Liveblogging Game 1

OK, so that it hasn't worked so well to blog daily recently, more due to my own laziness and lack of motivation than anything. So, here's a new experiment: Liveblogging. I'll update this post periodically throughout game 1 of the Cubs/Diamondbacks LDCS series. So, keep reading ...

LDCS = League Division Championship Series. Except the winner isn't really champion of anything.

And, the TBS guy who's back in the studio (with Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken) just called Geovanny Soto "Geovanny Sato". We'll see how long I stay on TBS audio vs. switching to listening on WGN radio. This was on the pre-game.

Looks like the roof's open. I'm surprised.

Soriano grounds out on the first pitch. Then Jacque Jones is patient and the draws a walk, with four out of five pitches not close. On the other hand, those "not close" pitches fool Derrick Lee. Ground out by Ramirez, and the top of the first is over. And ... I'm not going to keep doing play-by-play.

Tip the hat and point to the sky -- Zambrano re-groups and strikes out the last man in the first to keep the game scoreless.

Uneventful 2nd inning. I can hear the Cubs fans in the stands with the double play that ended the 2nd. The TBS pre-game estimated maybe 20% Cubs fans, as Arizona had always been a place with a lot of Cubs fans before the Diamondbacks were put in there.

Hey, it's the Kenny Lofton/DHL commercial that makes fun of him getting traded a lot, but never listed the possibility of his eventual destination: Cleveland. I saw Lofton's 2nd game in Cleveland this year.

Zambrano doubles! And then ... three straight strikeouts. Meanwhile, Dick Stockton pronounced Mike Quade's name two different ways. It's KWAHD-ee, with a long E sound. Not Kwayd, not Kwahd-AY (long A).

Oh sure ... David Letterman does a lot to boost Frank Caliendo's career, and now he'll have a competing show?

1-0 Diamondbacks on Drew's homerun. Otherwise Zambrano's not looking bad at all, but Webb has been just a bit better. Still plenty of time for that to switch.

Stockton says "That should go as an error on the thirdbaseman". Yah think? When it's thrown six feet over the firstbaseman's head? Theriot at second on an error -- let's tie it up. Hmmm - Stockton just pronounced Theriot with a "Th" rather than just a "T" sound. Shouldn't he have pronunciation guides?

Still 1-0 - Zambrano had the best chance to drive in The Riot, but a good play turned it into a line out.

Theriot almost kills himself to try to throw out Ojeda (bottom of the 5th). At least Zambrano tried to field that one with his glove rather than his usual bare hand.

Ron Darling said what I was just thinking: the Cubs keep hitting everything hard but right at a Diamondback.

Someone clued Stockton in on the pronunciation of Theriot's name.

Tie game on the high bounce. Now, can Zambrano drive in some to help himself? Nope, but I'll take the tie.

Marmol comes in and gives up a homerun. No doubt about that one, just like the one from Drew. 2-1 Arizona.

3-1.

Another long fly ball from Ramirez. Need to get a little more on those. And now, the same from Floyd.

I'd rather see Ward pinch-hitting with with someone on base. But he is good for a walk.

Well, it's over. 3-1. Oh well. This was the game they were most likely to lose of any in the series. The important thing will be to get a split in Arizona.

I was taking inventory -- of the eight teams in the playoffs I've been to six of the home stadia (Cubs, D-backs, Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Indians). In the past three years I've been to the eventual World Series champion's home stadium in that year. If that trend continues, this year the winner will have to be the Indians or ... the Cubs!

Maybe I'll do this again tomorrow night. Maybe I'll just be content to sit back and watch the Cubs win.

Anyway, that's it for tonight.