JEFF'S CHICAGO SPORTS BLOG - CUBS VS. CARDINALS - A BALL GAME OR A CHESS MATCH?
A TRUE CHICAGO SPORTS BLOG, FROM A TRUE CHICAGO SPORTS FAN! 
If you've followed the Chicago Cubs this season you have been subjected to many nail biting finishes. Cub closer, Ryan Dempster, continues to put Cub fans on the edge of their seats with the latest thrill ride coming in last night's ballgame against the St. Louis Cardinals. In what was arguably a must win game for the Cardinals, Carlos Zambrano, Cub starting pitcher, pitched 8 terrific innings allowing only one run and scattering a few hits thus allowing the Cubs to manage a one run lead heading into the ninth inning. The question every Cub fan was asking: Is manager Lou Piniella going to allow Zambrano to pitch the ninth or should he bring in the closer, Ryan Dempster.
As if it were a Broadway play, this scenario unfolded in a drama-filled sequence of events. Please allow me to describe this series of events and the cat and mouse game that occurred between Cardinals Manager, Tony LaRussa and Cubs Manager, Lou Piniella.
In the top of the ninth, Cub center fielder, Felix Pie, doubled with one out. The next batter, Mark DeRosa, grounded out but Pie moved to third base. With two outs, LaRussa decides to intentionally walk Jacque Jones to get to Jason Kendall. Kendall is the eighth hitter in the Cubs lineup and if he reaches base it would bring up Zambrano to hit. So, LaRussa decides that if he could force Piniella's hand into pinch-hitting for Zambrano, Piniella would have to bring in Dempster to face the heart of the Cardinal Lineup for the bottom of the ninth. To this end, LaRussa instructs Jason Isringhausen, Cardinal's Closer, to "pitch around" Kendall to load the bases with two outs.
At this point, the Cubs still only have a one-run lead, there are two outs and the bases are full of Cubs. Piniella's decision is rather difficult here - does he let Zambrano hit so that he can come out in the bottom of the ninth to pitch a complete game or does he pinch hit for Zambrano and take the opportunity to score a couple of more runs? Piniella decides to pinch-hit for Zambrano with pinch-hitter extraordinaire, Daryl Ward, who is a left-handed hitter thus putting the percentages in the Cubs favor. Ward proceeds to empty the bases with a three-run double to deep left center and put the Cubs ahead by four runs!
The drama continues in the bottom of the ninth with Ryan Dempster starting the inning and proceeding to give up two solo home runs and a sharply hit single to left. Before allowing the single, Piniella comes out to the mound and asks Dempster if he feels all right and to get this over since the Cubs still have a two-run lead. He allows Dempster to stay-in and the next hitter smacks a line-drive single to left field. Piniella comes back out and removes Dempster in favor of reliever, Bobby Howry. Howry comes in and gives up two more singles, which loaded the bases for the Cardinals where a base hit could tie the game.
Fortunately, Howry got Aaron Miles to ground weakly to shortstop, Ryan Theriot, who threw to first to end the game. What a heart pounding finish it was! The chess match between LaRussa and Piniella was terrific and could not be really appreciated unless viewed in person or watched on TV.
Did you see the Friday game, or the day-night double header in St. Louis on Saturday that the Cubs split with the Cardinals? Cubs manager Piniella complained scheduling such a grueling double-bill so late in the season was a poor decision by Major League Baseball. What do you think?
BTW . . . as of Sunday morning, September 16th, the Cubs lead the second-place Milwaukee Brewers by one game, the third-place Cards by six! Are the Cards out of the race for 2007? Today's final game of the season series between the Cubs and St. Louis might help you answer that question!
DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO SPORTS EDITOR,
JEFF ARDITO
