Thank heavens for David Ross, because otherwise Sunday's 11-5 Cubs loss to the Phillies would have been completely devoid of any fun at all.
Ross started warming up in the eighth inning in anticipation of making his second pitching appearance of the year. The Cubs' offense, moribund since the third, began to make some noise in that inning. Addison Russell hit a two-run homer, his sixth, bringing the Cubs to within seven runs. (Ouch.) Had the Cubs scored more runs in that inning, James Russell, who had begun to stir in the pen, might have come in.