5/31/08 vs Rockies; W 5-4; (35-21)

For the last four games, the Cubs have trailed following the seventh inning stretch. All four times they rallied to win. Today they trailed, but only for one half inning. And that was the second inning.

The Rockies scored two in the top of the second, but Alfonso Soriano erased that lead with a two run homer in the bottom half. Ryan Dempster was on base after doubling in a run to help his own cause. He only made it through five innings today, but still did enough to pick up the win.

The Cubs added a run in the third and another in the fourth to extend the lead. The Rockies chipped away at it, but the Cubs pitchers had just enough to hold them off. Carlos Marmol struck out two and picked up the save, despite giving up a home run to Scott Podsednik.

SHOW was at the game today, and I am expecting a report on the atmosphere from him.

The six game winning streak matches the longest of the season for the Cubs. Ironically, it was the Rockies who ended the first streak. Tomorrow the Cubs will try to extend the current streak to seven games, and I will finally be there live to see it! Look for live posts from Wrigley tomorrow.

5/30/08 vs Rockies; W 10-9; (34-21)

Driving home early this afternoon I turned on the radio to listen to the Cubs. I was a bit dismayed to learn they were down by seven runs after only three innings.

Turning on the TV at during the top of the seventh, things weren't much better. At that point, the Cubs had managed to close the margin and trailed 9-4. They had scored three in the sixth on home runs by Fukudome and Edmonds.

Things didn't seem like they were going to get any better when the Chicago Blackhawks legends (Tony Esposito, Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull) butchered the seventh inning stretch. They started late, sang fast, and had to repeat the end to stay in time with the crowd.

That actually was the low point of the game as the Cubs exploded for six runs in the seventh inning to take the lead. A lead they would hold onto for the win, 10-9.

Mike Fontenot reached on a one out single to get things started. Henry Blanco followed that with a home run. Micah Hoffpaiur and Kosuke Fukudome singled to bring up Jim Edmonds. Jim had homered earlier in the game and was in position to endear himself to Cub fans. He didn't disappoint. He drove the ball to right center to score both runners. DeRosa came to the plate, still with one out, as the lead run. He drove a ball to left center that gave the Cubs the lead and the eventual win.

Carlos Marmol came in and struck out the side..on ten pitches total. Wood pitched the ninth. He walked the lead off batter....at least he didn't hit him...but was picked up my his middle infielders who turned a double play. A fly ball to Fukudome by Helton and the Cubs move to thirteen games above .500.

5/29/08 vs Rockies; W 8-4; (33-21)

The Chicago Cubs are officially one third of the way through the 2008 season. They own the best record in all of the major leagues. I hate to say this, but thank you White Sox for beating the Devil Rays today. They are also twelve games above .500 for the first time this year, thanks to thier 8-4 win over the Rockies. In 1908, they were 32-19-1 after the first third of the season. The 1945 team wasn't that far ahead and neither was the 2003 team.

The Cubs have become a team that can win late. This game marks the fourth game in a row they have scored after the seventh. Three of those brought them wins, the fourth was just an insurance run. The great thing about this team is the stoppers once we get the lead. The bullpen was dominant tonight, with Marmol and Wood striking out five of six batters faced.

The offense broke out and scored as many runs tonight as it had the entire seriers against the Dodgers. Everyone in the starting lineup recorded a hit, except Geovany Soto, who hit a sac fly for the GWRBI, one night after the sac fly to send it to extra innings. Maybe it is right time, right place. Maybe it is clutch hitting.

Micah Hoffpauir had a late pinch hit at bat and picked up his first major league RBI. Derek Lee hit his 13th home run tonight. Ramirez, Fukudome and DeRosa all doubled. Thank heaven DeRosa did. I picked him up in my fantasy league this week and he was hitless until that double. As a good Cub fan, I was considering dropping him so he could go back on a hot streak.

5/28/08 vs Dodgers; W 2-1; (32-21)

It took an extra frame, but the Cubs defeated the Dodgers 2-1 for their first series sweep since the Diamondbacks were at Wrigley two weeks ago.

Mike Fontenot doubled off of Chan Ho Park with one out in the tenth. Alfonso Soriano then singled to score Fontenot and give the Cubs the win.

We never get to that point if the Cubs didn’t work Takashi Saito for the tying run in the ninth. He came in to pitch the ninth with the Dodgers leading 1-0. Jonathan Broxton pitched the eighth in dominant fashion, striking out the side. Joe Torre still decided to bring in Saito.

I know Broxton is typically a one inning guy. He hasn’t pitched more than one inning since August of last year. He was coming off a blown save against the Cubs on Tuesday night so maybe Joe didn’t want to press his luck, but this dude was untouchable in the eighth. Hindsight is 20/20 but I would have run him back out there again.

Saito walked the leadoff hitter, Theriot. Then Lee almost ended the game with a home run, but it pulled foul down the left field line. After Lee flew out, Saito walked Ramirez. He fell behind Fukudome and allowed an infield single when he failed to touch first base while covering on a ball hit to James Loney. Geovony Soto hit a sac fly to right to tie the game. After Kosuke advanced to second on defensive indifference, DeRosa flew out to end the inning.

The Dodgers only run against Zambrano was a lot his fault too. With two outs in the fourth, he gave up back to back base hits. Zambrano then hit Matt Kemp to load ‘em up, and proceeded to walk in the Dodgers only run. That inning was his only real rough spot as he kept his winning streak…thanks to the Soto sac fly…intact. He threw 130 pitches over eight innings, seemingly getting stronger as he picked up two of his three strikeouts in the eighth. He scattered six hits and four walks on a night when the Cubs offense just couldn’t get things going.

Cubs pitching was dominant this entire series keeping LA to a run per game three days in a row. The Dodgers aren’t one of the more dominant run scoring offenses in baseball…currently ranked 20th …but they are top ten in batting average and on base percentage. Let’s still give some credit to the Cubs hurlers for a nice series. Especially considering our potent offense only put up a total of eight runs in three games. Dempster, Gallagher, and Zambrano shouldn’t have to pay for dinner any time soon if they are dining with the hitters.

So that puts the Chicago Cubs at 32-21. Eleven games above .500 for the second time this season. That is good for the best overall record in the National League. The only competitors are in the American League where Tampa Bay has an identical record and the Red Sox and Angels have each notched 32 wins, albeit with more losses.

The Cubs will open up another home series today, as the Colorado Rockies come to town for four games. The Rockies aren’t playing good baseball, having lost three in row to Philadelphia, and are scoring at a clip lower than the Dodgers. Fourteen games above .500 is a good position to start that long June road trip.

Wood vs Marmol

Editors Note: The majority of this was written prior to the appearance of both in the May 27th gave vs. Dodgers.

The debate started even before Sunday’s game. Should Kerry Wood really be the closer for the Chicago Cubs? Carlos Marmol who has been electric this year and many of the Cub faithful are clamoring for him to be given the chance to close. Well, he was given the chance Sunday, and he didn’t come through. His blown save appeared to rest more on the shoulders of Soriano than himself. I disagree. Marmol allowed a walk to Freddy Sanchez that put his fate into Soriano’s defense. He has no one to blame but himself. Then on Monday Kerry came back in and picked up a save in which, while not dominant, was impressive.

Woody has blown saves most often by hitting the lead off man. He has set the table for his own defeat, much like Marmol did Sunday. Marmol almost saved himself by inducing a Nate McLouth pop up. Kerry tends to give up true shots…mostly to Ryan Braun…once he allows a runner. Regardless, the key is that our closers cannot allow base runners with walks and hit batsmen.

So let’s take a closer look at the bullpen situation for the north side team, specifically Kerry and Carlos.

Durability
Woody has been used 24 times, Marmol 25 times. Carlos typically gets a little more work per game, totaling 32 innings this year to Kerry’s 26 2/3. That may be the key to the argument right there. While Kerry has gone longer than one inning twice, Carlos has done that nine times. He is physically more geared to get the Cubs through middle relief stretch than Kerry. If we save Marmol as our closer, are we going to bring him in to pitch in the eighth? If not, then we need another pitcher for the seventh, Woody for the eighth, then Marmol.
Advantage: Marmol

Strikeouts
Carlos has a higher strikeout rate, getting K’s on 39% of the batters he faced while Kerry is at 26%. That would be an argument for Carlos to be the shut down ninth inning pitcher. The margin narrows when we look at the ratio of strikeouts to innings pitched, but still favors Marmol who is over 1.4:1, while Wood is just slightly over 1:1
Advantage: Marmol

Free Passes
Kerry has beaned five hitters this year and walked five more. Carlos has hit only two batters, but walked ten. Broken down to innings pitched and this stat is a dead heat with each allowing .375 free passes per inning pitched. Kerry gets the bad wrap because of the hit batters leading off the ninth that resulted in blown saves. Carlos had the same misfortune in Pittsburgh, but all the media attention was on Soriano’s drop, not the one out walk.
Advantage: Neutral

Opponents Batting
Both are doing well in this stat, keeping opponents under the Mendoza line. Marmol has the better numbers with opposing hitters batting only .123 against him. Woody isn’t bad at .185.

