Everyone was very Ron Santo-ed up since the Hall of Fame induction over the weekend.
The Miller advertisement was more about the trade deadline looming than about the opposing team. And that would come into play before the night was through.
Alfonso's adorable son was with him.
Angela was thrilled that Jeff Beliveau had been called up. She had been raving about him since Cubs Convention.
Here's Andrew McCutchen!
Justin Germano warming up. This would be his first MLB Cubs appearance.
Geovany Soto, warming up....
Darling, darling Reed Johnson, a fan favorite.
And all the other boys warming up.
Rizzo
Here's Blake Parker signing again. Look how happy the guy is that he's signing for. I wonder if baseball players know how much it means to the average person to meet them, what if feels like that a player would take the time to stop and talk to THEM! They make the days, weeks, LIVES of people sometimes for something that takes them just a couple seconds. Of course, they're busy guys--we know that. That's why it means so much when they stop.
Justin Germano on the mound.
The great Andrew McCutchen
Look at those numbers. Yeesh.
And he's no slouch in the field, either.
Reed Johnson started off the bottom of the first reaching base on a strike three wild pitch.
Starlin doubled and Speedy Reedy scored.
As usual, Matt Garza is awesome in the dugout.
Justin Germano--not too shabby
Pedro Alvarez, who we met outside.
Alvarez wears this cool bracelet. Christian!
The Pirates got a run in the third to tie the game, and then in the fourth it got ugly. I mean, if you're a Cubs fan it got ugly. If you're a Pirates fan, you're probably excited.
McCutchen walked, and then Gorgeous Jones singled. Neil Walker grounded out but moved all the players over.
McKenry grounded into a fielder's choice and McCutchen scored.
Angela and I were sad. You can tell.
In the 4th, Jeff Baker singled. Then Geovany Soto walked.
Then Darling Barney came up.
And JoJo waited on deck.
Darwin crushed a three-run homer. Chicago was up 4-2.
Oh yeah. It was Justin Germano's first start as a Cub.
Here's Joe Mather at third, where I like him.
In the 6th, it got ugly if you're a Pirates fan, but gorgeous if you're a Cubs fan. With Johnson and Castro on base, Rizzo homered. 7-2 Cubs.
Then Fonsi singled. Then Geo singled. Then Darwin singled, driving in Sori and moving Geo to third.
Then Joey singled, driving in Soto.
Then Germano sacrificed, advancing the runners.
Then Castro homered.
The Cubs were up 13-2. You could say my spirits were high.
In the top of the 6th, David DeJesus went in for Reed Johnson. SPOILER ALERT: It would be the last time I saw him play in a Cubs uniform.
Jeff Beliveau came in, which made Angela (and me) happy.
McCutchen singled.
Everyone was like, it's okay.
And it really was okay. Sure the pirates scored a little bit. Jones grounded into a fielder's choice, and then Neil Walker singled, and then Jones and Walker advanced on a wild pitch, and then Alvarez walked, and then McKenry singled to score Garrett Jones and advance the runners, but it was fine!
And then Barmes walked to drive in Walker, but it was fine! Except we did change pitchers real quick.
We brought in Manny Corpas, and he wrote whatever weird thing he always writes on the back of the mound.
And then my old Brewers friend Casey McGehee grounded out. Cubs still up 13-4.
In the sixth inning, Steve Clevenger came in to hit for Geovany Soto. No complaints here. SPOILER ALERT: That was the last time I saw Geo in a Cubs uniform.
He grounded out.
He was made to be catcher.
Starling Marte singled to start off the 7th, but that was it.
If you know how I feel about Gloria Estefan, you'll know why it was significant that I took a picture of her singing the stretch.
In the bottom of the 7th, Barney tripled, and then Mather doubled, driving him in. 14-4 Cubs.
Oh, yeah. Then I started getting tweet updates that Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson had been traded to the Braves, and Ryan Dempster and Geovany Soto had been traded to the Rangers. It turned out the Dempster thing was wrong, but it did happen later. I would miss all of them but Soto. I was happy that the way was paved for Steve to take over as the all-time catcher.
In the top of the 8th Tony Campana took center field.
And here's that catcher.
Tony, who should play every day, got on base in the 8th.
Any time he's on base, he's a threat.
Steve singled, but that was it.
Darwin struck out with two on base.
Maybe David and Darwin are talking about the trades.
Scott Maine came and finished out the game. Cubs win 14-4.
Here's Danny, the equipment manager, taking out the traded men's bags.
This is 18--Geo's bag. Goodbye, my friends.
All of my pictured from this day can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150993883263786.426869.511233785&type=3
