Monday's typically aren't my favorite: back to work, no compelling programming, Arena Football, the usual reasons. But last night I was lucky as the Cubs had a night game against the Colorado Rockies and not only that, they were cruising towards their fourth straight win, up 8-3 going into the ninth.
Everything was looking good, like an easy two-hopper in shortstop heaven. Mike Fontenot was going to finish the game 5 for 5, Jason Marquis was going to get his first win since May 9th and the Cubs were all set for their fourth straight. In the top of the 9th, however, that lazy grounder took a bad hop and hit me straight in the cup. (I frequently wear it while even watching baseball.)
If you want to know what happened next, you can read it here. I'd tell you myself but I didn't see any of Colorado's comeback. I wasn't quite confident enough in a 5-run Cubs lead to go to bed, but I had dozed off with the game still going on. At approximately 11:20 I bolted awake, my internal Cubs distress meter had roused me and, sure enough, I looked to the computer to see the Rockies had scored sixth runs in the ninth. 9-8 Colorado.
Feigning disbelief--true disbelief isn't possible at this point with the Cubs--I was making all my usual overly dramatic proclamations: these are the types of games that turn seasons, this never would've happened with Joe Girardi at the helm, I'm done with this. As happens frequently, the game now was me against the Cubs.
Lead-off single in the 9th? Fine, now show me something else.
Two outs later and still only a runner at first? Just what I expected.
Two-strike, two-out single to keep hope alive by some kid named Koyie? Maybe for all those posers at Wrigley, but I know better.
Matsui commits his first error of the year on a sure game-ending groundball? Kind of crazy, but I would bet $1000 this game still ends on a harmless dribbler with the sacks stacked.
And then Soriano, 0-5 to this point, singles to center, scores two and Wrigley rocks like it hasn't since 2003.
That's the beauty of my little Cubs versus me stance: when they win, I win. It doesn't happen very often, but last night's game might have been the best of the season so far. The Cubs rolled for 24 outs, then I missed the disastrous last three, only to wake up in time to see a come from behind win.
I want to declare this game the sort of game that turns a season. The Cubs are within three games of .500 and streaking, but I think I'll just take note of it as the first time this season I felt like I watched an actual baseball team and call it a day.
UPDATE: And if you needed proof that I actually did snooze through the Rockies' six-run ninth, I wasn't even aware that a fan rushed on to the field to try and give Bob Howry a noogie. (I suspect.) While I will not condone this behavior, I do understand where it comes from. I would never physically confront a Cubs pitcher, but I probably wish that I could every single day. Here's the video:
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