The Cubs give, and the Dodgers seize opportunity

CHICAGO -- We interrupt the whiny bleatings of sorrowful soused bleacher bums today to inject a bit of sober truth.

The bumbling Chicago Cubs didn't hand over Thursday's division series game.

The Dodgers took it.

The pinball-fielding, piñata-swinging Cubs didn't give away this 10-3 score.

The Dodgers grabbed it.

One hundred years from now, when folks in these same Wrigley Field seats are pining for their first world championship in two centuries, they will put down their Old Style mugs and Harry Caray masks and look back at the 2008 postseason as a Cubs disaster.

As usual after a few cold ones, they will be looking in the wrong place.

This wasn't a Cubs tragedy, it was a Dodgers triumph.

"Yeah, they made mistakes, but against good pitching in this situation, you don't always take advantage of those mistakes," said Andre Ethier. "Tonight we were given an opportunity to make something happen. And we made it happen."

Yes, the Cubs made two horrific errors that could have ended the Dodgers' five-run second inning before it started.

But in that same inning, the Dodgers pulled off a precise hit-and-run play, a preposterous bunt for a base hit, a perfect two-strike single and a pounding bases-loaded double.

Yes, the Cubs were so bad, every infielder eventually watched the ball bounce off his hands, while catcher Geovany Soto couldn't even properly throw the ball back to pitcher Carlos Zambrano -- twice.

But meanwhile, Chad Billingsley was painting nearly seven brilliant innings while Manny Ramirez was putting up three more great at-bats.

Yes, as the best-of-five series heads back to Los Angeles with the Dodgers holding a seemingly insurmountable two games to none lead, the Cubs have clearly collapsed.

But upon this wreckage, the Dodgers have grown, larger each night, an uncertain team from a lousy division now looking like a potential National League champion.

"We came in here hoping to win just one game," said Rafael Furcal with an amazed smile. "Now, we win two? That is big."

It is big enough that they have won more playoff games in two nights than in the previous 20 years combined.

It is stunning enough that nobody thought to turn on the clubhouse stereo with the trademark thumping victory music until 15 minutes after the game.

Outside, the cluttered Wrigley Field concourses reeked with rumpled and scowling fans trudging toward next spring.

"You don't get many chances in this game," said Russell Martin. "We did everything with this chance."