2008 nlds cubs game 2

If you were watching, you would remember precisely what happened in the top of the second inning at Wrigley Field. You'd have witnessed the hit-and-run. You'd have watched DeRosa's error. You'd have seen the error from our Gold Glove first baseman on the very next play. If you were a Cubs fan, you would understand. But if you weren't, perhaps you'd need to hear it again, what everyone's been saying all year for so many years now, straight from One of Us:.

Coming into tonight's game, Game 2 of a five-game series, I was pumped up. Despite the loss in Game 1, as a Cubs fan I said to myself: if Big Z shows up and pitches well to start us off, we can win tonight. I forgot to consider the other aspects of the game that mattered just as much for the Cubs to have a chance in tonight's crucial matchup.

And to have them get a lead and for us to just maintain our patience, it's important. The Cubs took a lead on Mark DeRosa 's homer in the second inning off Derek Lowe , but the Dodgers rebounded against Dempster, who had trouble finding the strike zone all night.

After swinging and missing the first two pitches, he sent a pitch over the wall in center for the grand slam that gave the Dodgers a lead and silenced a Wrigley Field crowd that was cheering loudly for Dempster to get out of the jam he created. When Matt Kemp followed with a double, Piniella had seen enough and brought in Sean Marshall from the bullpen.

Marshall gave up Ramirez's solo shot in the seventh that made it Martin homered off Jason Marquis in the ninth. Lowe went in his final 10 starts of the regular season as the Dodgers got past Arizona to win the AL West, with a huge boost from Ramirez's 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games after he was acquired from the Red Sox.

Lowe allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. The Cubs are out to end their year championship drought and the Dodgers have been struggling in the postseason for the last two decades. Before winning Wednesday night, Los Angeles had been in the playoffs since beating Oakland in the Series. After all his successful years with the Yankees and the many eventful games, Torre was still well aware of his surroundings Wednesday night.

Game notes Greg Maddux pitched the ninth for the Dodgers. The game winner made a couple of relief appearances in the postseason for Atlanta in and Maddux, who started his career with the Cubs and had two stints with them, got a warm welcome during pregame introductions. I was certain the Cubs would prevail, so I tuned in early to catch the vice presidential debate. CNN had armed a roomful of voters with "perception meters" to instantly gauge their feelings about Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

It was dumb, but I was glued. When I switched over to the Cubs, somehow the perception meter went with me. The Cubs booted the ball and gave up five runs, and the meter went south. Only one thing to do: Shake it off, take two in L. He had two big guys with him. One of them wore a Yankees cap. I thought Manny looked good. He treated his waitstaff kindly. Impolite, yes, but at least he had a plan.

With a tough pitcher known to be hard on right-handed hitters, why not Fontenot? Hell, why not Pie? Actually, Lou had a plan: He asked Leon Durham to tutor the infielders on taking ground balls.