From a power standpoint, each has allowed a meaningless home run. Marmol has also allowed a game winner. (Side note, against Pittsburgh the decision is easier. Pitch Marmol in any inning Nate McLouth doesn’t bat. He has the only two dingers off Marmol this year, including the game winner.) But Kerry has given up more extra base hits, 6 to 5, than Carlos. That results in a higher slugging percentage against Wood.

However, Kerry elicits more ground ball outs than Marmol. Ignoring strikeouts, because we have them in a separate category, Kerry is getting more effective outs when the ball is put in play. 40% of the balls in play against Woody are ground ball outs. Only 30% of the balls in play against Carlos are ground ball outs.
Advantage: Marmol

So if I have to decide, as Jim Hendry, whether I want Marmol or Wood as my closer, I take Marmol. He is putting up better numbers and is more dominant. But, the decision isn’t between them in a draft. With both on the team, making the decision as Lou Piniella, I continue to use them in this fashion. Marmol goes first due to his durability. He can get us out of the seventh and eighth, with Wood pitching the ninth.

5/27/08 vs Dodgers; W 3-1; (31-21)

It wasn't a nice evening, weather wise. Temperature at game time was a brisk 42 degrees with a 19 mph wind. That didn't stop 39,894 of the Cub faithful from showing up to see the Cubs take a two game to none lead on the Dodgers. The Cubs clinched their first series win in over a week with a 3-1 win for the second night in a row.

The pitchers, with some help from the elements, kept the hitters at bay most of the game. The Cubs broke out in the seventh inning. Maybe they should have Tommy Lasorda sing the seventh inning stretch more often. Ronny Cedeno led off with a walk, but was out at second when Ryan Theriot (pinch hitting for Gallagher) tried to sacrifice. Soriano singled and Theriot made it to third. Mike Fontenot squibbed one between third and short to score Theriot. When the ball was misplayed, the Cubs ended up with two runners and still just one out. DLee flew out to bring up Ramirez. After getting down 0-2 in the count, Ramirez worked Jonathon Broxton for eight pitches and singled in an insurance run. That was a very solid at bat, some think his best of the season.

Kosuke Fukudome made a couple great defensive plays. In the sixth inning he robbed Andre Ethier on a diving catch coming in a low liner. Then in the eighth, he made it look easy as he sprinted a long way into right center to rob Juan Pierre of extra bases. Jim Edmonds made a nice running catch in deep center, no theatrics on his part this time, on James Loney in the sixth right after Kosuke's diving play.

Marmol and Wood finished up for Gallagher, who himself went seven strong innings to earn the win. Marmol didn't make it easy walking the lead off batter and loading the bases with only one out. To his credit, he settled in and worked out of it with no runs allowed. Woody pitched the ninth without hitting a single Dodger. He picked up two strikeouts along with his twelfth save.

5/26/08 vs Dodgers; W 3-1; (30-21)

Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are on a hot streak. They hit bookend home runs in the Cubs first and last at bats to drive in the only three runs Ryan Dempster needed today. Dempster shut down the Dodgers for seven strong innings, helping the Cubs remain the only major league team to not suffer a three game losing streak this year.

Kerry Wood got right back up that horse and rode, picking up a save and striking out two. Dempster's performance wasn't masterful, but he scattered his seven hits and three walks, limiting the Dodgers to one run. Bob Howry picked up a hold pitching the eighth for the Cubs.

The ivy covered friendly confines continue to be kind to the Cubs. They come back when they need a lift and always find it when they arrive. This wasn't domination, in fact the Dodgers outhit Chicago, but there is a magical way that the team gets all it needs to put together a win. Only the Red Sox and Braves have better home field records so far this year.

The Cubs will face off against the Dodgers in night games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Carlos Zambrano will get the ball tomorrow and Jason Marquis will take the mound Wednesday. The Cubs will look to put together back to back wins for the first time in over a week.

Should Soriano be in Left Field in the Ninth Inning

Defensive substitution. I am sure I have heard that term before, so I looked it up. According to Brittanica Online, “Defensive substitutions are common in the late innings of a game when a team is protecting a lead. A fleet-footed outfielder, for example, will replace a slower player who is more valued for his hitting.”

Maybe we should send this excerpt to Lou Piniella. What in the world are we doing with Alfonso Soriano in left field in the bottom of the ninth inning with a one run lead!? On Sunday we were down to our last available position player, Mike Fontenot. I have seen Lou use the last position player in the eighth inning, so that shouldn’t be an excuse. Soriano was the second to last batter in the Cub half of the inning, so realistically we didn’t have any expectation that he would hit again this game. Put Fontenot at second and DeRosa in left in this game. Maybe DeRosa misses the ball too, I don’t know. I just know we aren’t paying Soriano to catch. Good thing for him, he would be missing a lot of paychecks.

In a more typical game where we haven’t exhausted our bench, it appears we have multiple options to get him out of the game.

I haven’t seen Micah Hoffpauir play left field, so I can’t comment on his abilities. That would be one option if needed. When he doesn’t start, he has typically been used as a pinch hitter and a simple double switch does the trick.

DeRosa can be moved to right field with the insertion of Cedeno or Fontenot, and we can shift Fukudome to center and Reed Johnson to left field.

If Edmonds is playing center, insert Reed Johnson directly into left field. Like Hoffpauir, double switch with Johnson as your pinch hitter.

I am done blaming Soriano for his defense. His offense will make up for early inning mistakes. Ninth inning blunders now belong squarely on the shoulders of Lou Piniella.

Check out the artwork that typifies the Soriano experience.

5/25/08 @ Pirates; L 5-6; (29-21)

The Cubs appeared to be on their way to a win to wrap up this road trip. It was the bottom of the ninth, two outs, and one on base. Nate McLouth was facing Carlos Marmol, again. This time he didn’t hit a home run. He hit a fly ball that pushed Alfonso Soriano to near the warning track. Game over right…..wrong! Soriano lost it in the sun and it hit off his glove for a game tying double.

So for the fourth time this year, the Cubs and Pirates played extra innings. Today it only took two extra frames for Pittsburgh to get the best of Chicago. Soriano will be blamed for today’s loss, and in reality we do win the game if he makes the catch. There was a way to prevent that error, and it has nothing to do with Soriano. Marmol could have not walked Freddy Sanchez. Then McLouth never comes to bat.

Soriano’s dropped ball is inexcusable…unless you allow for the sun…but this is a 27 out game. The walk could have been an out if Marmol forces Sanchez to put the ball in play. There are certainly other opportunities to get an out during games that aren’t capitalized on, but the 27th out is most memorable. Offensively, the Cubs had chances to score more runs and make that dropped ball meaningless as well. It is a team game, and the Cubs lost today….not Soriano.

Early in this game the Cubs appeared to rolling towards another high scoring game. In the third inning they scored four runs. Soriano did his part in that inning with a two run homer to give the Cubs an early 3-2 lead. Paul Maholm had something to say about this being a high scoring day for the Cubs. He faced the minimum batters if five of the eight innings he pitched. The Cubs really only had scoring chances in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings. They didn’t capitalize in the sixth when they had two on and only one out with Fukudome and DeRosa hitting.

The Cubs head home still tied for first place in the central. The 2-4 road trip didn’t knock them out of first place, but tightened the race. Two blown saves, resulting in extra inning losses, to end the trip hurt so much worse. Especially when you consider that winning those would have given you a two game lead in the division and the best overall record in the major leagues.

There were positives individually on this road trip. Lee and Ramirez had struggled at the plate in the last home series with Pittsburgh. They broke out in a big way with DLee going 11 for 29 (.379) and Aramis going 11 for 27 (.407) on this six game road trip. In addition, DeRosa kept up his hot hitting, going 9 for 23 (.391) despite going hitless in a game at Houston to break up his hitting streak. He ended at eleven, and has already started a new three game streak.

