Talking Potato is happy today! (check for more wisdom from TP here on Facebook)
Okay, the Cubs have handled the Nationals pretty consistently, and play especially well at Nationals Park. But there’s no getting around Ryan Dempster’s brilliant pitching last night, or the timely hitting that finally put some runs on the board late in the game.
With Dempster’s pitch count still low after the 7th, Quade decided to pinch hit Tyler Colvin for him to lead off the top of the 8th.
Many may have questioned the move, considering recent bullpen problems, but the Cubs’ new manager looked like Tony LaRussa when Colvin walked, stole second and then was driven home by Castro’s double to left. Cool stuff! I think even Ryan Dempster must have approved, even though he didn’t want to come out of the game (pitchers never want to be replaced) and certainly had a lot of gas left in the tank.
That first run would be all the Cubs needed, but they knew better than to stop there. One run has rarely been enough of a lead this year. So Ramirez hit Castro in with a homer, and then Soriano hit #21 in the 9th. Final: Cubs 4 Nationals 0, to complete the three-game sweep.
One little bit of fun related to the book Waiting for the Cubs. The TV trivia question of the evening was: “Name the Cub pitcher who hit a grand slam most recently” or words to that effect.
We knew right away because we were at that game! It was Jason Marquis, who started for the Nationals last night, on September 22, 2008, against the Mets at Shea Stadium (we even knew the ballpark and the exact date!). Here are Grandchildren of Admin, all Cubbed up and watching Marquis pitch, and hit!, for the Cubs that fateful night …
The grand slam is referenced twice in the book. First on page 149 where the story of our visit to Shea Stadium for that game is told, and then again in the Epilogue when the subject comes up when we meet last night’s Cubs starting pitcher in a chance encounter … but you’ll have to buy the book to find out!
The Cubs have Thursday off and then face a big test in Cincinnati over the weekend to see if they can keep the winning streak going.
Who spiked the Gatorade indeed?! Or should we perhaps call it “Gator-Quade”?
Does the above picture remind anyone else of the Cubs manager from the late 1980’s – early 1990’s?
