Brewers Lights Out Against Cubs' Pen

Bullpen BrianMay 9, 2009

Too bad the lights didn’t go out in the bottom of the seventh. That would’ve been the Cubs’ best chance to stay in the game.

Instead, we’re left to watch the Brewers bat around, turning a close game into a blowout.

The pen issues six walks vs. two strikeouts. That’s ridiculous.

Question. Where do you go with this Chicago bullpen???

Cotts can’t find the strike zone with a GPS. Patton continues to show why Colorado left him unprotected on their 40-man roster. Fox’s career could very well be over after suffering another right elbow injury, and Heilman is terribly inconsistent.

If the Cubs can’t get the ball to Marmol and Gregg they won’t make the postseason, plain and simple.

Yet, outside the injuries, there’s still enough talent in the Cubs line-up to stay in contention. But, even if fully healthy, overcoming a terrible bullpen is nearly impossible.

The problem is, Hendry can’t fix the bullpen via trade by adding just one arm. At some point the bullpen has to learn to throw strikes.

It’s hard to rip Soriano with the year he’s having at the plate. But, it’s every hitter’s job to bring home a runner on third with no outs—especially when trailing by one run.

That was the situation in the top half of the seventh. Soriano grounds out weakly to third and the tying run fails to score.

Alfonzo is too talented a hitter not to get the ball in the air or to the right side of the infield. It’s a situational at-bat that changed the whole inning, despite the Cubs’ chance later in the frame with the bases loaded.

That chance belonging to Soto who grounds out to end the scoring threat. And, Soto hasn’t produced a clutch hit all year!

Dempster gives another gutty outing. Hind site 20/20 says Lou left him in an inning too long. But, even after allowing back-to-back jacks, the Cubs were still in the game. The bullpen blew it.

Get use to it.