Cubs-Padres: Peavy Who?

Filed:May 12th, 2009

Rich Harden delivers a pitch against the Padres Tuesday (Cubbie Nation/file)

Click here for the photo gallery of Tuesday's game.

He came. He pitched. He lost.

Jake Peavy made his first appearance at Wrigley since the much-discussed rumors of his trade to the Cubs ended. He was good, but Rich Harden was better, and a Milton Bradley two-homer sealed the deal on a 6-2 Cubs win.

This had to be the most fun I've had at a ballpark all season. Really, not only was it 70 degrees and sunny at game time, with a light breeze, but this game had something for everyone.

For the first few innings, you got treated to something of a pitcher's duel. Harden had a lot of trouble getting past the meat of the Padres lineup early, serving up an Adrian Gonzalez home run in the first, to put the Cubs down 2-0. Should have pitched around him, as Adrian really is about the only guy who really can do much damage in that lineup. Harden would settle down quickly though, pretty much cruising through the next five, before exiting after six.

Peavy was almost as flawless; perhaps even more so. The Cubs were out in front of everything, and what weren't harmless ground balls were strikeouts. Peavy had nine in all in over his six innings of work. And personally, I hope every liked what they saw, because I think that's the last time you'll see Peavy at Wrigley this year, if you know what I'm saying.

But he couldn't get past Milton Bradley in the sixth. With Kosuke Fukudome on, Bradley drove a ball deep into the right field bleachers to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead, and that was pretty much the ball game.

Not that we mind insurance runs, and neither do the Cubs, who grabbed three more against the Padres bullpen, highlighted by a Bobby Scales, pinch-hit home run. The guy looks like he's having a lot of fun out there, and Cub fans are really taking to him. It's the feel good story of year around here, and I hope he enjoys every second of it.

And for those that were wondering, Derrek Lee was back in the lineup Tuesday for the Cubs, and yes, he still looks awful. 0-3, with three strikeouts, and a walk. If you missed it, good. I won't even tell you how bad Peavy made him look.