It's also not called pitching, so the Cubs didn't do any of that either. A quick list of the other things it's not:

• football
• human sacrifice
• monkeyball
• competitive eating

But the real key is the hitting and pitching, and the Cubs were lacking in both departments. And what's just so frustrating is that the Cubs were doing what they failed to do in the days of yore. They were taking walks and getting on; that last, clutch hit just failed to fall in.

Eight walks for the Cubs meant 8 extra base-runners, but the 11 hits weren't enough to unclog the bases, it seems. The big problem was that the hits and walks weren't really bunched together as the 7 walks were sandwiched around 3 hits and then the rest of the hits were only met with one walk. Is this a sign of new things to come? Well, no. It's luck. These things happen and you can't really chose when to get hits. Still, it's a shame.

That being said, I'm obviously overstating the case a bit. I mean, sure they left 10 men on, but they still managed 7 runs which general is plenty. The real issue was pitching. Jason Marquis was doing his best pinata imitation as the Brewers came up with the intention of taking him to the opposite field and beat the candy right out of him. Then Kevin Hart came in, was re-stuffed with Marquis's candy, and then had that beaten right back out of him. The lesson? You can never take a metaphor too far. The other lesson? Don't expect to win a game when Marquis takes on Ben Sheets. The Cubs should just feel lucky it was even this close.

And before the recap closes, some recognition:

• Scrappy White Guy Mike Fontenot delivered a clutch two out double unclogging the bases in the 7th. Scrappy in the hiz-ouse.
• Soto, who's shaped too much like a thumb to be scrappy, recovered from his strikeout malaise and delivered two hits. Unfortunately, he also took a lame swipe at strikeout in the dirt prolonging the first and costing the Cubs a run. Hey, these things happen. He's a rookie.
• Aramis with three walks in his first three at bats. Swing the bat, dude!
• kidding
• no really, I'm kidding

Today the matchup is a bit more even as Dempster takes on Suppan. Go Cubs.