It's too bad. With a healthy Zambrano, the Cubs would have had a chance to beat the Phillies. Now it looks like they'll inevitably club their way into the World Series.

Zambrano's healthy. He's going through his usual August lull.

Carlos Zambrano also got roughed up for the third time in his last four starts.

And the Brewers have failed to gain on the Cubs for the fifth time in their last five starts.

And the Brewers have failed to gain on the Cubs for the fifth time in their last five starts.

Phtt. Postseason is job #1 when it's been over a quarter-century, and job #1 is going according to plan.

Besides, the Brewers can beat the Cubs in Wrigley; it's the Miller Park games that have been the problem this season - but that's an issue for much further down the road.

Geovany Soto: 3-5, HR, two 3-run doubles, 3 runs scored, 7 RBI

Dreck.

The pirates have allowed 166 runs in 20 games against the Chicago clubs this season.

You've got it wrong NTN.

The Brewers can beat the Cubs without TOFU. It's the games played with TOFU where the Brewers struggle.

Something like 7 people in the Cubs lineup had a lifetime average of .400 or better against Snell before this game. I wonder what the stats are now.

And the Brewers have failed to gain on the Cubs for the fifth time in their last five starts.

Don't go crowing too loudly.

The Cubs have four home series left. They're against the first, second, and fourth best rival teams in the league. They have five road series left once the Pittsburgh one is done. They're against the first, second, and third best teams in the league, Houston (who are now at .500), and Cincy. One weak series in a freakin' month.

The Brewers have five home series left. Two are tough - Cubs & Mets. The others are Pads, Pirates, and Reds. After St. Louis, they have four road series are left. Two are tough, the Phillies and Cubs. The others are Reds, and Pirates.

Cubs are still in the driver's seat, sure. But the schedule means the Brewers should catch up a game or few. If they take the two series against the Cubs, they win the division. If they go 4-2 in those games, they win the division.

But the schedule means the Brewers should catch up a game or few. If they take the two series against the Cubs, they win the division. If they go 4-2 in those games, they win the division.

So you *expect* that the Cubs will lose 4 games on the Brewers in the remaining 24 games?

Jesus, man, have some optimism. The rest of us do.

And I think I see what Andere was getting at - NTN uses the Newsblog to needlessly bash whatever he can about the Cubs, even when things are going great for them. Moses has pointed it out in the past as well (though we Cubs fans do love you, NTN).

Best thing about tonight's game? Only one HR for the two teams combined.

Jesus, man, have some optimism.

I lost my optimism 8,726 days ago and haven't found a good reason to get it back since.

The Marlins is the worst thing that ever happened to baseball.

I lost my optimism 8,726 days ago and haven't found a good reason to get it back since.

Game 4 against the Padres or game 5?

NTN uses the Newsblog to needlessly bash whatever he can about the Cubs, even when things are going great for them.

It's one of the only perks of the job! Hey, I had to cover Game Chatters on-the-fly last night because that lousy Primate Chimp went on an all-day bender again and didn't show up for work. Gotta confirm that Betty Ford will take chimps (but that's hoping it's not the heroin again).

Besides, the "Zambrano sucked again" meme was pretty much the lead of the Tribune, the Daily Herald, AND the Sun-Times, so it's not like I was alone in picking up on that...

Now #12 is my dumbest baseball-related post. I mean, it's still true, but it's irrelevant . . .

I would have led with 8-game RBI streak for Z -- which I believe is the all-time record for a pitcher (Wes Ferrell).

And Z is carrying a 972 OPS this year. He's slugging over 600. It's possible that's not his true talent.

And there's still this:

Seattle DH: 220/267/341
Z career (520 PA): 240/247/391

See, lots of fun facts to keep our attention away from his August swoon.

Don't go crowing too loudly.

It was a response in kind. I'm well aware that no cakewalk is in order.

Cubs are still in the driver's seat, sure. But the schedule means the Brewers should catch up a game or few. If they take the two series against the Cubs, they win the division. If they go 4-2 in those games, they win the division.

They should indeed. Hell, it could be much worse than that. The 1969 team peaked at 32 games over at almost this point (84-52), and were also in first place by five games. They then went 1-11 in the following two weeks, while the Mets went 12-2, and poof, down by 4.5.

And yes, the Brewers have actually been hotter than the Cubs the last few weeks.

If they take the two series against the Cubs, they win the division. If they go 4-2 in those games, they win the division.

That's possible, of course, but stating it definitively is dumb. If the Brewers go 4-2 in those games, that nets them 2 games in the standings. You're saying it's a given the Brewers'll outplay the Cubs by 4 games in the other 24 (which is what it would take for the Brewers' winning 4 of 6 against the Cubs to be determinative)?

And yes, the Brewers have actually been hotter than the Cubs the last few weeks.

