This is going to be a great test. The team with the best record in Baseball (The Cubs) face a team with the third best home record (after the Cubs and Red Sox) in MLB. Plus, the match-ups in the first 2 games, are outstanding. Dempster, coming off another stellar outing and sporting an 8-2 record (2.81 ERA), faces Scott Kazmir, who is outstanding. He has a 6-2 record with an even more impressive 1.74 ERA Sox fans know how tough he is, as he shut them out in 7 innings earlier this season. Then in game 2, its Big Z ,against Andy Sonnanstine, who has an impressive 7-3 record. But his ERA of 4.89 shows he is beatable. Especially if Zambrano is on. Then in the final game of the series, Sean Gallagher faces James Shields, who is 4-5 with a respectable 3.91 ERA . Shields went the full 9 innings in his last outing in a loss to the Angels. He may not be able to go deep into this one, with the Cubs patience at the plate, causing him to throw more pitches than normal, combined with having just gone 9 last time out. I hope the Cubs can win another series on the road and keep their momentum going. But the Rays will surely be a tough opponent.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Murton was called up to replace Patterson. Lets see if he catches the same success Cedano has had.

cubs sweep.

I can't wait to see Murton hit numerous ground balls which will sometimes be hits.

I am looking forward to this series. I see the Cubs winning 2 out of 3.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

This series should be awesome. When the schedule came out, no one thought that TB would be an elite team, and that the Cubs got the shallow end of the AL pool for interleague play (No Boston or NY). But the Cubs have two series against the 1st place Sox, and a series against Tampa, who has the third or fourth best record in baseball. Too bad its in that circus tent of a stadium in Florida.

The Tampa Bay Rays may actually have FANS in the stands for this Interleague Series, which still seems foreign to them. Despite the Rays' good record, they're still not drawing more than 12,000 tickets sold, I mean fans, per home game at Tropicana Field. The last time the Rays had FANS in the stands, it wasn't to see them beat the White Sox. They were there to see a Trace Adkins postgame concert right after the game. The same Trace Adkins who was on "Nashville Star" last night...

What do people have to do in Tampa other than go to a ballgame? I mean, how long can you hang out at the strip clubs? Is there anything else there? They're not all hanging out at Busch Gardens, are they? Will I keep asking stupid questions? How should I know?...

But are you willing to bet $100 of Mac Ass licking money on that statement?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Cubs chase Kazmir (sp)? by the 4th inning. Cubs win and take 2 out of 3.

Just Asking...

I jump in and out of this forum when "goof off" time is available to me. Unfortunately...that is not every day.

My question / request for this portion of the board is...Why isn't there an individual post-thread for each game of the series? I like what is going on in the thread...but if I jump in after game 2 of a series...it is hard to weed out & differentiate between games.

Just a thought / question / request.

Go Cubs. Beat Tampa (that sounds weird)

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Cubs are a bad road team. Rays are a pretty good ballclub. Rays win 2 of 3 at home. Kazmir is lights out tonight.

16-17 on the road isnt all that bad. most teams do well at home and try to be .500 on the road.

Usually theres a thread for each series, but sometimes if something HUGE happens, then guys'll create a thread for that. other times guys are drunk/stupid/assholes/lost and they'll create seperate threads for every little thing that's already been/being discussed elsewhere.

This would have been a GREAT series to go on the road for. I am guessing that a lot of Cubs fans may help fill that park and take away some of the Home park feel, from the Rays. Kinda like the games in San Diego a couple weeks back, but probably not to the extent that takes place in Milwaukee.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Kazmir had not allowed a hit thru 4, but has thrown 80 pitches. That's a lot for no hits, huh?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

At this point, I hope the Cubs can work the count on Kazmir and hopefully get into the Ray bullpen by the 7th.

I was thinking the same thing.
Thanks Blanco, no no-no today.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Cubs are doing a great job of making kazmir work. he's averaging over 20 pitches an inning, in a 3 hit game that's pretty impressive.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Yes it is impressive, their patience at the plate this year continues to impress me.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

One run, could have been more but at least Kazmir is out.

Now Dempster needs a shut down inning.

I'm a little surprised to see Matt Murton up here.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Boy when the Cubs are losing, and the Sox winning, steve is nowhere to be found. Who woulda thunk it.

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Maybe he's watching the Celtics beat the everloving shit outta the Lakers

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

no that'd just be favrefan...

Thrilling end, unfortunately the Rays made the plays in the 9th, the left fielder's catch on the Soto drive and the great defensive play to end the game. Playing a lesser team, if those plays aren't made the Cubs win the game.

The Cubs played pretty well too but the one big error on the Cotts throw ends up costing the Cubs the game. Kasper said it earlier in the game, the Rays do not beat themselves (pitching and defense) and it showed today.

Tough loss, but good news in the Cards losing tonight too.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I dont think you guys need to be scoreboard watching right now. I understand there is a ton of baseball left to be played but I will be shocked if the Cubs dont win this division.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I will be shocked too, but I would just feel a lot better if we could put some distance between us and the redbirds.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I hope your right, but as a Cubs fan I have come to learn to expect the worst and hope for the best.

But if the Cards do lose the magic number does go down a game