***Official 2009 N.L. Central Thread*** Congrats to the Cardinals***

[DownByLaw]

Originally Posted by PUSHA x Vinsanity

Originally Posted by PUSHA x Vinsanity

Ludwick...

Good to see you in here Pusha

%@*@%*+ Soriano

 

[CP1708]

I guess Sori didn't want the golden sombrero.

 

[kiddin like jason]

Marmol is such an enigma.

 

[the sauna]

Cmon marmol get it together, u got this

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by Kiddin Like Jason

Marmol is such an enigma.

His arm is disgusting, but damn I need some rolaids cuz of this dude.

 

[the sauna]

my man marmol is such a beast

 

[sickickz23]

Great game greater finish. These are the type of games that I wish I was at Wrigley to experience it live.

 

[DownByLaw]

We never win when Zambrano starts, even if we run him out early

 

[pacmagic2002]

dang chris....its cool tho, did what he could.

pujols goes another day without a hit @ ludwick not coming thu in the clutch

 

[arstyle27]

Whoooooo!!!!!!

 

[arstyle27]

Soriano Delivers Clutch Homer
Cubs Beat Cardinals 8-7
If the Cubs win the National League Central by one game over the Cardinals, bothteams can look back to a sunny April 17 afternoon at Wrigley Field that can be described only as wacky and backward.

Not quite the way manager Lou Piniella had it drawn up.

"No, I don't think so," he said.

But Piniella wasn't complaining after an 8-7 victory Friday that in one more inning could just as easily have been a loss.

"Heckuva ballgame, back and forth," he said.

He would be right on both counts, with the lead changing hands three times and the game ending with the tying and winning runs stranded on the bases.

But how it got to the end is what was weird.

The hitter who struck out in his first three at-bats, Alfonso Soriano, won the game with a two-run homer in the eighthinning.

The hitter who had homered twice earlier, Ryan Ludwick, struck out with the go-ahead runners on in the ninth.

The pitcher making his first major-league start, P.J. Walters, left with a lead after four innings, while the pitcher who has sights on a Cy Young, Carlos Zambrano, left with a one-run deficit after seven innings.

And the pitcher who is supposed to get the game to the closer, Carlos Marmol, instead closed out the Cub victory thatclosed the Cardinal lead in the Central back to one game.

"The fans got their money's worth today," Piniella said. "They saw a little bit of everything."

And almost all of the 40,250 who started the game were there for Soriano's dramatic two-run homer and Marmol's overly dramatic save.

For Soriano, it was his second late-inning game-winner of the year (he also had one in the ninth inning at Milwaukee) and his fifth homer in 10 games, whichputs him on pace for 81 this season.

"You cannot give up so easy," Soriano said. "There are 27 outs for nine innings. I strike out three times but …"

"That's what Sori does," said new teammate Aaron Miles, the ex-Cardinal who was on first base ahead of Soriano. "You think, 'Ohwhat's up today' because he struck out a couple of times, but the thunder is always there."

Miles pinch-hit in the eighth inning with one out and drew a walk off loser Chris Perez.

"The pitcher has to be tight," he said. "I have a little strike zone and worked the walk. All I'm trying to do is get on base."

After that, it was up to Marmol to close out the victory for Aaron Heilman. Marmol was closing because he already was warmed up and would have pitched if theCubs had been behind. That's why Kevin Gregg wasn't needed.

But Marmol walked leadoff hitter Colby Rasmus and then hit Albert Pujols with a pitch before striking out Ludwick andcoaxing pinch-hitter Khalil Greene to bounce into a double play.

The mostly blue-clad fans erupted.

"I know, they almost started booing me," Marmol said. "It's a good thing we won it."

Zambrano seconded that after allowing nine hits and seven runs in seven innings.

"It's a good thing we won the game and that's important for us," he said.

At season's end, they won't ask how.

 

[shabooyah1124]

Sori

Now if only he can do this in October

 

[jdcurt2]

Ramon

 

[corwinator3407]

Originally Posted by jdcurt2

Ramon

Yesssss.
Cueto looked amazing...for about four innings. I knew he was losing it after he walked Oswalt.
Lincoln/Herrera/Masset/Cordero

 

[juan baller]

 

[allenp24]

Cubs fans are so funny. What do you have to cheer for? How long has it been since a championship? Maybe over 100 YEARS AGO. Oh yeah in st. louis we just hadone a couple of years ago.

 

[arstyle27]

Originally Posted by allenp24

Cubs fans are so funny. What do you have to cheer for? How long has it been since a championship? Maybe over 100 YEARS AGO. Oh yeah in st. louis we just had one a couple of years ago.

Wait....the Cubs haven't won a championship in over 100 years ??

 

[pacmagic2002]

@ allenP24
I know you are a cards fan and all........but honestly.........that whole 100 year thing is 100 years old. If you are gonna make a joke about the cubs fans andtheir inability to buy the girl a drink without getting chopped and screwed I.E. not actually getting her home with her legs in the air(Win a worldseries)................please come up with something new

@Arstyle27
1908--2009 101 years good sir

(yes, 2009 counts and you know it)

 

[the sauna]

Cmon dempster

 

[CP1708]

DLee heating up a bit.

 

[the sauna]

Aaron miles finally does something right

 

[the sauna]

Get Neal cotts out of the game!!!!!!!!

 

[CP1708]

How do you come into a game, and throw 8 straight balls like it's nothing? No really, how?

And with the heart of the order coming up no less.

 

[the sauna]

Marmol

 

[CP1708]

Marmol is somethin else.

But he can't pitch in every game.