FanNation - The Republic of Sport

I can't believe these Cubs, it seems as if those loveable losers just have a knack for the dramatics when it comes to losing these days. Two nights in a row they have flirted with out right first place in the division, and appropriately enough two nights in a row have faltered in crucial moments of the game while coming down the stretch. All the while dragging along the hopes and emotions of the Cub faithful around the country with them, like that  poor bull rider who somehow can't seem shake his other leg out of the stirrup, yeah you get the idea, not fun not at all. Kerry goes and blows the game yesterday afternoon, which eerily resembled his  melt down in the opening series against those same Brewers, nailing the leadoff batter only to give up the tying and eventual winning runs a few batters down the lineup. Trying to put a hard loss behind them the Cubs found themselves with an opportunity to play the spoiler role, when after blowing two flashy but routine fly outs in left field that directly resulted in runs on the board for a second consecutive game, A. Soriano blasted one into the Cards bullpen in the top of the ninth. Poised for extra inning dramatics with Lee and Blanco on base Fontenot quietly grounded out to A. Pujols, to end the inning. While on the other hand St. Louis had their own intentions of walking away from this game with a W ,sending the Cubbies off to try to bury another tough loss, fate would have it that's exactly what happened when S. Schumacher stepped up to the plate with one out and one on, he jumped on the first pitch he saw, which just so happened to be the fattest hanging mid 80' slider I saw the enitre game, and we all know what happens to juicy pitches left over the heart of the plate, nothing good if your the visiting team in the bottom of the 11th, that's for sure. Well folks as they say the rest is in the books, a W for the Cards, a two game losing streak for the Cubs, and a career first walk off homer for Schumaker, but interesting enough not his first walk off this year, in fact he just recorded a walk off single a couple of days ago, he should buy a couple of mega million lottery tickets with all the good fortune he's been a part of lately. Now I know these very same Cubs that just set a franchise record for wins in the month of April,  and are the same Cubs that lead the league in virtually all meaningful offensive stats, like runs scored, hits, RBI's, OBP, total bases, and batting AVG. even still coming in second in SLG, AB, and  doubles. These are not your average below .500 Cubs, destined to putter through another  agonizing season. Make no mistake about it this group of Cubs is sitting on something special early on in this young season, but painfully watching these last couple of games, it truely is  beginning to look and feel alot like a typical May on the North side of Chicago.