(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
While watching the Cubs 7-2 loss to the Dodgers on Thursday night, I had an eerie feeling of déjà vu. While it was in a different city, with a different player at the plate and a different player on the hill, I felt I was watching the exact same scenario unfold.
A grand slam by the Dodgers to all but end the Cubs’ chances of a deep playoff run.
In 2008, it came in Game One of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. The Cubs led 2-0 thanks to a second-inning Mark DeRosa home run when the Dodgers came to bat in the fifth inning. Ryan Dempster proceeded to walk the bases loaded (his fifth, sixth and seventh walks of the game), before giving up a granny to James Loney on a 1-2 pitch.
Just like that, the energy was sucked out of Wrigley Field, and even though the Cubs were only trailing by two runs, you could read the same expression on everyone’s faces: “Not again.” The Cubs lost that game 7-2 as well, never led the rest of the series, and were swept out of the playoffs for the second straight season.
Fast forward back to Thursday night. The Cubs, who just two weeks ago were tied for first place in the NL Central, have taken a nose dive and fallen to six games out of first place. They enter a crucial four-game series with the Dodgers, who their rival Cardinals have just beaten two of three times.
With the score tied at 2-2, the Cubs’ Angel Guzman allows base hits to the first two batters, and after a sacrifice, James Loney is intentionally walked to face Russell Martin. One pitch, and déjà Grand Slam.
Couple the Cubs loss with a Cardinals win in St. Louis and the Cubs are now seven games back in the division with just 43 games left to play. Their once precious lead in the loss column is now a five game deficit, and the Cubs and Cardinals only have three games remaining on the slate, and that series is in St. Louis.
And don’t even think about the Wild Card, as the Cubs trail the Rockies by six games with San Francisco, Atlanta and Florida all in front of them too.
Despite the horrific play in Colorado, the destruction by Philadelphia and even losing two of three to the lowly Padres, including another Kevin Gregg masterpiece, I was still looking for ways the Cubs could make a comeback.
After Thursday night, the parallels are just too similar to last season, so I think it’s time to be realistic rather than optimistic. I'll still be rooting for the Cubs to pull it off and make the postseason, but you know what they say.
There’s always next year.
This article originally posted on Cubicle GM.
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