One Team's Waiver is Another Team's Treasure - Cubs 2
Brewers 11

post from ChicagoCubsOnline.com on 04 July 2009 05:36:42 PM. © ChicagoCubsOnline.com

Game Seventy-Eight - Cubs 2 Brewers 11
WP - Braden Looper (7-4) LP - Rich Harden (5-5) Save - None

The Cubs lost for the first time at Wrigley since dropping the opening game of the White Sox series back on June 17. The Cubs suffered a rare blowout at home behind another horrible outing at the Friendly Confines by Rich Harden. Harden barely made it out of the first inning after allowing five runs ... a two-run single by Casey McGehee and a three-run homer by Mike Cameron. The Brewers hit Harden incredibly hard in his two-plus innings. Harden allowed seven runs on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout on 52 pitches.

Wrigley Field has definitely been The Un-Friendly Confines for Rich Harden this season. Harden has not posted a win at home since May 12 and is 2-4 in eight starts with a 7.65 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP (33 runs, 32 earned, on 43 hits with 20 walks and 42 strikeouts). Rich Harden has allowed 15 home runs this season in 13 starts ... nine at Wrigley Field.

Casey McGehee proved to be the difference early on in the game ... and was only a double short of the cycle. McGehee, who the Cubs put on waivers in the off-season, drove in five of the Brewers 11 runs and finished the afternoon 4-for-5 with a two-run homer, a triple, three runs scored and five RBI. While the Cubs did not let Prince Fielder beat them, Casey McGehee sure stuck it to his old organization.

The Cubs had chances to make a game of it in the beginning. They loaded the bases twice against Braden Looper but came away empty both times. The Cubs looked bad again at the plate and left five of the seven runners on base in the first two innings. The Cubs finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with runners in scoring position ... and hit into three inning ending double plays. To say the 4th of July on the North Side was not pretty would be an understatement.

The Cubs lone highlight came courtesy of Milton Bradley in the third inning. After a Derrek Lee single, Bradley hit his first home run since May 27 ... a two-run shot into the bleachers in right center.

The Cubs did not manage another hit after Bradley's home run in the third until a two-out single by Mike Fontenot in the ninth.

Alfonso Soriano finished the afternoon 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and three left on base out of the sixth spot in Lou Piniella's lineup.

In a game that was over before the Cubs had a chance to swing the bats, Lou Piniella's crew dropped to .500 once again at 39-39 on the year.