The Cubs lost Wednesday night when Kosuke Fukudome was called out on strikes with a man on in the top of the ninth.
The third strike from Troy Percival sure looked high to me. It didn't even look close.
There were two big stories in this game. First, Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano was great except for one inning. He allowed four runs in the third after a first-inning unearned run, and it held up.
But the reason the lead stood was the second big story -- the Devil Rays' bullpen, which allowed only Giovany Soto's ninth-inning solo homer over four innings.
This is a good Rays club. It's not a fluke they're winning. But the Cubs can blame themselves for some missed opportunities.
Chicago loaded the bases in the fifth inning but got only one measly run. Derek Lee struck out and Aramis Ramirez flew out to end the inning. The Cubs need better production from the heart of their lineup than they've gotten against the Rays. Lee went hitless after doing the same Tuesday.
But let's not forget that the American League is better. The Cubs are facing better pitching than they're used to. Let's remember, too, that the Rays have been beating everyone at home, including the Red Sox.
It looked like Wrigley Field South -- the field was full of Cubs faithful. It's a pity the team isn't drawing very well.
This is the kind of series in which it's clear the Cubs miss Alfonso Soriano. He would've come up with a man on and two outs in the ninth, not Fukudome, if he weren't hurt. But the good news is that he might be back a bit earlier than anticipated.
Zambrano left in the seventh with shoulder "discomfort," which doesn't sound much like a medical term. He was in a lot more discomfort when he threw some fat pitches in the fifth inning.
