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Cubs ruin Wrigley Field's 100th birthday party with brutal ninth-inning collapse

You had to figure it would end this way.

The Chicago Cubs can't have nice things, they've shown this over and over again. So on Wednesday when the team was celebrating Wrigley Field's 100th birthday, when everything was going well, when they took a 5-2 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks into the ninth inning, you had to figure something would go awry, that the collapse might be looming.

And collapse the Cubs did: there were two walks, an error, then a grounder that bounced off second base and into the outfield to bring in two runs. Even the bases were plotting against the Cubs! Then came the game-tying single and finally the two-out, two-run, go-ahead double to right field that Justin Ruggiano almost caught.

A catch would have sent the game into the bottom of the ninth tied, but Ruggiano missed it and hurt himself. He limped off the field. The Cubs were losing 7-5. It was literally insult on top of injury. The Cubs wouldn't score in their half of the ninth. That's not how these things go.

This Cubs collapse — like many others before it — led to face palms, head smacking and tears on the North Side. On this day, the fan experience was best summed up by this young fan, who is learning at an early age what it means to root for the Cubs.

Chin up, kid. This is actually a right of passage 'round Wrigleyville. In 20 years, you'll be telling stories about the first time the Cubs broke your heart.

So, in a way, you could say the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field ended exactly how it was supposed to, in the most Cubs way possible, in disappointment.

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Mike Oz

is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!