Soriano went cold for about four games, but has his stroke back it appears. Micah Hoffpauir appears to be able to hit major league pitching and gives us another left handed bat when needed.

Starting pitching was decent. They allowed 20 earned runs over six games, and handed the bullpen the opportunity to win four of the six. The bullpen wasn’t horrid either, until the last two games with blown saves in the ninth.

Home sweet home. The Cubs are headed back to the friendly confines for seven games to try and get themselves right. They need to as they will be tested with four of their first five series in June being on the road.

5/24/08 @ Pirates; L 4-5; (29-20)

The Cubs were at PNC Park again tonight, looking to create a win streak. A win against the Pirates would put them eleven games above .500. These teams are playing for the eleventh time this year. The Cubs dominance has cast a rather negative pall on the Pirates. Take away the ten games against each other, and the Pirates are 21-17 and the Cubs are 20-18. These are TWO decent teams, who through a quirk of scheduling, will have seen each other a dozen times in their first 50 games when they finish up on Sunday.

The Cubs will have played 33 of those games within their division. That ends tomorrow as they go on a streak of 36 games outside the division. They won’t return to NL Central competition until July 4th against the Cardinals.

Dumatrait and Marquis gave up only two hits apiece through three innings to start this game. We were scoreless to start the fourth, but that was as far as that went.

Derek Lee started the fourth inning with a drive to center field that bounced on the warning track for a double. Aramis Ramirez then roped a ball to right field, but Jason Michaels made a great diving catch, which had he missed would have allowed for extra bases for Aramis. Proved to be a nice play as Geovony Soto doubled to drive in Lee right after that, and give the Cubs the lead.

That lead didn’t last long. In the bottom of the fourth, Marquis walked Nate McLouth with one out. Jason Bay followed that up with a two run shot to left center.

Theriot led off the sixth with a line drive up the middle that, unfortunately for both Theriot and Dumatrait, hit Dumatrait on the knee. While it may have hurt the Pittsburgh hurler for a while, it caromed to first base for an easy out for Theriot. That was a save for Pittsburgh, because the Cubs ended up loading the bases that inning. If Theriot’s ball goes through, that ends up a run for the Cubs. Fukudome walked on a 3-2 pitch that could have easily been called a strike. The bases loaded forced a pitching change, and then DeRosa struck out looking. Wasted opportunity.

The Pirates didn’t waste their opportunity in the sixth. Three straight singles by Bay, LaRoche, and Michaels extended the lead for the Pirates to 3-1. That drove Marquis out of the game. Howry came in and got an inning ending double play.

The Cubs finally broke out in the eighth inning, sending eight hitters to the plate and scoring three runs. Theriot walked, Lee singled, and Ramirez doubled to score both Theriot and Lee. Fukudome singled later that inning to plate Ramirez and give the Cubs a 4-3 lead.

That lead allowed Carlos Marmol to enter the game in the bottom of the eighth with a Cubs lead. Unfortunately, he started with a lead off walk. Then he proceeded to strike out three in a row! I love the emotion he shows after getting the last one looking.

Soriano led of the Cubs half of the ninth with a double, but was promptly picked off on a missed bunt attempt by Theriot. So Kerry Wood came in to the game with a one run lead and the chance to pick up his eleventh save. He started about the same way as Marmol, hitting the first batter of the inning. Please see my previous posts about how games end up when Woody hits the first batter. He followed that up by allowing a single to put the winning run on first with no one out. A well executed sacrifice bunt and both the tying and winning runs were in scoring position. Rivas then hit a line drive to Fukudome, but with the outfield playing shallow, it forced Kosuke to catch it going away from the plate and the tying run scored. McLouth was intentionally walked with good reason. He was the source of the Pirates previous win over the Cubs. A fly out to right field, and we are going to extra innings.

The Cubs are 4-2 in extra innings, 2-0 against the Pirates this year. This one didn’t turn out that way. Woody pitched another inning successfully before turning things over to Lieber, Eyre, and Wuertz. The Cubs mounted only one serious threat in extra innings. Soto and Fukudome led off with walks. Blanco laid down a bunt, but the Pirates made a great play with the third baseman fielding the bunt and throwing to shortstop covering third. Reed Johnson and Ronny Cedeno were retired to end the threat.

The Pirates finally ended this one in the 14th. Freddy Sanchez reached on an error by Theriot and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After intentionally walking Nate McLouth, Wuertz surrendered the game winning single to Jason Bay. Unfortunate for the Cubs those errors played a part in the loss, but due to the number of defensive changes it could be anticipated. Blanco playing first isn’t how we are going to start many games.

The Cubs have been struggling with game two as of late. Tomorrow they will try to win the series and fight to stay in first place. With the Cardinals win tonight they are in a virtual tie for first place in the NL Central.

5/23/08 @ Pirates; W 12-3; (29-19)

For the tenth time this year, the Cubs scored at least nine runs. That's an average of once every five games. In all ten of those games, the Cubs were victorious. The win tonight helped avoid that three game losing streak once again.


Tonight was also Carlos Zambrano night at PNC Park. I don't think there were any giveaways for the first 10,000 fans, but Zambrano led the Cubs with four hits tonight. In addition to his hitting, he held the Buckos to two runs through seven innings. In his last eight outings, Zambrano is 6-0 with a couple no decisions.


Chicago, who only had 13 hits total in their last two games, got all the kinks out tonight and put together 19 hits. They were consistent, scoring at least a run in each of the first six innings. They displayed power with a home run by Reed Johnson and six doubles in addition to the twelve singles. Aramis Ramirez and Reed Johnson led the way...for non pitchers....with three hits apiece. Ramirez scored three runs and Johnson drove in four runs.

Fukudome got the night off, and Soto went hitless. Everyone else contributed. DeRosa started a new hitting streak. Soriano had two hits, including a double, to get untracked. The team could use this kind of hitting all weekend to make a run at twelve games above .500. That would come close to the 1908 club, which was 32-18 after 50 games, but dropped the next two to be twelve games above .500.

5/21/08 @ Astros; L 3-5; (28-19)

The Cubs fell to the Astros for the second day in a row, losing the series in the process. This is the seventh time this season the Cubs have lost back to back games. It hadn’t happened in over two weeks, as the Cubs had won series with the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Pirates. With the Red Sox winning six straight, the Cubs now hold the third best winning percentage in baseball.

Recently promoted Micah Hoffpauir was the offensive highlight for the team. In his first major league start, he doubled in the first inning for his first major league hit. His second came in the seventh inning, another double. His two hits lead the Cubs, who managed only five hits on the night.

Mark DeRosa didn’t get one of those five hits, ending his streak at eleven games. Derek Lee did have a home run for the Cubs, moving him to eleven on the season. That puts him ahead of Soriano for the team lead. His two base hits last night recaptured the team lead for hits from Theriot who has gone cold. (Note to self, treat Theriot’s hot streaks like a pitcher during a no hitter….don’t talk about it) Lee also leads the team in runs scored.

Most of the damage from the Astros came on a three run shot by Carlos Lee. That was part of a four run third inning that put the Astros ahead to stay. Gallagher just wasn’t good tonight, but the Astros didn’t run away and hide. The Cubs had chances and lost by only two.

Today is a travel day. The team will regroup before starting a three game set with the Pirates tomorrow. Zambrano will be on the hill looking to help the Cubs avoid their first three game skid of the year.

5/20/2008 @ Astros; L 2-4; (28-18)

In six innings Ryan Dempster only walked two batters. Too bad for him both of them were on base in the fourth inning when Hunter Pence went yard. Baseball, as was told to me by SHOW, is situational. Those two walks don't mean anything if they are two out no one on, and in separate innings. These two were sandwiched between a leadoff single by Tejada and the aforementioned Pence dinger. So the National League leader in run support (min 60 innings pitched), gets a fantastic two runs…thank you Aramis….of support in this outing.

Aramis and Derek Lee continued to try and make up ground after their horrible series against Pittsburgh. They combined for five of the eight Cubs hits tonight. Mark DeRosa hit safely twice, extending his hitting streak to eleven games. He has raised his average from 257. to .311 during the streak. That was it for the Cubs offensively as they fell 4-2, all the scoring coming on two long balls.

Speaking of DeRosa’s hitting streak, the Cubs have the luxury of having more than one guy who can carry the team. Soriano’s hot streak continued through the Pirates series when Lee and Ramirez weren’t hitting. DeRosa started his streak just a day after Soriano, and has carried through to the Houston series. Soriano has gone cold, but D Lee and Aramis start their own hot streak, albeit two games. What other teams have that luxury? Run down the top 30 batting averages in all of baseball this year, and you’ll find four Cubs! Of the 47 major leaguers hitting above .300, five of them are Cubs!

