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Midweek musings: Rain washed out the Chicago interleague baseball contest between the Cubs and White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. No makeup date was set for the contest. The possibility exists that the game will not be rescheduled. Unless, of course, it impacts the Cubs’ postseason prospects. OK, so June 24 reportedly is a potential makeup date. Meaning the Cubs still will be in playoff contention. Well, mathematically speaking.
The Indiana Pacemates, including Arbara, will have at least one more chance to perform this season.
* The Cubs are having the kind of season when they had Edwin Jackson (1-7, 6.58 earned-run average) on the mound against Sox star left-hander Chris Sale (5-2, 2.52 ERA for the season and 1.18 for his last five starts) and had a 2-0 lead with Jackson actually pitching well — before the deluge. Also washed away was catcher Welington Castillo’s two-run homer. Yes, when it rains, it pours.
* Had there been much more rain overflowing the Sox dugout, the team might have had to break out rafts. Not to be confused with rats — which Sox fans surely remember as being among former manager Ozzie Guillen’s least favorite Wrigley Field residents.
* Brewers shortstop Jean Segura had six hits in seven at-bats against Minnesota in a 14-inning, 6-5 loss to the Twins in Milwaukee. Several Cubs and White Sox hitters also have had six hits — although it generally takes them a week to accumulate that many. As Scott Hairston (8-for-61) of the Cubs can attest.
* Speaking of statistics, Sox first baseman/designated hitter Adam Dunn has the same number of total bases as he does strikeouts (66), as does Sox catcher Tyler Flowers (41). If it’s any consolation (and the guess here is that it’s not), Chris Carter of the Houston Astros has 75 strikeouts and 69 total bases and Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks has 56 strikeouts and 46 total bases.
* The defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings will be the Blackhawks’ Western Conference final opponent. Well, provided that the Hawks can defeat Detroit in Game 7 Wednesday at the United Center. The Rolling Stones performed at the venue Tuesday. The Hawks will try to provide the audience with the same sense of satisfaction Mick Jagger and Co. did.
* For those conspiracy theorists in the audience (and you know who you are), anyone thinking the NBA would like the Eastern Conference finals to go at least six games ought to view a replay of the Miami Heat-Pacers Game 4. The Pacers prevailed 99-92 in Indianapolis with Heat star LeBron James fouling out of a playoff game for only the second time in his career. Some would credit the grit of the Pacers for evening the series 2-2. Others might credit the whistle of referee Joey Crawford and his striped partners.
* You don’t have to be a betting person to put money down that James won’t foul out in Game 5 in Miami.
OK, so we don’t have a lot of hockey coverage around here. Hope these videos somehow compensate for any lack of all that — even if they do focus on the L.A. Kings (look for soccer great David Beckham in the Kiss Cam one):
And here we go with our usual non-gratuitous video provided by a joint effort of the editorial and video staffs at elliottharris.com:
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