this is wild. absolutely wild. the big polach blows the game, then keeps the team in the game for two innings. mike remlinger, with all of zero saves, closes the game, sort of. groundout. strikeout + wild pitch. blown 1-6-3 double play. game ends on an E5 (although it was, per the rule, scored FC).

the cubs got past that no-man's land - the realm before the seventh, when you need to use alfonseca or veres - and then the 'pen gives it up anyway. randall simon gives them a top of the eighth lead, and they can't make it stand up.

this just makes no sense and is too wonderful to put into words.

(by the way, lost in the records that have already been set and noted by fox - combined HRs by two teams in an NLCS, combined triples by two teams in an NLCS, and consecutive hits [6 - Lofton] during an LCS, is a record I've just made up: pinch-triples by one team in a playoff game. perhaps even in a game, period. goodwin had the triple before simon's jack, and the great doug glanville of course came up with the game-winner on a triple.)

i'd also like to agree with senor unstadt (see: previous shoutouts) about the ridiculousness that is steve lyons. and al leiter is going to be a great color guy...he'll be the ace when mccarver dies, should he want to (in this case, "he" means leiter). my favorite moment was when psycho was pontificating on "control," "finesse" pitchers in the playoffs: because umps don't expand the zone like they do during the regular season, said psycho, glavine and maddux have struggled. leiter responded by saying "did you ever see whitey ford pitch?" referring to arguably the greatest postseason pitcher ever, never considered overpowering.

and i'm already angry with fox. how can they justify starting the second game only 3 1/2 hours after the first game of the day? i don't plan to be able to see the first 2 innings of the cubs game.

it'll be a beautiful one. i think clement makes his splash here, and i think dontrelle can't stay with 'em.