Great Harden Performance Wasted

Rich Harden was perfect for 5 1/3 innings against the Phillies – no mean feat, considering the hitters that squad trots up to the plate.

Harden blinked in the sixth though, walking Carlos Ruiz, then serving up a two-run homer to Jimmy Rollins.  Harden would finally leave after the 7th, an outing of rare length for him, having surrendered just the two runs.

It would’ve been awesome for the Cubs to have supported Harden with, say, five or six runs.  Even four would’ve been nice.  But, as has too often been the case lately, offensive production, especially hitting with runners on base, was lacking.

The Cubs, just like in Colorado, had their share of chances at big innings.  They stranded two runners in each of the first two innings, before finally managing to squeeze out a pair of runs in the third.  After that, the shaky-looking J.A. Happ evidently became possessed by the spirit of Robin Roberts (who isn’t actually dead, which makes it weirder), because the Cubs managed only one more base runner off him until he was yanked after the sixth.

A Phillies’ run in the top of the 8th – scored when Carlos Marmol walked and beaned the bases loaded, then walked another guy – seemed destined to be the fatal blow.  But, Milton Bradley, who has been magically transformed lately into a good offensive and defensive player, played hero in the ninth, driving in Kosuke Fukudome to tie it.

Some more heroics right then by Derrek Lee or Jake Fox would’ve been swell, but alas, it was not to be.  The game would drag on to the 12th when Kevin Gregg, being stretched out to his second inning of work, surrendered a solo shot to Ben Francisco.  The Cubs had no more rallies in them.  Third straight loss, third straight disappointing performance against a playoff-caliber foe.

At least the Cardinals didn’t get any farther ahead.