Red Gracefully Accept Gift of Seven Unearned Runs Beat Cubs 7-5

Yes it was rainy, cold and sloppy but Cubs manager Mike Quade wouldn't use it as an excuse.

"Yes, it was tough on everybody," Quade said after offering his postgame meal to the press because his stomach was upset from the four-error loss. "I didn't keep score but I didn't need to.  That's beating yourself.  It was right there for us.  We made four mistakes and they made one, ball game."

Quade vented last night when the Cubs flubbed routine plays, failed to make plays they should make and failed in the clutch.  This has been his team's norm for the last month and he couldn't take any more.

Well tonight he had to take even more.

"I said all I had to say last night.I guess Knute Rockne I'm not.  This is costing me a lot of sleep.  If we haven't reached rock bottom we're pretty damn close."

The Cubs jumped on Edinson Volquez, who again had first inning problems.  Darwin Barney singled with one out and Volquez hit Aramis Ramirez was hit by a pitch, before Carlos Pena hit his fifth home run (third against the Reds).

"I made a mistake," Volquez said.  "I tried to make a good pitch but he hit it. I think he was looking for a fastball and he made good contact with it."

Volquez as with just about every other start, flourished after the first inning.

"Everything was better. I went make to my old mechanics.  My command was better."

With the bases loaded and two outs, after the Cubs walked the red hot Ramon Hernandez intentionally, Volquez hit a ground ball toward Pena at first.  The ball went under his glove and rolled into shallow right.  Barney slid after it and came up throwing but starting pitcher Matt Garza was there to cover first.  He wheeled and threw the ball wide into the dugout and the tying runs scored.

"Dusty told me to swing at the first pitch.  I didn't see what happened.  I guess he (Pena) let it get by him.  Was it a hit or an error?  I was just happy we tied the game."

"I had to calm Matt down," Quade said.  "He made a ridiculous throw.  He wheeled like he should and thought he had a play."

There was nearly a feel good story of a local kid being the hero in his first major league game.

Tony Campana from nearby Springboro, Ohio and a UC graduate, entered the game as a pinch runner in the seventh and scored the go ahead run on a bases loaded walk, given up by Jose Arredondo.

"I was better with my mechanics