During a stretch run, it's not always talent that survives
SAN DIEGO -- The old philosopher sat back in his chair.
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| Felipe Alou knows his Giants are playing catch-up, but that the job can be done.(Getty Images) |
"I am surprised," San Francisco manager Felipe Alou said. "They're not hitting a lot right now."
No, and Martha Stewart isn't baking much these days, either.
The cupcakes have turned lethal. Cincinnati was 30 games out of first place at the start of Wednesday's contest, and 15 games behind the Cubs. Yet the Reds have hammered Dusty Baker's club in two of the first three games of their four-game set. And the New York Mets swiped two of three from the Cubs before that.
Who's up next to take a whack at the Cubs? Prairie View?
"It's happened over the years," Alou said, speaking before his Giants dropped into a tie for second in the wild-card race with the Cubs following a damaging 4-3, 10-inning loss to the San Diego Padres. "Teams like that give you a tough time. They're loose."
Are they ever. The Colorado Rockies are so loose they might float away like a helium-filled balloon, never to be seen again. Which would be beneficial after Shawn Chacon walked four consecutive Dodgers in Tuesday's embarrassing ninth-inning meltdown before the Rockies actually -- hold your breath -- held onto a lead against Los Angeles on Wednesday.
But we digress. The point of all of the Cubs' problems is, of course:
Look out, Houston.
Sure. The white-hot Astros, new leaders in the wild-card chase and winners of 15 consecutive home games, finish their season with three home games against the Rockies following a day off Thursday.
There is the very real risk that Houston will oversleep and wake up, say, Monday. It's only Colorado. Yet the Astros had better set their alarms. Because Alou is right: Too many cupcakes in a pennant race could leave you reaching for the Pepto-Bismol.