Look at the standard lineup Lou Piniella runs out there.

Soriano
Theriot
Lee
Ramirez
Fukudome
Soto
DeRosa
Johnson

Isn’t Theriot supposed to be your weak spot there? He is in the top five of major league shortstops in batting average, hits, walks, and on base percentage. Of the three regulars not hitting over .300, Soriano and Ramirez are among them. Tell me a pitcher breathes a sigh of relief when those guys come to the plate? I don’t think so. There isn’t a break in this lineup, with a slight exception for Reed Johnson or Jim Edmonds, whoever is playing center on a given day.

Will the hot hitting be enough to get the Cubs through this year? Will different guys continue to take turns picking each other up? Will everyone stay healthy? Only time will tell, but I would expect they will stay among the top of the hitting stats all year.

5/19/08 @ Astros; W 7-2; (28-17)

In baseball, it often seems that the player set to lead off his team's next at bat will make a great play to end the previous half inning. That perception was validated in tonight’s' game. Derek Lee made a leaping grab to steal a double, maybe a triple, from Michael Bourn to end the third inning. Sure enough, he was the lead off hitter in the fourth.

However, he wasn't the story of the Cubs fourth. He simply flew out to start the inning. Aramis Ramirez singled, followed by a base on balls for Kosuke Fukudome. Then it got interesting.

Houston has one of the quirkiest outfields in all of baseball. Left field is a short porch with a high wall. Center field is as deep as any park and, oh yeah, has a 30 degree up hill slope in it. There are right angles on the outfield wall and at some spots home runs are determined by a yellow line on a flat wall surface.

This quirkiness came into play twice in the fourth inning. First, when Geovany Soto came to bat in the fourth following Ramirez and Fukudome reaching base. Geo ripped the ball to deep left center. The ball hit the yellow vertical line that separates home runs from a ball off the wall. It was ruled in play, but it was hit so hard it caromed back into center field. Michael Bourn had tracked the ball all the way to the wall, so it took him awhile to track down the ricochet. The relay throw was late and wide and Geo ended up with an inside the park home run.

Then in the bottom half of the inning, the Astros had scored one run to chip away at the lead, and it looked like they might tie it. With two out and one on, Hunter Pence drove a ball to the deepest part of the park. Jim Edmonds, known for playing a shallow center field, turned and ran..and ran...and ran...and caught the ball over his right shoulder running up the hill in center field. Classic Edmonds moment in only his second Cub start. That will start winning over fans who weren't real excited about Edmonds joining the team.

Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez both turned things around after going hitless against Pittsburgh. Aramis had two hits in his first two at bats. Derek drove in Theriot in the seventh for his first hit in sixteen at bats. Then in the ninth, Derek started the inning with a double and Aramis followed that with a home run.

Bob Howry gave the Cubs a one, two, three inning in the ninth to wrap things up. Carlos Marmol had relieved Michael Wuertz in the eighth, inheriting two runners with no one out. He coaxed an infield pop up from Tejada before striking out Berkman. A ground out by Carlos Lee finished off a spectacular appearance by Marmol.

Soriano’s hitting streak came to an end, but the other seven regulars put together thirteen hits. Kosuke broke out of his road slump going 2-4. In all this, we almost forget the performance by Ted Lilly. He went into the sixth inning before being pulled. He struck out six, while allowing only four hits and two walks. He earned his fifth win on the season moving him above .500. In all aspects, this was a great way to start the road trip.

5/18/08 vs Pirates; W 4-3; (27-17)

The Cubs took the series finale today and finished their homestand 8-2. Yesterday I referred to the game as one of the 60 losses you almost surely chalk up during the year. The win today was one of the middle 42 games that good teams win and bad teams lose.


On a day where the Cubs managed only four hits, they squeaked out a 4-3 win. They took advantage of walks, stole bases, and got timely hitting to make the most of the few hits they could muster. In the three innings they scored, they had only one hit in each. All four Cubs that scored, originally reached base on walks.


Jason Marquis wasn't fabulous, but he managed. He gave up a two run homer in the first, but battled through six innings only giving up one more run. Then the bullpen did it's job. It was in full shutdown mode today. Allowing only three base runners in three innings, and recording strike outs for five of their nine outs, Bob Howry, Carlos Marmol, and Kerry Wood..save number ten, good for fifth place in the NL....showed fans what dominant pitching can do.

The Pirates ran out another lefty, so Edmonds continued to stay on the bench. Ronny Cedeno started at shortstop to give Ryan Theriot a rest. Micah Hoffpauir, called up to take Daryle Ward's roster spot, even got a pinch hitting opportunity today. Cedeno made the most of his opportunity with an RBI single.

The Cubs came into this homestand two games out of first place. They leave two games ahead of the Cardinals, in first place overall. They have definitely taken care of business at home, and now need to improve their play on the road. This week they are at Houston for three games and Pittsburgh...again, for their 10th, 11th, and 12th games this season...with a chance to prove they can win on the road.

5/17/08 vs. Pirates; L 6-7; (26-17)

Alfonso Soriano....seems like we're starting with that a lot lately...went five for five today. He has five straight games with a leadoff hit. He gave the Cubs the lead in the second, homered in the fourth to extend the lead, and homered again in the seventh to tie the game. But it wasn't enough. Nate McLouth homered off of Carlos Marmol in the ninth to give the Pirates a two run lead. Soriano scored again in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead to one, but the Cubs still fell short.

Zambrano wasn't sharp today, getting pulled in the fifth inning. That was his shortest outing of the season by two full innings. He still didn't get saddled with the loss thanks to Soriano's seventh inning game tying home run. Carlos Marmol had his first real negative of the season. He hadn't recorded a loss, blown save, or even messed up a hold so far. Nate McLouth put an end to that. The bullpen had done a fine job shutting down the Pirates since taking over for Zambrano in the fifth. The shot by McLouth was the only mistake, but proved to be most costly to the Cubs today.

Offensively, (besides Soriano) Ryan Theriot had two hits for the Cubs. The second allowed him to pass Derek Lee for the season lead in total hits on the team. He now holds the highest batting average of any position player on the team. DeRosa was the third Cub with a multi hit day. The hole in the lineup was in the three, four, five hitters. Lee, Ramirez and Fukudome went a combined zero for twelve. That isn't going to happen every day.

This game is one of those 60 losses you know you'll end up with. The key for a championship caliber team will be to bounce back tomorrow. With the series tied at a game apiece, the Cubs will look for a win on Sunday to take their third series in a row on this homestand.

5/16/08 vs. Pirates; W 7-4; (26-16)

Today was Alfonso Soriano drawstring bag day at Wrigley Field. It was also Alfonso Soriano leadoff home run day for the third time this week! He followed that up with a home run in his second at bat, giving him four rbi and extending the Cubs lead to 6-0. I am not sure what he did while he was on the disabled list, but it sure worked. He has given this team the boost they need and solidified himself as the leadoff hitter. Hitting is contagious, and the example set by Soriano in leading off the game is definitely helping the rest of the team.

Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa added solo shots and Aramis Ramirez had the only other Cubs rbi on a groundout. The Cubs only outhit the Pirates 8-7, but used the long ball to make their knocks more productive than the Pirates hits. The Pirates rallied in the eighth with two long balls of their own. That only served to make the game close enough for Kerry Wood to earn his ninth save. Woody pitched a perfect ninth in what would have been just another non save appearance, except for the three runs given up by Howry in the eighth.

Defensively, Kosuke Fukudome got a day off. Ronny Cedeno started at second base which moved Mark DeRosa to right field. He made a great play in right field to end the fifth inning. Freddy Sanchez hit a long fly ball that DeRosa had to run for. The wind continued to carry the ball and DeRosa had to make a leaping catch that caused him to tumble and roll into the ivy covered wall. I think he could have made the play more routine, but has already learned from Edmonds how to milk those into a Sportscenter Top 10 play!

Edmonds had the day off today with the left hander Gorzelanny pitching. He probably will sit again when lefty Zach Duke throws for the Pirates in the next game. Carlos Zambrano will be on the hill for the Cubs as they attempt to move to 8-0 on the season against the Pirates.

