One Is Enough
Cubs Lone Run in Ninth Tops Padres, 1-0

Jody Gomez/US PRESSWIRE

This doesn't make up for the agony of 1984, but it still feels good: The Cubs basically knocked San Diego out of the playoffs by winning three of four against them. Tom Gorzelanny showed he's largely back from his hand injury by throwing six innings of scoreless ball. The game was tied at zero until the ninth, when Aramis Ramirez singled, Xavier Nady bunted him to second, and Brad Snyder (who?) singled home the winner. Carlos Marmol capped a wicked September by notching his 37th save, and the Quade Express keeps on rollin'.

ESPN Chicago: Padres near elimination after Cubs toss shutout [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Cubs' 1-0 victory puts Padres in playoff hole
CSN Chicago: Cubs bullpen gets it done in San Diego
MLB: Nady's bunt, Snyder's single give Cubs win [+ video]

Even the Losers
Sherman: Don't Believe the Hype on Cubs' Run
The Cubs have been on a nice run lately, but Ed Sherman says we shouldn't get too excited. "It isn't uncommon for a team that is out of it to suddenly relax and play good baseball," he says in his weekly Winners and Losers column. "It isn't necessarily a reflection good things are on the way." Thanks for the reminder, Ed — guess we'll hold off on printing our Cubs World Series 2011 t-shirts. He also lists Mike Quade as a Winner, but calls the Cubs a Loser for getting zinged by Stephen Colbert.

Crain's: Winners and losers: Don't go overboard on Bears start, Cubs finish

Here's the Pitch
Revitalized Rotation Has Led Turnaround
Hard to believe, but the Cubs went 5-20 in Lou Piniella's last month. Ouch. Well, they've gone 22-12 under Mike Quade, and everyone wants to credit the excitable Evanstonian. But the Trib's Paul Sullivan says Larry Rothschild should get some kudos, too, as the pitching staff turned it around by going 17-9 with a 3.55 ERA in September (and that's before Tom Gorzelanny's shutout last night). Carlos Zambrano has been a crucial part of the revival: He's allowed one or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts. Wow.

Chicago Breaking Sports: Pitching staff has keyed Cubs turnaround under Quade

'Sayonara' to Fukudome?
Outfielder May Have Played Last Game as Cub
Expectations were sky high when the Cubs signed Kosuke Fukudome in 2007, but his yearly fade and corkscrew-swinging strikeouts have made him just another disappointment. And while he's been decent the last few months, the former Japanese League MVP sprained his knee and won't play again this season, and Cubbies Crib wonders if he'll be back. Calling him a fourth outfielder on a contending team at best, the blog says, "he has played no different than fellow imported busts Kaz Matsui, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Kei Igawa." Ouch.

Cubbies Crib: Fukudome's season is over, Cubs' career as well?
ESPN Chicago: Fukudome may be done for the season

Genius or Pap?
Updike's Ted Williams Essay on Has Fans, Detractors
Man does not live by Cubs news alone. So every now and then, we'll run a story that's worth reading for its own sake. This week's story is John Updike's famous essay on Ted Williams, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," which just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Do you think it's a moving look at the last game of a misunderstood star? Or do you think it's schmaltzy, overly poetic ass-kissing? For what it's worth, Deadspin recently ran the story under the title, "Stories that actually do kind of suck."

Baseball Almanac: Hub fans bid Kid adieu

The Cubs' bullpen hasn't allowed a run in its last 20 1/3 innings... The Cubs have surrendered three or fewer runs in 13 straight road games, their longest streak since 1920... It's funny 'cause it's true: You've got to check out The Heckler's DVD for this past season, "Chasing Pittsburgh."

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