Chicago Cubs Baseball

With one fell swoop and a few laid eggs, the Chicago Cubs mighty homestand went to the birds.

Both literally, and figuratively.

Today’s 11-4 drubbing by Baltimore officially added an exclamation point that ended the Cubs recent Wrigley Field success. Another way to put it would be, Chicago Cubs baseball got the bird - Orioles style.

Except for Wednesday’s win, the Cubs trailed early and trailed often. It was a second-gear kind of series for the Cubs. More times than not, Chicago looked like they were trying to gain traction rather than a team that had been riding a14-game Wrigley Field winning streak.

Maybe the emotional sweep of the crosstown White Sox series sucked the helium out of whatever balloon that was keeping the Cubs afloat . Or it could be the recent rash of injuries is finally beginning to take its toll. Or maybe Baltimore’s Orioles are really that good.

It’s anybody’s guess, but one thing is for certain - Chicago Cubs baseball looked sluggish.

“We got beat up,” Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee said. “They looked like they were having fun out there, scoring runs.”

One can’t blame Lee for sounding a little envious. For nearly two months solid it’s been the Cubs who’ve been having fun at their opponents expense.

By taking two of three in the series, the Orioles became only the second team this season to take a home set from the Cubbies. Milwaukee has been the other team, having done it twice, the last time in late April-early May - which anyone in Cubdom would and should gladly take.

It wasn’t that long ago - 2006 - when it was a task to squeeze out a win by the Cubs, little lone take a home series. And until June of last year, the topic of conversation was Chicago’s inability to win at Wrigley.

I’m sure the Chicago Cubs have their share of mottoes. Here’s one more: “Don’t believe the hype.”