I don’t need to tell you how important this series is, and you don’t care that I’m sort of supposed to be working. So let’s get to the game.

Carlos Martinez vs. John Lackey. Let the

begin!

The Game

Tommy Pham got the scoring started in the top of the first, with a real nice solo dinger. 1-0, Cardinals

Carlos cruised, looking sensational throughout his first trip through the order. Cubs batsmen started the game 0/9 with no baserunners and 4 K. He struck out another to begin the 4th inning, but then gave up a home run to wunderkind Kris Bryant on a ~99 mph fourseamer grooved right down the center of the strike zone. After a little more turbulence, the 4th inning ended, tied 1-1.

The 5th inning was a doozy. The Cardinals scraped together a run on the strength of a Piscotty single, Wong fielder’s choice, Bader IBB, and Carlos Martinez RBI single (yaaay!) Ol’ fun bags John Lackey was not happy with some calls involved in the Martinez PA, and ended up getting tossed as a result. I laughed, smug in the fact that the Cardinals led, 2-1.

How fragile a thing a lead is, and how silly it seems now that I laughed. The shit hit the proverbial fan in the bottom of the 6th. Carlos gave up a bunch of runs (single walk single (shoulda been a double play but Carlos deflected it) popout single walk fielder’s choice (probably coulda been a double play but Carlos fielded it and went home with it, where Yadi couldn’t corral it)). Then Matt Bowman couldn’t put out the fire (single sac fly single), and then Zach Duke came in and ended the misery. When the dust cleared, there was blood everywhere. Cubs lead, 8-2.

I had a judge one time ask me, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how’d you enjoy the play?” The rest of the game was sort of that way. Brett Cecil struck a couple guys out, we got a few hits, Sandy Alcantara struck out 3 dudes, and then we went 3 up, 3 down in the top of the 9th. The Cubs didn’t hit again, because they were the home team, and when you have a 6-point lead as the home team, you don’t get to bat again. Cubs win, 8-2.

Postgame

I have nothing for you. Glad we got this stinker out of the way early, so that maybe you can enjoy your Friday evening in some more suitable way.

We play the Cubs again tomorrow, at 3:05 Central. Scheduled starters are Michael Wacha Wacha and Kyle Hendricks. Yes, I typed Wacha twice intentionally.