Chicago Cubs Baseball

In the books it’ll go down as just another Chicago Cub sweep - 10-9, 8-5, 6-4. Game, set, match.

But anyone who’s been paying attention over the past three days knows the Cubs sweep of Colorado’s Rockies was anything but easy.

The Cubs should have got a bonus win for Monday night’s victory alone. If you remember, that’s the game where the Cubs had it won, had it lost, and then won it for real on Alfonso Soriano’s two-out, two-run single in the ninth.

It was another game of sheer managerial brilliance by Lou Piniella - sending out a Cubs representative cleverly disguised as a fan to zap reliever Bob Howry’s focus back in place. If you remember Howry and fellow Cub reliever Scott (the Human) Eyre collectively blew a five-run lead in the ninth, allowing the Rockies to come back from an 8-3 deficit to set up Soriano’s heroics.

After the “fan” was clothes-lined by a security guard, Howry miraculously found his rhythm and retired the next three Rockies he faced. Or maybe the Colorado hitters feared the thought or the threat of another crazed Cubs fan.

Add the name of Brent Kowalkoski to the list of kooky Cub baseball fans. At least Steve Bartman had enough common sense to wreak havoc from the stands, and not the field.

Tuesday’s game held the same element of suspense minus the need of any late-inning heroics or appearance by Kowalkoski or co-horts. It was as if those in attendance would somehow feel gypped if the Cubs didn’t allow Colorado the same courtesy of creeping back into the game.

Once again an early lead looked on the verge of evaporating before Carlos Marmol and Will (Bad) Ohman closed the door on yet another late Rockie rally. Whew.

So today’s 6-4 win was just a stroll to a Wrigleyville concession stand for the Cubs and their fans. Carlos Zambrano’s continues his mid-season form. Cub batters have discovered the long ball and the timely hit. Even Marmol thought it best to retire the Rockies in order in the ninth.

Ho hum.

With their sixth straight victory and a 16-10 record for the month, it’s been a June the Cubs can be proud of, and one any Chicago baseball fan gladly would have taken in April or May.

Alas, that was then, and this is now.

A time for exhilaration, some jubilation, but most of all hope. It’s like spring all over again.

And the only team as hot as the smokin’ Cubbies right now is the Milwaukee Brewers - the team they happen to be chasing in the NL’s Central Division. The division-leading Brewers come to Wrigley for a three-game set this weekend.

They’ll be facing the National League’s hottest team - the Chicago Cubs. Now how nice does that sound?