5/15/08 vs Padres; W 4-0; (25-16)

Ryan Dempster threw 8 1/3 strong innings, drove in the first Cub run, and scored the third run. I am surprised they didn't have him sing the seventh inning stretch. Dempster was truly dominant in his pitching walking only one and striking out twelve. Through seven he never allowed more than one base runner per inning.

Possibly his most interesting play of the day came on a sacrifice bunt in the Cub half of the sixth. He bunted the ball only a foot in front of the plate. As he came out of the box he stopped, getting run into by Padres catcher Luke Carlin. As he fell, Carlin picked up the ball and tagged him out. Ronny Cedeno advanced to second on the play. Len and Bob said it looked like he made contact with the catcher and then didn't know if he was automatically out or not, so he stopped. I think he knew Carlin had an excellent chance to throw out Cedeno at second and stopped on purpose. Once contact was made he flopped as though it were all accidental. Hysterical to watch, and ultimately pointless since Cedeno didn't score, Dempster was involved in everything today.

Kerry Wood was much more dominant today striking out the last two Padres to earn a save. I know yesterday I said a four run lead precludes a save opportunity, but today the tying run was on deck as their were two base runners on when he entered the game.

Greg Maddux didn't have it as good in his return to Wrigley. All the Cub hitters except Theriot managed to get a base knock against Maddux before he left during the fifth inning. He still received a nice standing ovation from the crowd as he departed.

Despite the slew of hits today... thirteen in all... the Cubs scored only in the fifth inning. Consecutive singles by Cedeno, Blanco, Dempster and Soriano were followed by a sac fly from Theriot. Then Derek Lee doubled in the final two runs of the day.

Caught up in the middle of all this was Jim Edmonds first game as a Cub. Edmonds singled with no one on in the bottom of the second. His first chance with men on base he hit into a double play. Too early to put a verdict on this obviously. The bigger question was why Kosuke didn't move into the second slot. Cedeno and Blanco were in the lineup, so maybe it will change when Soto and DeRosa start. Edmonds hit sixth today behind Kosuke with the traditional first four hitters staying in their slots.

I would expect a move to the second slot for Kosuke tomorrow with Theriot dropping to eighth. Soto and DeRosa will probably hit sixth and seventh following Edmonds in the five hole. Sean Gallagher will go for his first win, as we start a three game set with the Pirates. The Cubs and Pirates are the only two teams not playing interleague games this weekend.

The Pirates come in hot, winners of eight of their last ten. They are actually sporting a record above .500 in games not against the Cubs. The rest of the NL Central matches up against other hot teams as well. Houston, themselves winners eight times in their last ten tries, faces Texas who is 7-3 in the same stretch. St. Louis will contend with Tampa Bay, currently in first place in the AL East and 8-2 over their last ten. Milwaukee is the only NL Central team playing a team that isn't hot. Too bad it is the Red Sox and the series is at Fenway. The BoSox are 14-5 at home, and the current trend of losing has been on the road. Should be a good weekend of baseball all around.

5/14/08 vs. Padres; W 8-5; (24-16)

Jake Peavy struck out eight in just four innings. Luckily for the Cubs, of the fourteen hitters that didn't strike out, nine of them reached base safely. The Cubs took advantage and scored four runs to chase Peavy after just four innings.


Alfonso Soriano got the Cubs off to a good start with his second leadoff home run in as many nights. In the second inning he drove in two more runs to give the Cubs a 3-0 advantage. Geovany Soto contributed in the third inning with an RBI single extending the lead to four runs. Peavy did strike out three hitters in a row to end the fourth, before being lifted for pinch hitter in the fifth.

Ted Lilly pitched an excellent game striking out eleven in six innings. He has now won all three of his starts in the month. Carlos Marmol pitched a perfect two innings, striking out the side in the seventh. Kerry Wood didn't make the ninth inning easy, giving up three hits and a walk, but did get out of it with only one run. It was not a save opportunity for Woody, due to the four run lead.

The offense was hitting on all cylinders today, with the eight position players rapping out fourteen hits. Derek Lee went hitless for the night and Reed Johnson managed only one hit, but the six other starters all hit safely twice, with Kosuke Fukodome getting three hits. Kosuke probably moves to the two hole with the addition of Jim Edmonds to the lineup. His skills, in my opinion, are better used in the two hole anyway. If Edmonds breaks out of the slump he has been in all year, the lineup gets that much stronger.

The final game against the Padres is an afternoon start, facing former Cub Greg Maddux. The Cubs will try take the series three games to one before the Pirates come to town.

5/13/08 vs Padres; L 3-4; (23-16)

If I tell you the Cubs scored three runs, the expectation is that they lose. That is the right expectation for last night.

The Cubs were out to an early lead with Alfonso Soriano starting off the Cub half of the first with a solo shot. He added a single in the fifth inning to continue his hot hitting. Reed Johnson then doubled in the second inning to score two more runs and put the Cubs ahead 3-0.

Jason Marquis wasn't bad, but he wasn't good either. The Padres got five of their ten hits in the fourth inning and scored four runs. That proved to be enough as the Cubs couldn't manage to break through for the rest of the game.

What positives do we take from this night?

• No one got hurt. This was a sloppy mess as the rain started shortly after the first pitch. Derek Lee made a great diving play at first late in the game. He didn't get his uniform dusty or dirty, but muddy. It was caked on the front of his pants and shirt.
• We weren't going 10-0 on this home stand. 9-1 is our best ten game stint this year. I just thought the loss would be against Peavy.
• Soriano continued his hot hitting. In the Cubs last six games, Soriano leads the Cubs in nearly all offensive statistical categories; hits, doubles, home runs, rbi, runs, total bases, average, slugging, on base percentage. AND....he hasn't struck out in those six games.
• Our closest competitors in the central, St. Louis and Houston, both lost. We maintain our margin even with a loss.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains...Nuke LaLouche in Bull Durham. Tonight we got two out of three. Other than Peavy being on my fantasy team, here's to hoping the Cubs offense was waiting to show they can beat Peavy.

05/12/08 vs. Padres; W 12-3; (23-15)

Chicago jumped out to an early lead over the Padres tonight. In the first inning Ryan Theriot singled and scored on a double by Derek Lee. The Padres tied the game in the third, and then took the lead briefly in the fifth with a solo home run by Jody Gerut.

The Cubs quickly responded in the fifth. Carlos Zambrano started the fireworks himself with a lead off double. Then things got really interesting. Alfonso Soriano homered to left on a 1-2 count to regain the lead. Eight batters later the inning finally ended, with the Cubs tallying six runs in all. They didn’t even record an out until the 9th batter hit that inning. It looked like this:

Zambrano doubled
Soriano homered making it 3-2
Theriot walked
Lee singled
Ramirez singled making it 4-2
Fukudome walked
Soto singled making it 6-2
DeRosa singled making it 7-2

Reed Johnson was up next and hit the ball sharply up the middle. Randy Henn got a glove on it to slow it down and Iguchi fielded it right at second base making for an easy double play. Zambrano struck out to end the inning.

Zambrano retired the Padres in order and the Cubs half of the sixth looked a lot like the fifth inning did. Again they sent ten hitters to the plate and scored five more runs. If the Cubs can hit like this when it is cold, what will happen when it warms up?The team seems to be surging at this point. Of the starters, Fukudome was the only one not to get a hit. That probably had to do with him drawing three walks in his five plate appearances. Five of the nine starters…including Zambrano…had two hits. Both of Soriano’s hits were extra base knocks. Which makes me question the decision, reported on cubs.com, that the Cubs are considering adding Jim Edmonds. Why screw around with something that is working? Is a left handed hitter worth messing with the chemistry of this team right now? For that matter, he is hitting .178. Pie is hitting .222 now. For more options on left handed hitters available, you need to read Show Is Crazy When It Comes To Cubbies.

My vote goes to leaving the team alone while we sort out pitching. We are back in first place, leading the league in runs scored, let’s not fix that which isn’t broken.

Padres-Cubs Preview

Padres-Cubs Preview Serving Henderson, Transylvania and Polk Counties North Carolina BlueRidgeNow.com

5/11/08 vs Arizona; W 6-4; (22-15)

Rain rain go away...Big Z can pitch another day.

Due to the messy conditions surrounding today's game, both Big Z and Randy Johnson were scratched from their starts. Instead Sean Gallagher squared off against Edgar Gonzalez. Not exactly a marquee pitching match up.

For Gallagher, this was his first career MLB start. He did an admirable job for 4 1/3 innings. He ended up being charged with all four earned runs, but the last two of those came on bases loaded walks by Chad Fox in relief.

