Well, THAT sucked.

         The Cubs took four straight from the Brewers at Miller Park, culminating the humiliation with Thursday's 11-1 shellacking.    Chicago dominated in all phases, playing small-ball when needed (Monday), hitting in the clutch (virtually anytime they had a man in scoring position) and topping the series off with a power display Thursday afternoon that put WE Energies to shame.

        In the end, the Brewers were left barking at umps and tossing 3-0 pitches behind the back of Cubs slugger Jim Edmonds who could be seen on TV muttering such pleasantries as "F--k you!" and "...f--king piece of s--t!" in the general direction of the Milwaukee dugout after dancing around an errant Eric Gagne heave.      Prince Fielder tried, oh Lord he tried, to get thrown out of the game in his final at-bat in the 9th.     He finally did, but only after multiple references to equine excrement hurled toward the home plate umpire.    It's not clear if Fielder was describing the arbiter's skills behind the dish or the Brewers' overall performance in the just-completed series.

        While one never wants to see his or her team humiliated, it would be nice to see your squad go down fighting.    Sadly, it took three games and eight innings before Milwaukee seemed to want to show any grit.       There's no doubt the guys were trying too hard, especially at the plate where guys like Ryan Braun were swinging at pitches they'd never hack at if their heads were in the right place.    Is it any coincidence that the Brewers finally started hitting in the bottom of the ninth Thursday, when the pressure was off and the Cubs were cruising 11-1?   

        As the latest embarrassment continued to unfold amid a flurry of Cubs long balls, TV analyst Bill Schroeder opined that the Chicago hitters looked "very comfortable at the plate".      I never played the game, but I've watched and heard enough baseball to understand the code: it's time for someone wearing blue and red to put set upon his ass, that Brewers pitchers aren't throwing inside and are letting Cubs batters have way too much leeway at the plate.         No one wants to see another player get hit but pitchers have to know when to throw inside and back a foe off the dish.       Throwing BEHIND Edmonds was obvious, and late.      Throwing up and in when things got out of hand Tuesday night might've averted some of the ensuing blood-letting.       Then again, the way the Brewers are hitting of late, what difference would it have made?

        Milwaukee was very lucky to have gone 7-0 on the last road swing.       Brewers hitters left TONS of guys in scoring position and needed several nights of late-inning heroics to complete the Cardinal sweep.     Those woes continued as Milwaukee lost two of three to the Astros last weekend at Miller Park, and they proved fatal in the Cub meltdown.      Until the trend reverses, look for the slide to continue.

        Baseball is a game of streaks--hot and cold.     St. Louis didn't hang it's head after getting swept at home by the Brewers--instead, the Cards did what good teams do by going to Atlanta and beating on the injury-riddled Braves.     The Redbirds have now passed offensively-challenged Milwaukee in the chase for the wild card.         There's plenty of ball to be played, and sure, it would've been nice to see the Brewers give the Cubs more of fight than they did this week.      It's four games out of 162.      That's a blimp, a snapshot.     It's on to Atlanta, with short memories and  hot bats.

        It would be nice to still have something to be playing for in September when the Brewers and Cubs have at it six more times.