..:Official 2008 NL Central Thread:..Congratulations Chicago Cubs...:

[arog27]

Woody threw one bad pitch, and that was the belt high and straight fast ball to Bay. He man handled the next 3 batters.

Dempster was dealing. 2 outs in the 8th, runners on 1st and 2nd , and Luo picnh hits Theriot, who flys out to end the inning. Let Dempster bat man, he wasabsolutely in control. He was mowin em down......and no here we are in the freakin 12th inning again.

Stupid.........

 

[arog27]

Aramis with a 2-run HOMER in the 14th !!!!

 

[truthmain]

Dude!

 

[arog27]

LaRoche with a 2-run homer in the 14th

 

[arog27]

Pie with a 2-run single in the 15th !!!

 

[7mikevick7]

Another W in the book. Pujols is that man

 

[arog27]

Cubs win !! Cubs win!!

What a game. 15 innings. Dempster was awesome tonight. Aramis and Felix were clutch.

We've literally stranded like 41 base-runners in the first 2 games of the series.

A win is a win though.

 

[pacmagic2002]

Cards pitching is looking TREMENDOUS..........BUT.........Larussa needs to know when his pitchers are done, this is the 2nd time they have gone 4-6 inningsshutting teams down, then he leaves them in, and the other team gets some runs on the board.......damn

I cant believe i missed pujols` 2 homers.......We were eating and left when they were up 4-3........come on and they win 6-4, pujols w 2 homers, dammit

 

[the sauna]

Cubs

Dempster

Lou taking out dempster.. smh..

but 4 in a row for the cubbies..

 

[arog27]

I hate the Cardinals.

 

[shabooyah1124]

Wood needs to go. The Cubs has let this bum stay around way too long and I think he really doesn't have it anymore. I know it wasn't technically a saveopportunity a little earlier but man after today, if he blows another save opportunity within the next 2 weeks, bring out Marmol. Please.

 

[mw2889]

Cubs are looking really good early on.

 

[7mikevick7]

Originally Posted by aRog27

I hate the Cardinals.

 

[wildkycat]

glad to see our bats finally come alive.

 

[am 1 fiend]

Originally Posted by aRog27

I hate the Cardinals.

Anyways, great game last night. About damn time Albert hit some bombs. It's a damn shame that the Cubs won their game

Pujols unloads as Cards take series

Slugger launches two long balls; Looper notches second win

By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

HOUSTON -- Note to opponents: don't make Albert Pujols angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
Pujols turned from mild-mannered, .400-slugging Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk on Wednesday night, hitting his first two homers of the year and adding an RBI single in the Cardinals' 6-4 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Before the game, Pujols and Astros pitcher Brandon Backe had a heated exchange on the field over Pujols' slide into home plate the night before.

"I kind of figured he was going to have a big day, from what was going on," said outfielder Skip Schumaker. "You don't want to kick a sleeping dog. He's a phenomenal player, and the last thing he needs is some sort of edge or fire. But I wouldn't bet against him any time."

Pujols had been doing everything but hitting for power through the Cardinals' first eight games. He entered Wednesday's game with a .320 batting average and an eye-catching .485 on-base percentage. He'd walked eight times against just two strikeouts. But the noted slugger wasn't slugging, with two extra-base hits and one RBI in the early going.

So much for those numbers.

He's now hitting .379/.526/.655 (average/on-base/slugging), and he no longer trails pitcher Brad Thompson in runs batted in. One huge game, and Pujols' numbers suddenly look like, well, Pujols' numbers. Two homers in nine games, that's right on schedule.

"I made some adjustments at the plate because of some things that I saw the last couple of games that I was doing here," Pujols said. "I started from St. Louis, the last game against Washington. I knew what I was doing wrong, and it's a good thing that I picked it up early."

For a while, it looked like the Cardinals might again win without needing any thunder from Pujols. St. Louis jumped all over Astros starter Chris Sampson, who has been fighting a case of the flu.

The first three Cardinals hitters all singled, including Pujols' RBI knock, and Troy Glaus added a run-scoring single as well. A pair of run-scoring hits from Rick Ankiel in the third and fifth stretched the lead to 4-0.

At that point, starter Braden Looper was cruising, but Looper seemed to fade in an instant in the sixth. Holding a 4-1 advantage, Looper gave up three straight hard hits, including a pair of doubles, as the lead was cut to a single run. Looper was relieved by Kyle McClellan, starting a fine night of work by the Cardinals' bullpen.

"It was getting to the point where you worry about him being able to finish," manager Tony La Russa said. "He was having trouble putting hitters away right there at the end. That can be a sign of fatigue. I just thought it was time to get him."

