Dusty Baker led off Monday night with a plea.
"Please, no more `when are you getting fired' questions or any ofthose things," the Cubs manager said. "That's really in control ofhow we play, and we play every day. You can't answer those questionsevery day."
The neon handwriting on the walls of ivy doesn't appear to be ininvisible ink. After absorbing his eighth straight loss at WrigleyField, his fourth in a row overall and dropping to 19 games below.500, a rocket scientist isn't required to figure out where Baker'ssituation is headed in the final year of his four-year contract.
After a 6-0 loss to Milwaukee, the only wind that matters nowisn't the one blowing off Lake Michigan. Even when it was blowing inMonday night, it didn't deter the Brewers from hitting four home runs-- three off loser Greg Maddux (7-8).
"You can hit them through the wind here, and they proved it,"Maddux said.
The winds of change are in the air and look to be unstoppable.Comcast cameras caught one fan behind home plate holding up a FIREDUSTY sign during every at-bat in the ninth.
Baker and his team are in trouble with no major shift towardsunnier days anywhere in the stormy forecast after a 2-11 stretch oflosing. How did this happen? What's responsible?
"Everything -- pitching, hitting, defense, you name it," Madduxsaid. "It starts with pitching. I haven't pitched well the last month-and-a-half and need to start pitching better."
Would he approve a trade if he is asked if he wants to go to acontender before the July 31 deadline?
"I don't have a no-trade clause," he said. "I have no decision inanything. I worry about playing the game, not the business side."
The Cubs tried a two-out rally in the third. Juan Pierre buntedfor a single, and Neifi Perez singled him to third. But Derrek Leelooked at strike three to crush that chance.
Lee, who grounded into a double play in the first, singled Perezto second in the sixth with none out. This appeared to be the Cubs'best chance to break through against left-hander Chris Capuano (9-4).
But after Aramis Ramirez grounded into a double play, Phil Nevinleft Perez stranded at third by grounding out. Nevin started in leftfor the first time since 2003 without incident.
"Staying away from the double-play ball has been the story allyear," Baker said.
That and being outhomered 101-61.
"If your pitching holds up, we're going to score sooner or later,"Maddux said.
Maybe not. The Cubs have come a whisker away from being shut outthree straight times. If not for a run in the ninth Sunday inMinnesota, they'd be on a shutout streak.
"It's frustrating, but it's still the greatest job in the world,even when things are going tough," Maddux said. "It's still aprivilege to come to the park every day. You just wish you wereplaying better and winning more. Keep doing what you think is right.Use your past experiences to help you."
The Cubs' past experiences are no encouragement at all.
mkiley@suntimes.com
CUBS RECAP:
Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Weeks 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .286
BHall ss 4 0 0 0 0 3 .273
Jenkins rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .260
CaLee lf 4 1 2 2 0 2 .274
Fielder 1b 4 2 2 2 0 0 .290
Koskie 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .261
DMiller c 3 1 1 0 1 0 .263
Gross cf 4 1 2 2 0 2 .263
Capuano p 4 0 0 0 0 1 .111
Turnbow p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --
Totals 35 6 8 6 1 11
CUBS AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Pierre cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .248
NPerez 2b 4 0 3 0 0 0 .241
DeLee 1b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .327
ARamirez 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .249
Nevin lf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .269
Cedeno ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .277
JJones rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .290
HBlanco c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .226
Maddux p 1 0 0 0 1 1 .138
Aardsma p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-Murton ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .262
Ohman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Totals 32 0 7 0 2 6
Milwaukee 200 000 301--6 8 1
CUBS 000 000 000--0 7 0
a-flied out for Aardsma in the 8th.
E--Koskie (7). LOB--Milwaukee 3, CUBS 7. 2B--CaLee (13). HR--Gross (7), off Maddux; Fielder 2 (16), off Ohman, Maddux; CaLee (24),off Maddux. RBI--CaLee 2 (62), Fielder 2 (42), Gross 2 (19). GIDP--DeLee, ARamirez.
Runners left in scoring position--Milwaukee 1 (DMiller); CUBS 4(DeLee, Nevin, JJones 2).
Runners moved up--Fielder.
DP--Milwaukee 2 (BHall, Weeks and Fielder), (BHall, Weeks andFielder).
Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Capuano W, 9-4 8 7 0 0 2 4 125 3.10
Turnbow 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 3.51
CUBS IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Maddux L, 7-8 7 7 5 5 0 7 89 4.94
Aardsma 1 0 0 0 0 2 18 5.89
Ohman 1 1 1 1 1 2 19 4.46
Capuano pitched to 2 batters in the 9th.
Inherited runners-scored--Turnbow 2-0.
Umpires--Home, Jim Joyce; First, Dana DeMuth; Second, DougEddings; Third, Paul Schrieber.
T--2:26. A--39,698 (41,118).
HOW THEY SCORED
BREWERS FIRST Weeks struck out. Hall struck out. Jenkins singled.Lee homered to left on a 0-2 count, Jenkins scored. Two runs. Brewers2, Cubs 0.
Brewers seventh Fielder homered to center on a 1-0 count. Koskiegrounded out. Miller singled. Gross homered to center on a 1-0 count,Miller scored. Three runs. Brewers 5, Cubs 0.
Brewers ninth Ohman pitching. Fielder homered to right on a 0-1count. One run. Brewers 6, Cubs 0.
