4-9-05 -- Hypo's Take - Cubs 4, Brewers 0

Well the Cubs put together a good one today. It was exciting for them to snap the 3 game skid they were in the midst of, but the game ball has to go to Carlos Zambrano in this one. 4-0 seems a slightly dominating victory for a team, but without Carlos, it could have been only 2 runs offensively (he scored once -- after sliding head first into third coming from first -- and hit an RBI as well), and most likely the Brewers would have accrued a total hit count of something greater than one. Ok, there's a little sarcasm for that ass, of course they would have done better, Zambrano was completely dominating! Talk about one player taking over an entire ball game.

-- Highlight for me
Zambrano waving the trainer back into the dugout in the 8th, as the trainer approached to check on Z's elbow. He's got a big fastball, a large heart, but a gigantic competitive spirit. He should be (and should have been most of last year) the Cubs #1 starter, but we'll see.

-- Positives
LaTroy Hawkins gains some momentum (although no save), shutting the Brewers down in the 9th in a 'relieving' 1-2-3 inning.

The all around defense of the whole team, but namely Derrek Lee, who had a number of great plays, including his catch of a line drive that first was deflected into the air off of his glove.


-- Negatives
You could cite the slightly anemic offensive production today, but (going back to my "Top 5") the one time that they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with less than 2 outs, they managed to score them both on a double by Hot-Rod Todd Walker.