Cubs 7, Reds 6

Picked a bad night to write the previous post on David Weathers, eh?

He simply did not have it. You could tell when he fell behind Ryan Theriot.

“Terrible outing,” Weathers said. “I felt uncomfortable from the first pitch – rusty. I just didn't get it done.”

Weathers walked Ryan Theriot to start the ninth. Derrek Lee hit the next pitch into right for a single. Aramis Ramirez hit a ball that center fielder Norris Hopper made a diving attempt on. It went to the wall for a triple. The Reds walked Daryle Ward, and then brought Hopper into play right in front of second base.

Why not walk the next hitter as well?

“I don’t like to load the bases if I don’t have to,” Mackanin said. “It puts more pressure on the pitcher. If there’s a base open, the pitcher has the ability to make pitches.”

Mark DeRosa hit one off Weathers' glove. If he catches it or lets it go, the Reds get an out and would have had a slim chance of escaping.

The loss, by the way, was Reds' 82nd of the year. That guarantees that the streak of losing seasons goes to seven.