Chicago Cubs, post-trade, lose to NL Central leaders Reds, 3-0.
There's nothing worse than leaving the ballpark after a crushing loss. Except may losing after a shutout. That was the scene Friday after the Chicago Cubs dropped another game to dive 15 games under .500 in a season that fans would like to forget. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo made the day even more painful by allowing only five hits, and the Cubs only had one strong chance of scoring in the fifth inning, when two runners were on second and third and it looked like clear sailing. But Arroyo got Tyler Colvin to pop up and when Starlin Castro had a full count, the crowd went nuts. And, darn it!, he struck out. End of inning. It turned out to be the Cubs' only real chance to score. After Castro, Derrek Lee would have come to bat, and even Arroyo said in a post-game interview that he was a bit nervous about that.
Lee remains one of the only vets left on the suddenly bereft Cubs team after an inexplicable trade last week. Management dealt away pitcher Ted Lilly and shortstop Ryan Theriot plus $2.5 million to the Los Angeles Dodgers for second baseman Blake DeWitt and two farm-team prospects. While a few analysts have tried to put a happy face on this by saying it's all about rebuilding and getting a younger team together, many fans are despondent about losing beloved team members. Lilly took some time to develop, but became a go-to pitcher in the rotation—a left-hander who got over his hot-headed temper of his younger days. Now that he's eased up, the Cubs dealt him away.
The front office explains that Lilly was going to become a free agent next year, but Lilly himself says no one even asked him if he'd sign with the Cubs next year. Because he would. A team leader, he wasn't happy about leaving.
Theriot is even less thrilled. He was a draft pick who thought he would always be a Cub, and it was a major shock to hear he was to become a Dodger. More beloved that Lilly, "the Riot" was a player the fans chanted for at every game. He wasn't having the best year at bat, but then none of the Cubs were. His fielding remained exceptional, however. There really was no explanation for why Theriot had to go. Instead he was replaced by DeWitt, and Friday there wasn't much on display that showed why DeWitt had the skills that Theriot was lacking.
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