This now marks the fourth straight game the Cubs’ bullpen has blown. One of the many weaknesses of last year’s team was the bullpen, but this year so far it’s been much improved. It’s hard to say whether the pen has just hit a bumpy stretch is falling apart altogether.

Today’s loss to the White Sox also clinches the season series in their favor. The two teams seem to be going in opposite direction. Really, the Cubs haven’t looked all that impressive. Manager Dusty Baker keeps saying that the team hasn’t really clicked on all levels yet — as if that yet is guaranteed. That’s part of his optimistic approach, I understand, but the truth is that unless some players really overperform, this team is not going to score a lot of runs.

The starting pitching will keep the Cubs in most games, but without a reliable pen this team is finished. Unless they trade for Lowell and Sosa regains 2001 form. I don’t think either of those will happen. Frankly, I’m not sure this team is worth a big mid-season trade. It’s a fine club, and I’m glad to see Patterson, Choi, Prior and Zambrano come along.

But if they were in any other division, we’d be talking about giving Bobby Hill a shot at second base and getting David Kelton some playing time somewhere, because they certainly wouldn’t be in a dead heat for first place.

No, Karen and I aren’t about to endure anything even remotely close to Biblical. In preparation for her parents’ visit to Chicago and — apparently, the apocalypse — Karen ordered 12 two-liter bottles of soda pop and six (6) jugs of drinking water from Peapod.

“They were on sale!” she said and, it’s true, they were. Only 99 cents each for the pop. But still. You’d have thought we were about to host a really big Boy Scout meeting or something.

I don’t even know if Karen’s parents drink soda. This no doubt will be the first evidence used at Karen’s trial for involuntary commitment to a mental facility.

It always hurts to lose this way (third straight loss attributed to the fast-dissolving Cubs’ bullpen), but to the White Sox?

It stings even worse.

… for “Masked and Anonymous.” Go here, and click on view trailer.

Twice in this series-opener against the Sox the Cubs have had the bases load with one out and Sosa and Alou due up. Twice Sosa has struck out and Alou has failed to get a hit.

D'oh! Cubbies are killin' me here.

Thank you, Joe Borowski — and Dusty Baker.

I guess it’s hard to blame Baker, though. Prior said himself it was a stretch for him to go out in the eighth, let alone the ninth. Borowski’s done the job all year. He just blew it this time, giving up a three-run homer in the ninth before even recording an out.

This was an extremely frustrating loss. Worse than yesterday, even. Damn Cubbies.

Sammy Sosa just hit a monster two-run shot, about 460 feet. Would have been nice to see it, though, because the game is only on the radio today. Whatever.

A nice change of pace to what was a rough day at work.

Here’s the trailer for Bob’s new movie, “Masked and Anonymous,” to be released in August. Can’t hardly wait.

Karen and I saw “The Animatrix” last night, and I thought it was really great.

There are many very interesting animation styles employed in these nine shorts inspired by “The Matrix.” Some work better than others, depending on your taste, essentially — but even those episodes I didn’t find mind-blowing had something to recommend them.

What “The Animatrix” shows very convincingly is how compelling the world of “The Matrix” is because it can be taken in so many directions, from MTVish teen angst to Chandleresque private eye to trippy ruminations on robot slavery.

It’s not crucial to appreciating “The Matrix” theatrical releases, but it’s an excellent supplement.

Check out Snuggle’s makeover, which includes galavanting about with a Brazilian supermodel. “He’s terrific on sheets,” a company exec says.

Thanks to The Agitator for the link.

P.S. Check out the Snugglezone.

Not only did the Cubs squeak out an 8-7 win to take the two out of three from the Yankees (which I guess I’ll have to settle for!), but by doing so they put the Red Sox into first place in the AL East by half a game.

Ha! Borowski made it too close for comfort in the 9th, but a win is a win. Lest the Cubs get swelled heads, they should realize this Yankees team is obviously slumping and Williams’ absence from the lineup has been a huge problem.

The Cubs finally beat the Yankees.

I’d love to have written that sentence after, say, a seventh game of a World Series. Unfortunately, Saturday’s game will have to do.

So among all the other lopsided Yanks-Cubs comparisons is this one: the all-time head-to-head matchup is now led by the Yankees 9-1. But we’ve got the one, thanks to a wonderful performance by Kerry Wood and a boneheaded move by Joe Torre.

Some might call it second-guessing, but I first-guessed it. Why remove Roger Clemens after only 84 pitches in the 7th inning of a shutout performance with a one-run lead? If it were the 8th and Rivera were coming in, I could understand the move.

But in what universe is Juan Acevedo a better bet to get the job done than Roger Clemens? I don’t care how bad Clemens’ cold was, it just didn’t make any sense. Torre ought to be ashamed for taking the game out of Clemens’ hands when it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

It paid off for the Cubs, though, didn’t it? And, thankfully, Clemens will have to get No. 300 somewhere else. Tonight will be Mark Prior against Andy Pettitte — should be lots of fun.

Only … they’ll have that damn advertising screen behind home plate again for the game, broadcast on ESPN. What a travesty.

One downer to come out of the game is the Choi injury. Of course it’s great that his scary tumble did not result in something worse, but he will be placed on the disabled list. With Sosa soon to serve his suspension, the Cubs will be struggling even more for offense. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cubs in third place a half dozen back by the time Choi and Sosa are back.

So the big Cubs-Yankees series begins today. It will be the first time the two teams have matched up in a non-exhibition game since the evil, evil Yankees swept the Cubs 4-0 in the 1938 World Series.

There are many reasons to dislike interleague play, but one of them surely is that now a Cubs-Yankees World Series, if it ever came to pass, would be a little bit anti-climactic. Cubs fans have often fantasized of their dear Cubbies beating the Yankees in the seventh game of the World Series in Wrigley Field.

Nothing would greater symbolize the Cubs’ finally having arrived than a matchup against baseball’s all-time winningest team.

But there is another factor: fear. At least a pennant-winning Cubs team would be a team worthy of the competition, unlike this year’s team, which has strong pitching and not much else.

I don’t hope for much, really. I’ve had enough joy for several lifetimes. All I hope for now is to avert the sharp thrusts of pain I’ll surely feel every time the Cubs lose to the Yankees. If there’s any of that good ol’ cosmic justice in this world, please let the Cubs sweep this series.

Please.

Please.

Please.