That fifth inning took away a Cubs lead provided by a Derek Lee home run in the third inning. The game stayed at 4-2 until the Cubs half of the seventh. With one out, Fontenot got a free pass and Reed Johnson followed that up with a game tying two run homer, his first as a Chicago Cub.

With the game tied, Carlos Marmol was brought it to pitch the eighth. Three up three down with two strikeouts. Let's go hit again.

In the Cub half of the eighth, Aramis led off the inning with a single and stole second base. Kosuke Fukudome laid down a perfect bunt that came to rest inches from the foul line to put runners at first and third with no one out.

Geovany Soto came to bat with Daryle Ward on deck ready to pinch hit. Soto only managed to squib the ball in front of the plate. That advanced Fukudome to second, but Soto was out at first. With a base open, Lou pulled Ward back before he was announced. Soriano was brought in to pitch hit for Marmol instead of Ward. As expected, he was intentionally walked to load the bases. Now Ward pinch hit, this time for Pie, and he delivered for the second day in a row. This time it was a two run double to give the Cubs the lead for good.

Kerry Wood came in to pitch the ninth. As bad as things have gone for Kerry when he hits the lead off batter, hitting the second batter proved to be no problem. Theriot made a nice play up the middle flipping to Fontenot who turned the double play to end the game.

The sweep of the Diamondbacks, combined with the Brewers taking two of three from the Cardinals, puts the Cubs back into first place for the first time since April 30th. It's hard to understand, much less explain, the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this team. When they took the two games from the Mets, they were looking like they would join the 1985 Bears as one of Chicago's greatest teams. Then they went on the road and started a streak that reminded you more of the Bad News Bears. I am sure if Lou finds out the secret, he'll have it bottled and included in the pre game meal.

Now the struggling Padres come to town for a four game set. They are 3-7 in their last ten games, though they ....like the Cubs....have turned around as of late taking the last two from the Rockies. The last game of the series will be especially interesting as Greg Maddux is scheduled to start for the Padres in an afternoon start at Wrigley. The Cub faithful still like Greg, but on that day they'll be rooting against him.

5/10/08 vs Arizona; W 7-2; (21-15)

Bullpen Brian called it. He felt Alfonso Soriano was ready for a breakout. Boy did he breakout! Four hits on the day, including another extra base hit. Looking back, I have to agree with SHOW, who commented on my Soriano rant that with the rest of the team hitting so well, we could wait for Soriano to get hot. Well, he got hot just when we needed him didn't he. Coming off of a stretch where we scored more than three runs only once in eight games, now was the time for him to get hot.

Dempster threw well....but didn't get the win.....AGAIN! I said it before and I'll say it again, this guy's record doesn't reflect how well he has pitched for us. He went six innings giving up only two earned runs and struck out seven. The two runs came in the sixth when he was getting to the point of needing pulled. He ended up with 118 pitches on the game. Five scoreless is solid against this team.

We aren't talking about an offensively challenged team here. The D'backs lead the NL in slugging percentage, total bases, and OPS. They are second in runs scored to the Cubs.

Our bullpen was off the hook again! Eyre, Howry.....yes Eyre and Howry... along with Carlos Marmol all posted shutout innings. Collectively they only allowed one hit and one free pass in three innings.

Sunday...Mothers' Day...Big Z takes the mound against the Big Unit with a chance to sweep the series. I really wish it was Fathers' Day so I could hang in front of the TV.

Home Sweet Home, Part Deux:

• Kosuke hit his second home run of the season yesterday. What happened to this guy on the road? I mean, Wrigley Field isn't exactly home for a guy who grew up in Japan!
• The Cubs are now 13-6 at home. They are 8-9 on the road.
• At home this team is slugging .499 while on the road that drops to .368. Team batting average is similar dropping from .314 at home to .246.

5/9/08 vs Arizona; W 3-1; (20-15)

Home Sweet Home!

The Chicago Cubs returned home and ....for today at least....cured all that ails them.

• For only the fourth time this year, we won while scoring 3 or less runs
• We broke the pattern of win one, lose two
• They beat the team with the best winning percentage in the majors....presumably the team they will have to beat to get to the World Series

Ted Lilly backed up his solid performance against St. Louis with a season high ten strikeouts in seven innings. The home run in the first inning by Chris Young was the only run allowed. Stephen Drew tripled in the third, but no other Diamondback made it past second base. Lilly also helped his own cause with a single in the fifth to score Mark DeRosa.

Soriano followed that single with a two out double to give the Cubs the lead. It was Alfonso's only hit of the day, but came at a key point. His performance lately can be commended. He has four extra base hits in his last six starts. Derek Lee added an insurance run with a solo shot in the eighth inning.

Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood took care of the last two innings. Each struck out one in their respective inning. Watching the game, I was a little concerned with Woody. His last two outs came on 0-2 pitches that got way too much of the plate. That will burn him at some point. For today though, we rejoice. We're back home....we beat a good team...with a good pitching performance by somebody other than Big Z or Dempster...and Fukudome got a hit. Now if the Brewers will just beat the Cards!

5/7/08 @ Reds; L 0-9; (19-15)

The Cubs were shut out a day after Carlos Zambrano threw his own shut out. That's the second time this season that Big Z has turned in a shut out, only to have the Cubs offense blanked the very next day. But this wasn't just a shut out, this was a blowout.

The Reds offense put up nine runs, all coming off home runs. Seven home runs to be exact, three of them by Joey Votto. Four of them in the second inning. That inning put a quick end to Jon Lieber's first start. He gave up seven hits, four home runs, and five earned runs in that short stint.

From that point on, I believe the Cubs may have been on cruise control. The Reds were too, especially Votto, but I think the Cubs phoned this in after two innings. The only time they put two hits together in an inning was in the fifth, and that was after we already had two outs.

Have you ever been on a long business trip, and on the last day, you just can't give the last meeting your best performance. All you can think about is getting home. I think that may be where the Cubs were today. They have played 11 of their last 14 on the road, with little success. Following today's game they head home to spend a day off and start a ten day ten game homestand. I have to believe that most of the guys, while still actually trying, chalked this one up after that rough second inning.

Unbelievable to me is the continual win one, lose two streak we have been on, and we kept that pattern going today. Oddly enough, we also kept up the pattern of getting shut out the day after Big Z throwing a shout out. I tend not to believe in fate, but these trends are weird. It forces me to look for a positive somewhere, and I've found it.....In 1908, through 34 games, the Cubs had been shut out twice, the same as the 2008 Cubs! Okay that is a stretch but at this point I am grasping for anything.

5/6/08 @ Reds; W 3-0; (19-14)

Big Z. Enough said. 5-1 this year in eight starts. He has two of the three wins for the Cubs when we score 3 or less runs. He has been shutting down nearly everyone he faces. His only loss was to Philadelphia when he gave up five earned. In his two no decisions, he went thirteen and gave up only one earned run. He was on track to be the winning pitcher in the second game until Woody blew the save. Oh yeah...he also has both of the teams shutouts this year.

Aramis Ramirez returned to the lineup and immediately produced with a first inning single scoring Theriot. That proved to be all that Carlos needed. Ronny Cedeno provided the insurance runs driving in D Lee and Ramirez who both walked.

Theriot and Soriano both had two hits in the game to lead the club. Geovany Soto extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the eighth inning.

Now we just need to break the pattern of losing two games following each win. Jon Lieber makes his first appearance this year as a starter in a day game against Cincinnati and try to make that happen.

Ryan Dempster and Run Support

There are three kinds of lies; lies, damned lies, and statistics.....Benjamin Disraeli

Statistics lie…especially in baseball. During Sunday's game, ESPN showed the statistic that Jason Marquis has the league's best run support. Ryan Dempster is second according to them. Recognizing some of the poor offensive showings the Cubs have given Dempster, I found that hard to believe.

Then Monday night, the Cubs...these same Cubs who give massive run support to Ryan Dempster...committed two errors in three innings. That hangs the loss on Dempster even though he threw six innings, gave up no earned runs, and allowed only four hits and one walk while striking out seven. That should be the line for a winning pitcher every time.

Let's take a closer look at the run support statistic. When ESPN reported that both Marquis and Dempster had run support above 9, I perceive they think neither is a great pitcher. You may remember, I wasn't a fan of Marquis last night, so let's concentrate on Dempster.

Run Support 6 0 7 10 2 13

Earned Runs Allowed 1 0 4 3 2 3

Decision W ND W W ND W

Do you see where the statistic lies? An AVERAGE of 9 runs per game seems like he would be 6-0. Instead, because of the two games where they really piled on, and two games where they couldn’t score, he is only 4-0. A consistent run support of five runs per game would have made him 6-0.

