Winners slum in pairs
Cubs allow sweep, lose 6th in last 7; Brewers are just as miserable
HOUSTON -- Don't look now, but the rest of the National League Central is gaining.
Actually, it's the Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers gaining on the rest of the division -- as in free-falling like a pair of tandem skydivers fumbling for the rip cord ever since they stood in a virtual tie for first place last week.
Actually, it's the Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers gaining on the rest of the division -- as in free-falling like a pair of tandem skydivers fumbling for the rip cord ever since they stood in a virtual tie for first place last week.
The weeklong fall has been more dramatic for the Cubs, who saw everything go right for almost two months, only to reach the top and see everything start to go wrong -- Wednesday's 8-2 loss to the Houston Astros maybe the definitive loss of the bunch.
(AP)
PHOTO GALLERY
Astros sweep Cubs
The weeklong fall has been more dramatic for the Cubs, who saw everything go right for almost two months, only to reach the top and see everything start to go wrong -- Wednesday's 8-2 loss to the Houston Astros maybe the definitive loss of the bunch.
It finished off the first sweep of the Cubs since the hit-bottom final week of May, when the Florida Marlins swept them at home, and gave them a four-game losing streak, their longest since the six-gamer that same week that ended with clubhouse punches and a dirt-flying tirade by manager Lou Piniella in the first two days of June.
Already without Alfonso Soriano, who injured his quadriceps Sunday night, the Cubs lost cleanup hitter Aramis Ramirez just before game time Wednesday because of a recurring problem with his right wrist. His playing status is about as solid as the Cubs' playoff hopes right now.
Against Astros ace Roy Oswalt, the Cubs' already lifeless lineup had little chance, shut out on six hits in Oswalt's six innings before scratching for a run.
Their great hope going into this game -- previously indomitable Carlos Zambrano -- can't even rescue them in this stretch.
The Cubs have lost six of seven since completing a two-month rise to the division summit early last week, with two of the losses coming in starts by Zambrano -- including his worst start since June 1.
That, of course, was the day he punched his catcher, Michael Barrett, afterward. This time, the big right-hander beat on himself, snapping his bat over his knee after striking out with the bases loaded in the fourth and then knocking himself on the helmet several times with one of the broken pieces.
Zambrano lasted just 5 2/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs, tying his season high.
Just one more strand from that magical two-month ride unraveling in the swelter of August.
The bigger cloud hanging over the Cubs now is the lack of hitting.
Don't let the 12-hit total for Wednesday fool you. Most of that hitting came after the rout was on and Oswalt was gone. When Ryan Theriot singled over a stumbling, falling attempt by left-fielder Orlando Palmeiro in the eighth, it snapped the Cubs' 0-for-35 drought with runners in scoring position that stretched back into Sunday's loss to the Mets.
Not only did they finish the series just 2-for-35 with runners in scoring position, but they were out-homered 5-1 in the series and didn't score more than two runs in any of the three games.
It was that trend that caused Piniella to cancel batting practice Wednesday.
''We're just going to stretch and play,'' he said. ''That's it.''
And, it turned out, they barely got past stretching.
And it's not just the scoring chances they're blowing. This was the fourth straight game the Cubs lost on a day the Brewers also lost to give them a chance to overtake them for first place again.
''Sooner or later, we better take advantage of it,'' Piniella said.
The Astros are just 8½ games behind the Brewers -- the closest they have been to first since June 17. And third-place St. Louis, a winner against San Diego on Wednesday, is suddenly just six games out of first and five behind the Cubs.
Look out below.