The Cubs didn't need the Astros to beat them last night. They beat themselves just fine. Bases loaded in the 4th, 1 out, nothing. Bases loaded in the 6th, no outs, nothing. Corey Patterson struck out swinging “aggressively” with 3 men on in both situations.

Injuries are hurting the team right now. The Cubs have a good bench, but with Sosa, Gonzalez, and Grudzielanek out, the bench are the starters. When Dusty looks to the bench in the 9th inning, the best pinch-hitting option he can find is Rey Ordonez. You'd like to be pinch-hitting for Rey Ordonez in a crucial at-bat, not pinch-hitting with him.

Glendon Rusch started versus Brandon Duckworth: not the quality pitching matchup I hoped for when I bought tickets for Cubs vs. Astros. Any combination of Clemens, Oswalt, Petitte, Miller and Wood, Prior, Clement, Zambrano, Maddux would have excited more than Rusch and Duckworth. The wind was blowing out, so we saw plenty of home runs with these two on the mound. Unfortunately, the three Cub homers were with no men on and Houston came out ahead 5-3.

I've been to 5 games this year, and this was the first loss I've seen. Can't expect much more. Cub record with me in attendance: 4-1.