Sunday's Cubs 4-3 Win

Going into Sunday's Cubs-Pirates game I would never have expected the top story to be: Cubs drop first 5 against Pirates, looking for first win. I specifically chose this game because I thought we would win. The second series of an 8 game home stand, I figured the Cubs would have at least split the first two, and with a tough Colorado team coming in next, this would be a game they'd have a good chance of winning.
It didn't seem like that coming into the ballpark. Fans were expecting a sweep, wishing they could be at home watching the Blackhawks face off against the Sharks in Game 1. I'm not sure how to feel when you see a bunch of Blackhawks jerseys in Wrigley Field. Is it meant as some sort of slight to the Cubs who are playing poorly, or are these just sports fans who are supporting a team about to play a more important game?
My girlfriend and I arrived at Wrigley about an hour before the gates opened, we had bleacher seats and I wanted left field, so we waited in the already long line on Waveland. "All these people are here already?" she asks me. "Yes," I say. "Cubs fans don't play around."
Two of the best things I see all day happen while waiting in line. The first is this awesome shirt that one of the t-shirt vendors is selling. I just saw that Family Guy episode about a week ago, otherwise I wouldn't have understood how great this shirt was. I didn't anticipate spending 20 dollars on transportation so I couldn't buy one, but I will most definitely be picking this up on my next trip.
A big party bus pulls up after we've been waiting for 15 minutes or so, and out stumbles a bunch of men and women all 40s or older. They start jumping all over each other, and pull out two enormous coolers from underneath the bus where the baggage normally goes. I was trying to figure out where they were going with those coolers, but nonetheless, it was amazing to see how excited these people were. You expect a bunch of 21 year olds run out of the bus drunk, but not a bunch of 50 year olds. They must be from either Indiana or Iowa, I think, and see on the bus that they came from Indiana.
We finally are let into the stadium and I start surveying the area like a hawk searching for prey. I don't care how many little kids we have to bowl over, we're getting the best seats possible. We decide on left center, 4 rows up. Perfect seats, perfect view, and the sun is shining. It was supposed to be cold, like low to mid 60s, so I'm feeling overdressed with jeans, and a long sleeved shirt under the Cubs jersey I'm wearing.
I sit and take it all in, the beauty of Wrigley Field, I remind my girlfriend multiple times how beautiful it is, and she's probably thinking, he doesn't call me beautiful this often. I look up at the press box and wish that was me in there.

What happens next is possibly the 3rd or 4th most impressive maneuver in the stadium that day. I go to the concession stand and order a beer, a coke, two orders of fries, and a mini pizza. They don't have those nice trays like they do at fast food places, only a flimsy piece of cardboard that doesn't even have the grooves to rest your drink in. I put the beer, coke and fries in the flimsy piece of cardboard and balance it on top of the the box the mini pizza is in. I feel it starting to teeter as I pick it up. As luck would have it, my pants begin to fall down as I'm trying to hold this Jenga-like mixture of food.
I was wearing a belt that my friend got me when he was in China. It looks really nice, the only problem is it doesn't do the one thing a belt is made to do and that's hold my pants up. So I'm dodging people wiggling around, trying to not to let the food or my pants fall. I have my legs spread wide apart and my back bent like I'm about to limbo. Senior citizens are passing me I'm moving so slow.
The Cubs are down quickly in the 2nd 3-0. I think in all three games of this Pirates series they've been down 3-0 in the 1st or 2nd inning. Alfonso Soriano makes to fielding mistakes leading to two runs. The first he overruns a ball that gets right by him, the second on a screaming groundball, he lets bounce straight up off his glove, falls over, and gets control of the ball on his back. He gets booed mercilessly, then hits an RBI double in the bottom half of the second, 3-1.
It's been a while since I've sat in the bleachers, so there's a few things I've noticed:
1) Soriano is a fan friendly left fielder. He spends at least half the game looking up at you, ask him how many outs there are and he'll hold up his fingers for you. The most fun is after an out he'll indicate it to Byrd, then up to the crowd who will raise the appropriate amount of fingers back.
2) They don't have a guy who comes through the bleachers and sells beer. Instead they have two guys posted up right behind the bleachers who you have to come to. I'm assuming this is because if a vendor tries to go through the bleachers with beer, it's like Vietnam, there's a good chance he's not coming back.
3) I notice Pirates LF Lastings Milledge has a bag of sunflower seeds in his back pocket. A few times he pulls them out of his pocket and eats them during the game. I've never seen this happen but I have to believe it's a pretty common occurrence. This is Reason #562 why baseball is so great. It's the only sport that an athlete can bring food with him onto the playing field and eat it while the game is in progress.
Speaking of Millege, the insults directed towards him can be divided into the Good, Bad, and the Ugly. Points are given mostly for creativity, and coming up with an insult that would only work towards that specific player.
The Good: Hey, Ocho Cinco (Milledge is number 85), I loved you on Dancing with the Stars.
The Bad: Milledge, you're a Nationals castoff.
The Ugly: You're garbage Milledge, get the hell outta here.
In the third inning I realize I'm getting kind of red. I pull out the sunscreen, hoping it's not too late. The next five innings go by pretty quickly. I look at the scoreboard clock, it's only been an hour and 45 minutes and we're already in the 7th, still 3-1.
Top of the 7th, the Pirates have men on first and second, one out, and pitcher Ross Ohlendorf at the plate. He fakes a bunt, pulls it back and hits a soft fly ball to right, Fukudome is playing in and has to make an incredible catch diving backwards. Both runs would have scored making it 5-1 and game over. Instead the Cubs escape the inning with no runs allowed.
7th inning stretch time and Len and Bob are conducting. I still haven't seen either one of them. They were broadcasting from the bleachers this game and and I couldn't figure out where.
The bottom of the 7th and the Cubs do damage after 2 outs, which seems to be the norm this year. Ohlendorf was pulled after walking Fontentot to start the inning, then they bring in a reliever to get the next two outs. Fontenot got to third on a Fukudome single, and later scored on a wild pitch. Castro reached on an error, and Fukudome scored off a Lee single. Game tied at the end of 7.
I contemplate if this game will go into extra innings. I know my girlfriend won't be happy. I also know I'm not leaving until it's over.

Bottom of the 8th. Soriano continues to make up for his gaffs in left, singling with one out, stealing second, and getting to third on a wild pitch. Soto works a long at-bat and walks. Soto is my girlfriend's favorite player, I think because she thinks he's cute. I tell her I found that at-bat pretty sexy. Xavier Nady comes up in a pinch hit appearance and places a single perfectly in front of the right fielder. In real time, it looked like that ball was going to be caught. Soriano scores, Cubs are up 4-3.

Carlos Marmol comes in and shuts down the Pirates. It's amazing, even from the bleachers you can see all that movement on his slider. My knees were buckled 360 feet away. Bringing me to reason #233 why baseball is so great, you can get your ass kicked the entire game, and still ending up winning. We sing Go Cubs Go, Cubs win 4-3, I'm happy.
It isn't until I get home that I notice my sunburn. My entire nose is bright red, the right side of my neck , both ears, and a line right above my eyebrows to half-way up my forehead where my hat went down to. The most awkward sunburn I've ever had, I mean, I can't recall ever having sun burnt ears. I look like I'm starring in a Chinese opera. I put the free-giveaway camouflage Cubs hat on and admire the look. It's a good thing the Cubs won.