So now the pitcher with the second highest Run Support in the league is 4-1 in seven appearances with a 2.72 ERA. Statistics lie.

5/5/08 @ Reds; L 3-5; (18-14)

One step forward, two steps back. The exact path this team has taken since they left Wrigley Field on April 22nd. Win one, lose two. Repeat three times. That gets you to 4-8, and moving towards the bottom of the standings not the top.



Today the Cubs committed two errors in three innings which led to five unearned runs. The offense didn't come through with the big hit when it was needed. Ryan Dempster, through no fault of his own, suffered his first loss of the season.



Soto homered in the third, but other than that the Cubs were shut down by Johnny Cueto until the fifth inning. He actually helped avoid a huge inning with a great play. With Pie on first to lead off the inning, Dempster laid down a nice bunt, but Cueto fielded it and threw a bullet to second to cut down Pie, and Izturis was able to make the relay in time for a double play.



Good for him that they did, because following that play, Soriano singled, Theriot doubled, and D Lee singled to give the Cubs a two out two run rally. That put the game within striking distance which is where it stayed until the ninth.



Francisco Cordero came in for his fifth save opportunity. He had converted all four of his previous attempts. Fontentot and Pie singled sharply to start the inning. Daryle Ward came to the plate as the potential winning run with no one out. He scorched a ball to center field but right to Corey Patterson. At that point, Thom Brennaman and Chris Welsh were feeling a little nervous. All three Cub hitters had made more than solid contact.



Soriano came to the plate and somehow managed to avoid swinging at his favorite pitch, a breaking ball of the plate in the dirt. He walked to load the bases. Then came more of the same to Theriot. Finally one of the pitches got away from Bako and Fontenot tried to score. Replays showed he may have got in under the tag, but the ball definitely beat him there. Cordero continued to be wild and walked Theriot to load the bases for D Lee.



After working the count, Derek hit a ball sharply to first, and Votto barely beat him to the bag to end the game. The rally was exciting, but disappointing. I love the days when this major league leading offense goes off in a big way. Those days probably fall into the George Will automatic 60 win column. We need to be winning more of the middle 42 games.



The Cubs have only won two games when scoring three runs or less. They have only lost one game when they score six or more. Amazingly, they haven't scored four or five runs in a game all year. One key hit, or one key defensive stop, is going to make all the difference for this team this year. Lou needs to find a way to make that happen.

5/4/08 @ Cardinals; L 3-5; (18-13)

Take yourself inside the clubhouse before Sunday night's game. Larry Rothschild approaches Jason Marquis' locker to discuss the game plan. "I was just talking with Lou, and we decided we aren't going to let Adam Kennedy beat us," Rothschild explains. "This guy is a career .276 hitter and we aren't going to take any chances. Pitch around him and get to Pujols. Lifetime he is only 4 of 16 against you and those are all singles."

That discussion couldn't have happened, could it? That was the result however. Adam Kennedy was walked in the first, as were two other Cards to load the bases. Marquis better buy D Lee a steak dinner or more for preventing that inning blowing up, or else he is on the bus with Rich Hill. After the Kennedy walk, Marquis strikes out Pujols. I love it when a plan comes together.

Then in the second...if Pujols is hitting twice in the first two innings things can't be going well...Kennedy singles to tie the game at two. We knew this guy could kill us. Pujols hits into a double play to end the inning. Marquis owns this guy!

Fast forward...not too far forward, remember we aren't mowing them down...to the fourth inning. Izturis is on second with two outs. The ever dangerous Adam Kennedy at the plate. Marquis glances to the dugout where Rothschild signals not to let this guy hurt us. Marquis issues the unintentional intentional walk. Now we can handle Pujols. Here is where the plan falls apart. Pujols doubles scoring not only Izturis but Kennedy too.

That proved to be the difference. Each team tacked on another run...St. Louis' driven in by Kennedy, this guy really did kill us tonight....but the two run lead prevailed.

The Cubs third run came in the seventh when they loaded the bases with no one out. Cedeno was hit by a pitch, Soriano and Theriot followed with singles. Unfortunately for the Cubs, D Lee and DeRosa (separated by a sac fly from Kosuke) continued their woeful night. Neither one got a hit all night and this inning would have been a nice time to break out.

That was it for the Cubs. Ryan Franklin and Jason Isringhausen mowed down the last six Cubs in order to take the series two games to one.

5/3/08 @ Cardinals; W 9-3; (18-12)

Shall I continue on my rant that the Cubs are better without Soriano? If so, we'll highlight how in the breakout fourth inning, Chicago sent ten batters to the plate and scored six runs. Soriano was the only Cub to hit twice and he made two outs.



On the other hand, in the seventh he doubled home Ted Lilly and in the eighth he drew the rare base on balls. That means after no hits in his first eight at bats off the DL, he is now 2 for 6 with a double, a home run, three rbi and two runs scored. Throw in the walk, and maybe he is getting back on track. With five walks so far this season, he is on pace for his second highest season total. Maybe Sports Illustrated was right and Fuku is rubbing off on the other hitters making them more patient.



At this point I am going to reserve comment on Soriano. I was probably quick to deride his play in two games, and it would be just as presumptuous to jump on the bandwagon so fast. If I do more than comment on his play for the next week, someone please throw an 0-2 pitch at my head and back me off.



The reality of the Cubs situation is they went through a tough streak. Including today's win, they are 3-7 for their last ten. Cub fans across the country have been in hiding lest they be told by the rest of the world that April means nothing and this is the beginning of the end. However, as SHOW pointed out, we are on pace to win 97 games. We have the third best record in the league and we all know the Cards are playing way over their heads. Arizona has the best record, but most of their games have been against their division rivals who all suck. The only team with a winning record is the Dodgers, and that is because of them playing well against the last three teams in the division. As I said in earlier posts, baseball is a game of averages. 9-1 in a ten game stretch was ridiculous. It had to average out and it did. We were playing .600 ball after the first ten games. Throw twenty more games on and were at .600 still. We just lumped all the wins in the first half of that stretch and all the losses in the last half.



Saturday's game was a nice comeback from a tough loss Friday night and the loss of Ramirez for the day. It appears his injury is just some swelling and he'll be back for Sunday night. Props for this game to my favorite LSU Tigers, Theriot and Fontenot. They were the bookends for the big fourth inning with Theriot scoring the first run and Fontenot finishing up with a three run shot.



I have been accused, rightfully so, of praising Theriot without noting his faults. I'll take my lumps for ignoring his faults, but let's look at what he's doing so far this season. On the Cubs he has the fourth best average, fourth most runs scored, and leads the team in stolen bases. He also leads in caught stealing, and his OBP isn't what it should be.

As for shortstops league wide, he is fourth in average, on base percentage, runs scored, and stolen bases. He isn't going to drive in as many runs as some of the premier shortstops, but in this lineup we don't need him to. I for one hope he continues this level of play all year.

Fontentot has come back around. Earlier this year I was fighting for him to get a chance at playing everyday and he promptly got one hit in a nine game stretch. Since then he has turned it around and is working a five game hitting streak. He is six of nine in that stretch, and again is making a case for getting more playing time. The only problem in this lineup is he is fighting everyone else. Soriano is the only everyday starter hitting below .275 and Ronny Cedeno is making a great case to play every day. I think we are going to have to live with Fontenot being a part time player, and a good one at that.

Kosuke had a fine day as well with two doubles, both driving in runs, and adding another hit as well. Geovany Soto had a couple ribbies as well, keeping the race for rookie of the year on one team.

In all this offense, we kind of left out Ted Lilly. Theodore Roosevelt Lilly...seriously, that's his full name... had his longest if not best outing of the year. He scattered six hits and only one walk over seven innings. In striking out four, he surpassed 1,000 career strikeouts. If that wasn't enough, he led off the scoring in the sixth by doubling himself and scoring on Soriano's double. Maybe Big Z and Marquis are encouraging our other pitchers to be more aggressive at the plate.

Tonight we try to win the series on Sunday night baseball. I'll be in front of the big screen watching in HD as I listen to the best broadcast team in baseball, Joe Morgan and Jon Miller.

5/2/08 @ Cardinals; L 3-5; (17-12)

I don't care if he hit a home run in the ninth to tie the game. If he could catch a fly ball then that would have been the game winner, but he can't. He should have done a rehab assignment. I don't care that he makes $15 million a year and you think you have to get your money's worth. We were playing better without him.

