The Cubs

YIPPEE!!!

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ONE

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5-0 Cubs in 2nd inning

AP Photo/Brian Kersey

 

CUBS WIN
CUBS WIN
CUBS WIN!!!

NL CENTRAL CHAMPIONS!!!!

 

Great video on WGN right now!

CUBS WIN!
There is a baseball god after all.

 

Cubs Top Pirates Twice in Double-Header
By Rick Gano, AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO - Dusty Baker fulfilled his mission. Hired to help the Cubs forget their losing ways, the first-year manager guided Chicago to its first division title in 14 years with a doubleheader sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2 and 7-2 Saturday.

The Cubs — 67-95 just a year ago — clinched the NL Central and advanced to meet Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs.

The victory touched off a raucous celebration at Wrigley Field where 40,121 fans, many wearing coats on a chilly 60-degree day, began to chant "Let's Go Cubs" in the seventh inning.

Sammy Sosa hit his 40th homer and Matt Clement pitched 7 2-3 strong innings as the Cubs earned their first division championship since Don Zimmer led to the NL East crown in 1989.

The Cubs are in the postseason for the first time since 1998 when they beat Baker and the San Francisco Giants in a one-game playoff for the NL wild card.

Thanks to a Friday rainout, the Wrigley fans got to see two memorable victories on the same afternoon. The Cubs got their chance to clinch because of second-place Houston's 5-2 loss to Milwaukee earlier in the day.

In the opener, Mark Prior pitched 6 2-3 impressive innings and Damian Miller homered to spark a 4-2 victory in the opener.

Then, the Cubs moved quickly to wrap it up.

Sosa became the first NL player to reach 40 homers six straight times with a 450-foot blast in the first off Ryan Volgelsong.

Chicago added five more in the second, highlighted by Mark Grudzielanek's two-run, bases-loaded single, and Moises Alou homered later.

Clement (14-12) did the rest, allowing seven hits. He lost his shutout and chance for a complete game when Abraham Nunez hit an RBI triple and scored on a passed ball in the eighth.

The Cubs' long history of futility has been well-documented — no World Series appearances since 1945 and no World Series championships since 1908.

"You have to think about leaving whatever has happened bad in the past," Baker said on the day he was introduced as manager.

"You can't bring it forward with you. It's a new time, a new day, a new era, starting over from zero."

Behind a young pitching staff headed by Prior and Kerry Wood, the Cubs went to the top of their division.

In the first game, Prior allowed seven hits and two runs, striking out 10 and improving his record to 10-1 since coming off the disabled list Aug. 4.

Prior wasn't watching the scoreboard, but the crowd certainly was all during the first game.

They let out a collective cheer when the Brewers' early edge was posted on the old scoreboard in center field. The roar got even louder when Milwaukee increased the lead, and then it became deafening when the final score was shown while the Pirates batted in the eighth.

The Cubs overcame their share of distractions and injuries along the way. Sosa was suspended for seven games for using a corked bat and also went to the disabled list after surgery to remove a bad toenail. He also survived an early-season beaning and regrouped to reach 100 RBIs for a ninth straight year.

The Cubs also lost center fielder Corey Patterson, who was having breakout season, to a knee injury in July.

But general manager Jim Hendry went to work and the Pirates played a huge role, making two trades with Chicago that produced one-third of the Cubs' starting lineup down the stretch — center fielder Kenny Lofton, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and first baseman Randall Simon.

Baker had plenty of support before Saturday's doubleheader even began.

His son, Darren, who served as a batboy for the Giants last season, told him Friday night after the Astros lost to the Brewers that good things were ahead.

"My little boy said, `Yeah daddy, Houston is going to lose. I told you. You are going to win tomorrow,'" Baker said.

 

Damn Cubs.........

 

Wow. Got to hand it to the Cubs this year - they didn't fold or disappear down the stretch. Their September record (19-7) was better than any other month of the season.

Today, the Cubs needed to sweep a doublheader in order to clinch the division. In the last 52 doubleheaders they have been involved in, they've swept 4. Make that 5, after today. The last time they swept the Pirates in a doubleheader was 28 yrs ago. The fact that they came out and did it shows that they're on a mission. Go Cubs!

In this picture, Mark Prior delivers one of his pitches in his game 1 victory.

 

Sosa gives his traditional greeting to the right field bleacher bums before game 1 of the doubleheader.

 

Catcher Damian Miller gets a huge celebration after hitting a home run in game 1.

 

Dusty Baker congratulates Damian Miller after his home run.