Three the Hard Way

It came the hard way, but the Cubs' Magic Number is down to three with four games to play.

Despite another Cub loss to Florida (nine straight over two seasons), the Cardinals pounded the Brewers for four eighth-inning runs to put the game in Milwaukee out of reach. A ninth-inning rally fell short, keeping Milwaukee two games behind the Cubs.

Tonight's Cubs looked like the Cubbies of old, sending fly balls into the vast expanse known as the Dolphins Stadium outfield. While Derrek Lee hit one that would have been out of any park in the majors, the rest of the lineup wasn't as successful.

The Cubs were also hit by poor defense at a crucial moment, as Mark DeRosa overthrew Ryan Theriot on a sure-fire double-play ball that led to a three-run Marlins rally instead of ending the second inning. Two assists from Alfonso Soriano helped keep the game from getting more out of hand as the innings went by, but the damage had been done and the three runs were the margin of victory.

In other news, Sammy Sosa homered again for Texas, giving him 21 along with 92 RBIs in only 113 games. Those ribbies would rank second on the Cubs.

Meanwhile, ridiculous rumors have circulated about Alex Rodriguez's agent talking with "prospective Cub owners" (Mark Cuban?) about a ten-year deal that would include partial ownership. Apart from the obvious tampering issues, MLB rules against player-owners, the future Cubs ownership still undecided and the general silliness of signing a 32-year-old for ten years, I wouldn't mind A-Rod coming to the North Side. Yes, the Cubs have third base locked down for a few more years with Aramis Ramirez, and Ryan Theriot is doing well at Rodriguez' old shortstop position, but I think the Cubs could find a place to put A-Rod. Personally, I'd look at putting him in right field, which is a question mark with plenty of time to be answered, because he has better wheels than Ramirez. But we can start talking about that, say, five weeks from now.