If cost is a concern, we can save money by letting him share a ride with Rich Hill who also needs some time away from the major leagues. He faced six hitters and he only threw ten strikes. It isn't like he had a strong showing in his first few appearances. We need to try someone new in this spot.

Back to Soriano...we're still in this game at 2-1 in the seventh inning. Bob Howry comes in to pitch. D Lee makes an error on Ankiel's grounder to start the inning. Then Pujols pops up and Theriot and Soriano point fingers at each other while letting the ball drop. Howry manages to get the next two outs, which should have ended the inning if either of the first two plays are made. Then Yadier Molina hits a fly ball that Soriano inexplicably breaks in on. Then, instead of busting his ass to make up for hit, he casually runs after it while it bounces into the stands for a ground rule double. Hey, you make a mistake and get the wrong jump, fine. BUT MAKE UP FOR IT! You know he can run faster than he did. Absolutely ridiculous inning.

Howry had to end up facing six hitters that inning. He got one ground ball, three pop ups, and struck out two. Good thing he struck out two, who knows what other defensive gaffs the Cubbies could have succumbed to. He came back in the next inning and got us another three outs. Props to him for a solid outing.

My question for Lou Piniella is...why take him out? Why bring in Woody in a tie game when you know you are going to need another inning because you didn't score in your half? Is Howry only good for two innings? I don't profess to be an expert in the management of the bullpen, but I think he could go more than 29 pitches. It might be a moot point. If he goes another inning, Woody goes one inning, then Fox is still in for the eleventh.

I know we had already been through quite a bit of the bullpen because of Hill's ridiculous outing, and I know we have to rest Marmol once in a while, but couldn't Marshall have thrown the ninth or tenth? Again, without the Cubs scoring in extra innings, I don't know when you ever get to the point you bring in Kerry.

I do give Lou credit for pinch hitting Big Z. With the early exit of Hill, and the number of projected pinch hitters he was going to need to use as he worked through his bullpen, that was a great way to save a position player. Turned out to be well worth it both because he got a hit, and because we needed to take Aramis out of the game.

His condition is my biggest concern coming out of this game. I am sure glad that Len or Bob mentioned earlier how neither he or D Lee had missed a start yet. Nice announcer jinx guys.

We have to get things turned around soon. 3 and 6 over the last nine games is our worst stretch of the year. Winning the last two at St. Louis is vital at this point.

5/1/08 vs. Brewers; L 3-4; (17-11)

Other than April, all Cubs games look alike. We have lost 4-3 to the Brewers in the only two games played this year outside the month of April. Glad we are done with them until July.

This seemed to be a game the Cubs were going to win. A pitchers duel through five with the only run being a bomb by Big Z himself. That one ties the Cubs franchise record of 13 home runs by a pitcher, held by Fergie Jenkins.

Ryan Braun tied it in the sixth, but the Cubs came right back to take the lead in the bottom half. Zambrano left in the top of the seventh and Carlos Marmol proceeded to strike out the first four batters he faced.

All looked good until the ninth inning. Like Yogi said, deja vu all over again. Remember Opening Day when Kerry Wood hit Rickie Weeks to start the ninth inning. Didn't turn out well did it. He gave up two hits and three runs. Maybe every time Woody plunks the first batter we go with someone else right away! Today he gave up three hits and three runs following the bean ball. That makes his third blown save of the season, but only the first one the Cubs lost. Opening Day didn't go as a blown save because he came into the game in a scoreless tie.

Goodbye first place. It was great for the eleven days it lasted. Now we are a half game behind St. Louis as we head to Busch Stadium for the weekend. Maybe that will be good motivation for the team.

Aside from the overall game itself, I noticed a couple interesting items.

Sixth Inning Plays at the plate

Geovany Soto stood in to take a whack from Prince Fielder and prevent the Brewers from taking the lead. Kosuke made a nice throw to get his first outfield assist from the year, but owes Geovany some thanks for hanging tough in there against a guy who has 50 pounds on him.

Then in the bottom half of the inning, the Cubs had retaken the lead on DeRosas sac fly. Soto doubled to drive in Aramis and third base coach Mike Quade wave Kosuke in. The relay was a nice throw that Kendall grabbed just a few inches from the ground, but for some unknown reason raised up to make the tag. Kosuke was clearly safe at home, but called out on an umpire presumption since the ball beat him there. Would have been a nice run to have.

Corey Hart vs Alfonso Soriano

I was slightly excited when the Cubs acquired Soriano. His numbers in 2007 were impressive, but this year he has started out slow. What probably bugs me most is he doesn't seem to take into account what the team needs in a given situation. Case in point.

In the bottom of the fifth, Yovani Gallardo is injured in a play at first. Len and Bob both thought he was headed for the locker room. He climbed back on the mound and fought his way through it. He was obviously limited in his mobility. Only two batters later, instead of bunting against a hobbled Gallardo, Soriano grounds out for the third time in a row.

Now compare that to Corey Hart. I can't really say I like Corey Hart. I don't even know why. Maybe because he wears his sunglasses at night. Regardless, he comes up in the eighth inning against Carlos Marmol, who has struck out the first four Brewers he saw. What does Hart do? Oh just drops a perfect bunt to get on base.

It isn't like Hart is exactly slow, he stole 23 bases last year, but for cripes sake he is the five hole hitter on this team. Soriano steals almost that many in his injury plagued years. This guy is hitting leadoff, he ought to be looking for anyway on base. Especially considering the guy is hitting a buck sixty four this year.

If Lou reads this, put Ronny Cedeno in. Left field, second base, I don't care. Get Soriano out of the lineup and let the guys who are hot play.

4/30/08 vs. Brewers; W 19-5; (17-10)

This win against the Brewers not only kept the Cubs in first place, it set the franchise record for wins in April. I see no other way to recap this game other than by the numbers. We'll do it in descending order.

19...The number of runs scored by the Cubs this game. That is the most runs scored by a Cubs team since May of 2001.

18...Geovany Soto's jersey number. Quite possibly rookie of the year's jersey number. Soto hit two home runs and led the Cubs with six RBI.

17...Number of wins in April. This sets a franchise mark and is the most since 1969.

16...RBI on the season for Ronny Cedeno. This guy has only had 45 at bats. He is crazy hot at the plate and Lou has to be looking at every option for keeping him playing.

15...day of Soriano's DL stint. He comes back tomorrow, projected to start in left and lead off.

14...margin of victory. This wasn't a slugfest on both sides, this was a blowout. This difference in runs beats the previous season mark (against the Pirates on April 19th) of twelve runs.

13...Number of position players with an at bat tonight. This time when Lou used the last of his position players in the eighth, the game wasn't in doubt.

12...pitches needed by Michael Wuertz to wrap up the ninth inning. It is his fourth straight game without giving up a run.

11...runs allowed by Brewers starter Jeff Suppan in only 3 2/3 innings.

10...times the Cubs have scored at least nineteen runs in a game during the last fifty years. Remember, we haven't been in a world series in 63 years.

9...Cubs hitters with an RBI. Soto led the way with six, Ramirez and Ronny Cedeno each had three.

8...doubles on the season for Kosuke Fukudome. Giving Geovany competition from within his own team for rookie of the year, this guy has been all we had hoped during his first month. He is in the top ten in batting average and on base percentage in the entire major leagues.

7...stolen bases on the season for Ryan Theriot. He picked up his seventh in the bottom of the first inning. That's good for second among shortstops on the season.

6...total hits for Milwaukee. Only four players reached base safely on a hit, Weeks and Braun each getting two knocks.

5...RBI off the bench for the Cubs. In addition to Ronny Cedeno who was mentioned earlier, Mike Fontenot and Daryle Ward each plated a runner.

4...Wins on the season for Ryan Dempster. That ties Zambrano for the team lead and is good for second place in the NL

3...batters faced by Carlos Marmol. Two of whom he struck out. This is another guy that has been lights out this year. Those two strikeouts bring his total to 20 on the season in only 16 innings.

2...home runs by Geovany Soto, becoming only the fourth Cubs catcher with two home runs and six RBI in a game. Did I mention him as a rookie of the year candidate?

1...major league game that had a run total ..by both teams...greater than the Cubs. The Rangers beat Kansas City 11 to 9 behind Josh Hamilton's (yes he's on my fantasy team) grand slam.

0...Hits by Felix Pie. The only starter in the Cubs lineup that had a donut hung on him tonight.