The Cubs managed a few things in one horrible game tonight:
With San Francisco and Houston winning, their loss secured a shared lead for the Giants and Astros and put the Cubs 1/2 game behind those teams
Fall to 3rd in the NL Central for the first time since June 13th
Gave Expos pitcher Downs the first shutout of his career
Have now lost 5 of their last 8 while Houston has won 12 in a row.
Can you really blame the Cubs? They've had some very good teams chasing them and have played some strong clubs -- oh, wait. Of the last 8 games the Cubs have played, three were the first three of Houston's 12-game streak and the other six were against the Expos, a team 21 games below .500. In that span, they've been outscored 57-38.
It's their fault.
I pride myself on NOT being a fair-weather fan, but rooting on a team that would be outplayed by my local minor league team (who happens to be Chicago's AAA club) is a bit disconcerting. This season has been one of the most painful that I can remember. Last year gave us Cubs fans hope. He who expects little is seldom disappointed. Unfortunately, we all expected the best of the Cubs this year and have watched nothing but the worst.
