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.