CC Sabbathia, the shame of the Brewers]

There are those among you who might think I’d gloat over the second defeat the Cubs have handed CC Sabbthia this year, only the second he’s taken since joining the Brewers.  No, I’d rather gloat over Cardinal elimination day, as the Cubs’ win this evening officially ended the Tard’s 2008 season “ except for the team’s legal obligations to play on Red Schoendeist bobble-head and Cardinals Camp-Out nights.  Which is possibly why Tony La Russa spent Monday in Manhattan, where I hope he’s knocking on the doors of the Mets and Yankees to see about possible managerial opportunites.

Busch Stadium, finally of use to St. Louis fans

As for what transpired at Wrigley Field tonight, Dave Sveum showed he’s every bit the manager Ned Yost was by losing to the Cubs 5-4, reducing the Cub’s magic number to 4.  It was pretty much a 2008 Cubs game:  on 11 hits (9 off CC) and stellar web work, everyone contributed something, Bob Howry faced three batters before getting the hook, and Kerry Wood allowed a 9th inning double that put Ray Durham on 2B as the tying run “ and only then shut it down. The improbable season of Ryan Dempster continued, as he collected his 16th win on what I believe is his third charge at it.  Soriano’s HR in the 7th ended Sabbathia’s night, but it also crushed the Brewers best last hope, imo.  They brought Sabbathia in for one reason, the Cubs, and he’s lost both games to the North Side.  Is that Ned Yost’s fault?


[Reed Johnson, robbing the Brewers of a hit whether Ned Yost showed up or not

The Sun-Times’ Gordon Wittenmyer has the wrap-up here, and news of a Piniella contract extension here, which is perhaps why Piniella was willing to go on the record this evening to declare even the Cubs’ opposition “nice.”

”You see the finish line, that’s for sure,” manager Lou Piniella said even before the Cubs jumped on Sabathia for an early lead in the Brewers’ first game since manager Ned Yost’s shocking firing Monday. ”It’s been a long season. We’re to the point now where we can sprint right through the wire. We’ve got some nice formidable opposition in teams that we’re playing, but it’s there for us.”