Cubs 6 Pirates 1

As per the usual, the Cubs finished the Buccos off today to win their three game series. Today's guest recap is brought to us by Steve, writer of the fairly new Pirates blog The Parrot, which I don't link to nearly enough.

The Pirates made me wish I was on vacation today, far away from a TV, radio, or computer and close to a resort with a swim up bar (editor's note: I'm on vacation, but we don't have any swim-up bars here. I think I'm getting ripped off).

Jim Tracy tried to avoid the "automatic two out" scenario of leading off with Duffy and McClouth by inserting tight-calved Jack Wilson back into the lineup, but then inexplicably batted Randa in the third spot. I can understand giving Freddy a day off, but I think Nady might have been a better choice to move up in the order for a day.

Things started pretty quietly, Snell attacked the strike zone and got ground outs and lineouts. Cubbie starter Rich Hill responded by getting strikeouts. Then, in the bottom of the third, Ronny Cedeno hit a flare in front of Jason Bay, who was late getting to it and trapped it with his glove. After a huddle, the umps awarded Cedeno a single. He promptly stole second and scored on Cesar Izturis' single. 1-0, Baby Bears.

In the bottom of the fourth, Aramis Ramirez singled, then Snell walked John Mabry on four pitches. Ronny Cedeno took a Snell mistake over the left-center wall for a line drive home run. 4-0, Chicago. Snell than walked the pitcher before getting the third out. Then Snell beat the crap out of a water bottle in the dugout over his mistakes.

In the next Cub half inning, Izturis singled, Aramis doubled due to Jose Bautista overrunning the ball in right, and then Jacque Jones grounded to Jack Wilson, who tossed the ball to Randa, who tagged out Ramirez, Jones, an umpire , the first base coach, and a hot girl in the first row(just kidding about those last three), while Izturis scored the Cubs 5th run.

Ronny Paulino hit a solo Home run in the top of the seventh (editor's note: Is that three games in a row? It seems like it is, but I've been kind of detached from the Buccos the last three days. Could Ronnie Paulino finally be showing the power to go with that average?). There's your offensive highlight of the afternoon- it's only one more than you'll get Monday, when the Bucs have the day off!

The Cubs manufactured a run in the 8th, and that was it. The Pirates are further back from the Cubs than when the series began.