because of a severe bone contusion suffered when he took a foul tip off his left knee in Friday's game. Hairston will be sidelined to let the swelling subside and wait for the pain to go away, Cubs athletic trainer Mark O'Neal said on Saturday. Hairston apparently has "jumper's knee," which is an injury to the patellar tendon and usually happens to high school or junior high athletes. "There is a real minor crack of the calcification [on his knee]," O'Neal said. Great just when the Cubs were getting production out of the leadoff spot...this happens. The Cubs have not said how long he will be out, but with only 13 games left, could we have all seen the last game of Jerry Hariston in a Cubs' uniform?

With the injury to Hariston, a couple of questions come to mind. Dusty does not trust Patterson in the leadoff spot...that point was proven today. If Dusty trusted Patterson, he would have hit CPat in the leadoff spot instead of removing Walker from the lineup and putting Macias in the leadoff spot. I know some of you will argue that Mulder is left handed and so is Walker and Walker would sit anyway. Wrong...Walker is hitting .337 vs. left handers and .293 vs. right handers. Does Dusty's actions today mean the end of Patterson in a Cubs' uniform? Second question. The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx season was ended today. They lost the Southern League Championship 3-1 to Jacksonville. Will the Cubs recall Adam Greenberg to try in the leadoff spot?

The game was...another disappointment. Maddux lost and now his streak of 17 years(working on 18) with at least 15 wins, is over. With today's loss, his record drops to 12-13 and with only 2 starts left the best he can do is 14. Maddux has done a good job for the Cubs this year. If the bullpen and not blown at least 4 of his games, he would have reached 15. Maddux should be back with the Cubs next year. His option has kicked in, so if he does not return that would be his decision. Hopefully the Cubs will have a better bullpen next year and Maddux can reach 15 again.

Sunday - Carlos Zambrano(13-5/3.22) vs. Chris Carpenter(21-4/2.31)

The last time Zambrano and Carpenter faced one another was a pitching clinic. Both Big Z and Carpenter went 9 innings in St. Louis and neither one got the decision. The Cardinals won that game in extra innings on a squeeze bunt by David Eckstein. That game in July was the best pitching dual I have seen in years. Tomorrow should be more of the same. Carpenter should win this year's Cy Young in the National League and Zambrano is 7-1 with a 2.40 ERA since the All Star break. Runs should come at a premium. The Cubs will have to play a near perfect game in order to beat Carpenter.

No extra outs, smart base running, timely hitting...and BEAT THOSE BIRDS!!