In the next half-inning, Pujols obliterated a pitch from Dave Borkowski, 417 feet to left field, to make it 5-3.

"It makes it a lot tougher, too, when you throw a ball right down the middle," Borkowski said. "He's a great hitter and you make a mistake, he makes you pay for it."

In typical Cards-Astros form, Houston again closed within a run, this time against Randy Flores. But Ryan Franklin kept it from getting any closer, mowing down the heart of the Astros' lineup in order.

He got Hunter Pence to fly out with two men in scoring position in the seventh, then induced three straight ground-ball outs from Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada in the eighth.

"That was probably the biggest [part of the game], right there," said Jason Isringhausen, who recorded his fifth save. "I just went out and did my job. Frankie did his job and then some. Those three guys had killed us all series. If somebody beat us, it was those guys. Frankie did a great job."

Pujols gave Isringhausen a little extra breathing room with his second home run, this one to right field off Oscar Villarreal in the ninth.

"The first one always feels good, but the second one was even better," Pujols said. "Coming in the ninth inning in a home run park -- a hitters' park -- getting another run to our closer was something that he could work with. It was great."

The Cardinals have won three straight series to begin the season, and they moved one-half game ahead of the Brewers for first place in the National League Central. They're 7-2, a season-best five games over .500.

Matthew Leachis a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

[curtiscarter23]

Originally Posted by aRog27

I hate the Cardinals.

I CONCUR!

 

[7mikevick7]

Originally Posted by CurtisCarter23

Originally Posted by aRog27

I hate the Cardinals.

I CONCUR!

....

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by shabooyah1124

Wood needs to go. The Cubs has let this bum stay around way too long and I think he really doesn't have it anymore. I know it wasn't technically a save opportunity a little earlier but man after today, if he blows another save opportunity within the next 2 weeks, bring out Marmol. Please.

Too early for that. Be a little patient, remember that closing is a mind thing, and Wood needs to get his routine in order. Once he does, he should beok. Like Rog said, he made one bad pitch and then killed the next 3 guys. He'll adjust.

Great win last night, let's get the sweep today and get a nice long streak going.

 

[tylerdub]

I also hate the cards. lol!
Great game for the cubbies last night, hopefully we can win the get away game. I would love a sweep this early in the season, even if it is over the lowlyPirates.

 

[am 1 fiend]

I came across this picture and thought I would share with all of my loving Scubs fans

 

[curtiscarter23]

Originally Posted by AM 1 FIEND

I came across this picture and thought I would share with all of my loving Scubs fans

+#*! the cards!!! and please remove that overrated player from your avy! we are the scubs but we have been absolutely +@*$$*%@ on the cardinals the pastfew years!

 

[CP1708]

Did he just call Ozzie overrated? I duuuuuuunnnnoo bout that man, come on.

 

[curtiscarter23]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Did he just call Ozzie overrated? I duuuuuuunnnnoo bout that man, come on.

the guy made some of the most spectacular plays ive ever seen!! his Defense was great dont get me wrong, but cmon man offensively he was nothing!

19 seasons-.262, 28 hrs, 793 rbi's! In this day of baseball i dont care who you are, what position you play and how good you are at that position, YOUARE NOT GETTING INTO THE H.O.F!

Poor Ron Santo

15 seasons-.277, 342 Hr's, 1331 Rbi's, 9 all star games and not yet inducted! %+$+!#@ bull !%!*!

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by CurtisCarter23

Originally Posted by CP1708

Did he just call Ozzie overrated? I duuuuuuunnnnoo bout that man, come on.

the guy made some of the most spectacular plays ive ever seen!! his Defense was great dont get me wrong, but cmon man offensively he was nothing!

19 seasons-.262, 28 hrs, 793 rbi's! In this day of baseball i dont care who you are, what position you play and how good you are at that position, YOU ARE NOT GETTING INTO THE H.O.F!

Poor Ron Santo

15 seasons-.277, 342 Hr's, 1331 Rbi's, 9 all star games and not yet inducted! %+$+!#@ bull !%!*!

I hear ya, I see your point, but look at it this way, even if he was a little lacking with the bat, his D was so exceptional that it made him hallworthy. It would be very similar to a guy like Ortiz being so damn great with a bat in his hands, but a total little leaguer with a glove, but he still couldget in the hall right? Ozzie did have a lot of steals also, and he has a ring, so he does have some things that would merit the hall calling his name. Let's not bash Cards just for the sake of. I don't like em either, but Oz and Pujols are two legit dudes. Can't be mad at those guys.

 

[wisconsin 4 life]

Brewers are slacking these last 2 games. Prince still without a dinger this season. Sheets vs. Santana Saturday is going to be electric.