Cubs know the drill -- score nil: Brewers 6, Cubs 0: Eighth straight loss at home direct result of 4 Brewers homersDusty Baker led off Monday night with a plea.
"Please, no more `when are you getting fired' questions or any ofthose things," the Cubs manager said. "That's really in control ofhow we play, and we play every day. You can't answer those questionsevery day."
The neon handwriting on the walls of ivy doesn't appear to be ininvisible ink. After absorbing his eighth straight loss at WrigleyField, his fourth in a row overall and dropping to 19 games below.500, a rocket scientist isn't required to figure out where Baker'ssituation is headed in the final year of his four-year contract.
After a 6-0 loss to Milwaukee, the only wind that matters nowisn't the one blowing off Lake Michigan. Even when it was blowing inMonday night, it didn't deter the Brewers from hitting four home runs-- three off loser Greg Maddux (7-8).
"You can hit them through the wind here, and they proved it,"Maddux said.
The winds of change are in the air and look to be unstoppable.Comcast cameras caught one fan behind home plate holding up a FIREDUSTY sign during every at-bat in the ninth.
Baker and his team are in trouble with no major shift towardsunnier days anywhere in the stormy forecast after a 2-11 stretch oflosing. How did this happen? What's responsible?
"Everything -- pitching, hitting, defense, you name it," Madduxsaid. "It starts with pitching. I haven't pitched well the last month-and-a-half and need to start pitching better."
Would he approve a trade if he is asked if he wants to go to acontender before the July 31 deadline?
"I don't have a no-trade clause," he said. "I have no decision inanything. I worry about playing the game, not the business side."
The Cubs tried a two-out rally in the third. Juan Pierre buntedfor a single, and Neifi Perez singled him to third. But Derrek Leelooked at strike three to crush that chance.
Lee, who grounded into a double play in the first, singled Perezto second in the sixth with none out. This appeared to be the Cubs'best chance to break through against left-hander Chris Capuano (9-4).
But after Aramis Ramirez grounded into a double play, Phil Nevinleft Perez stranded at third by grounding out. Nevin started in leftfor the first time since 2003 without incident.
"Staying away from the double-play ball has been the story allyear," Baker said.
That and being outhomered 101-61.
"If your pitching holds up, we're going to score sooner or later,"Maddux said.
Maybe not. The Cubs have come a whisker away from being shut outthree straight times. If not for a run in the ninth Sunday inMinnesota, they'd be on a shutout streak.
"It's frustrating, but it's still the greatest job in the world,even when things are going tough," Maddux said. "It's still aprivilege to come to the park every day. You just wish you wereplaying better and winning more. Keep doing what you think is right.Use your past experiences to help you."
The Cubs' past experiences are no encouragement at all.
mkiley@suntimes.com
CUBS RECAP:
Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Weeks 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .286
BHall ss 4 0 0 0 0 3 .273
Jenkins rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .260
CaLee lf 4 1 2 2 0 2 .274
Fielder 1b 4 2 2 2 0 0 .290
Koskie 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .261
DMiller c 3 1 1 0 1 0 .263
Gross cf 4 1 2 2 0 2 .263
Capuano p 4 0 0 0 0 1 .111
Turnbow p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --
Totals 35 6 8 6 1 11
CUBS AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Pierre cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .248
NPerez 2b 4 0 3 0 0 0 .241
DeLee 1b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .327
ARamirez 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .249
Nevin lf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .269
Cedeno ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .277
JJones rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .290
HBlanco c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .226
Maddux p 1 0 0 0 1 1 .138
Aardsma p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-Murton ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .262
Ohman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Totals 32 0 7 0 2 6
Milwaukee 200 000 301--6 8 1
CUBS 000 000 000--0 7 0
a-flied out for Aardsma in the 8th.
E--Koskie (7). LOB--Milwaukee 3, CUBS 7. 2B--CaLee (13). HR--Gross (7), off Maddux; Fielder 2 (16), off Ohman, Maddux; CaLee (24),off Maddux. RBI--CaLee 2 (62), Fielder 2 (42), Gross 2 (19). GIDP--DeLee, ARamirez.
Runners left in scoring position--Milwaukee 1 (DMiller); CUBS 4(DeLee, Nevin, JJones 2).
Runners moved up--Fielder.
DP--Milwaukee 2 (BHall, Weeks and Fielder), (BHall, Weeks andFielder).
Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Capuano W, 9-4 8 7 0 0 2 4 125 3.10
Turnbow 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 3.51
CUBS IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Maddux L, 7-8 7 7 5 5 0 7 89 4.94
Aardsma 1 0 0 0 0 2 18 5.89
Ohman 1 1 1 1 1 2 19 4.46
Capuano pitched to 2 batters in the 9th.
Inherited runners-scored--Turnbow 2-0.
Umpires--Home, Jim Joyce; First, Dana DeMuth; Second, DougEddings; Third, Paul Schrieber.
T--2:26. A--39,698 (41,118).
HOW THEY SCORED
BREWERS FIRST Weeks struck out. Hall struck out. Jenkins singled.Lee homered to left on a 0-2 count, Jenkins scored. Two runs. Brewers2, Cubs 0.
Brewers seventh Fielder homered to center on a 1-0 count. Koskiegrounded out. Miller singled. Gross homered to center on a 1-0 count,Miller scored. Three runs. Brewers 5, Cubs 0.
Brewers ninth Ohman pitching. Fielder homered to right on a 0-1count. One run. Brewers 6, Cubs 0.
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