And yet, the Cubs' lead is exactly one game shy of its high-water mark for the season.

And yes, the Brewers have actually been hotter than the Cubs the last few weeks.

The Cubs have won 22 of their last 28 games (.786). That includes winning 11 of 12 on the road (.917). If the Brewers have been hotter, it hasn't been by much.

I guess I get tired of hearing about the '69 team. First of all, the reason the '69 collapse is so remembered is that it's historically unusual. (Granted, it's also historically unusual for the Cubs to be playing this well this late in the season, but moving right along...) By definition, that makes it fairly unlikely to repeat itself.

According to many accounts, the '69 Cubs were simply gassed by the end of the season, because Durocher rode his horses exceptionally hard. I think despite his tendency to play the hot hand, Piniella's done a pretty good job of mixing and matching to keep everyone fresh (Soto in particular seems to have benefitted from Heinrich Weiss getting more frequent playing time of late). Furthermore, this year's Cubs have exceptional depth, on both sides of the ball, which makes keeping everyone rested while still keeping the team productive a lot easier. Of course it's possible the Cubs can lose this thing, but it's not going to have a damn thing to do with '69 if they do.

I guess I get tired of hearing about the '69 team. ... Of course it's possible the Cubs can lose this thing, but it's not going to have a damn thing to do with '69 if they do.

Couldn't agree more. We're seeing something great right now; why hand-wring over something that might go wrong? There'll be plenty of time for garment-rending if that happens.

Enjoy the ride - the Cubs are the best damn team in baseball right now.

And besides--1969 was before I was born. And as Moses will attest, "before I was born" means "a really, really, REALLY long time ago."

Enjoy the ride - the Cubs are the best damn team in baseball right now.

Yes. I refuse to have my enjoyment of this excellent team--the best Cub team I have ever seen--performing in an excellent fashion diminished by hypotheticals.

The Cubs have won 22 of their last 28 games (.786). That includes winning 11 of 12 on the road (.917). If the Brewers have been hotter, it hasn't been by much.

Indeed. Last night made it 9 series wins in a row. In fact, in what time frame are you referring, Andere? The lead has been the same the last 2 weeks, it actually has grown 1 1/2 games if you go back 3 weeks. If you go back 4 weeks, the lead is back to 5. So that means the Brewers were hotter for a week 4 weeks ago. Going back 5 weeks, the Cubs lead is 5. Going back 6 weeks, the Cubs lead is down to 1. So, I think you don't realize how well the Cubs have been playing.

And besides--1969 was before I was born.

Coughbullshitcough.

And besides--1969 was before I was born.

Coughbullshitcough.

Youth is wasted on the young, and callow.

Coughbullshitcough.

Even if it were bullshite, which it's not, I'm using it to make an optimistic point. How could you, of all people, not recognize that? Your self-proclaimed title is as hollow as your youth is callow.

If someone wants happier thoughts, chomp on this:

It's still August and the Cubs are 32 games over .500. A complete list of other seasons in which they were 32 games over .500 in August:

1945
1929
1918
1910
1909
1907
1906
1886
1885
1880

In 1907, they reached 32 games over on July 1.

I only mention the 1969 team to indicate that a bad September can end a great season very quickly. Of course, there was no Wild Card in 1969, and not a single member of this roster was even alive then. It doesn't have any direct relevance to what's going on right now.

not a single member of this roster was even alive then

Ow, I feel old now (I was only 1 in 1969, but still).

I still hold onto the fact that 2 members of the roster (Hank White and TOFU) are older than I am. (Lieber, too, but he's not on the active roster.)

I haven't been in chatter this year. Is TOFU Edmonds? What's the acronym?

Heh...you need to rejoin us, Charles. Somebody else can find the link to the specific chat, but after the Edmonds signing somebody referred to Edmonds as a "Taller, Older, Fatter, Uglier version of Reed Johnson," or something close to it. So the adjectives were shortened into an acronym.

Johnson, therefore, is Shorter, Younger, Thinner, Handsomer, or "SYTH." When he homered in Toronto, it was "Revenge of the SYTH."

I thought this headline was about today's (very dull) game and was confused.

The origin of TOFU

Thanks Retro and SSR.

I'm really tired of 1969. I have a good friend, Don, who every now and then says to someone, "You weren't alive in 1969! You don't know anything about it!" Well you know what? #### 1969.

I'm really tired of 1969. I have a good friend, Don, who every now and then says to someone, "You weren't alive in 1969! You don't know anything about it!" Well you know what? #### 1969.

I either watched, attended or listened to every Cub game in '69, at least until September, and absolutely #### 1969.

I have a good friend, Don, who every now and then says to someone, "You weren't alive in 1969! You don't know anything about it!"

My mom does that. She is the ultimate pessimist.