Monday, June 30, 2008

6/30/08 @ San Francisco; W 9-2; (50-33)

Mark DeRosa had the game of his life. Two home runs...one a grand slam, six RBI, three runs, 3-4 with a walk. Final Score, Mark DeRosa 6, Giants 2. Oh yeah, it's a team game. Cubs win 9-2.


Matt Murton had two doubles on the night, and Geovany Soto had two hits including a double.


Another standout performance was Ted Lilly. Ted threw eight shutout innings, and Lou left him in for the ninth. Ted allowed two quick baserunners, eventually scoring and charged to Lilly, and got pulled. Woody finished it up for him.


That was Ted's eighth win in nine decisions. He compiled a 5-1 record in June, with the only loss being a 2-1 defeat where he went seven plus. He has turned around his season and established himself as the solid #3 starter. Lilly, Zambrano, and Dempster are the three Cub pitchers who have logged over 100 innings this year. Ted leads the team in strikeouts and is now tied with Dempster for the team lead in wins.


The Cubs haven't won back to back games since their series sweep of the White Sox...man that seems like forever ago...but will look to start a hot streak tonight.

Season Review - Half Way Home

This is your Chicago Cubs at the halfway point of the 2008 campaign.

¨ 49-32
¨ First place - Central Division
¨ Best record in the NL
¨ On pace for 98 wins.

This has been a year marked by streaks. The team has been hot and not so hot at different points this year. Currently, not so hot is an understatement.

But let's look closer at this erratic play in the context of the overall record. 49-32 is a .605 winning percentage. How does their streakiness compare to what is a pennant clinching winning percentage.

Right now the focus is on the losing streak. Going back to the series against the Rays, we are losers of 4 of the last 11. That includes our third home series loss, and it has Cub fans moaning.

But remember, we have three winning streaks of five games or greater this year…5, 6, and 9 games. As for losing streaks, we have only lost three in a row twice now in the first half of the season. Breakdown the Cub season into their streaks, and you find the following.

6-5 to start the season

9-1 streak in mid April

4-9 losing record carrying into May

9-2 in mid May

1-4 on a May road trip

16-4 once they got back home and got on a roll carrying them into June

4-7 here lately

The three big winning streaks have a 34-7 record. The losing streaks have a combined record of 9-20. When winning they play at a .829 clip. The losing streaks they play at .310.

That means the remainder of the season...those times between streaks....the Cubs are playing .545 ball. The numbers are still small for a sample size, especially because of the number of streaks. The “in between” is really the beginning of the season.

The key is to have hot streaks better than the bad streaks, and play consistent winning baseball in between. The Cubs are accomplishing that. They are playing .224 above their total when on a hot streak, and .295 below it when they go on a bender. The real key for this team is the winning streaks are longer.

If the Cubs continue, then we just have to worry about the NL winning the All star game so the Cubs have home field advantage throughout the post season. Playing four on the road in the postseason with our road record doesn't make me comfortable.

During the All Star break, I'll give my thoughts on player performance and potential needs.

6/29/08 @ White Sox; L 1-5; (49-33)

White Sox 5….Cubs 1. A four game losing streak…longest of the season. Aramis finished the series 0-13…..now heads off to deal with family issues for three days. Sean Marshall lost for the second time in two starts for Carlos Zambrano….at least Z is coming back Friday. Lou got run in the second inning…that may be a good thing. Last time Lou had a tantrum, we turned things around and went on a hot streak. Now we head off on a long road trip….at least we start with San Francisco.

I didn’t watch any of the game, so I’ll keep it brief. Each team put together seven hits. Problem for the Cubs, three of the White Sox’ were home runs…garnering them five runs. Buehrle seemed to work his way out of the funk he has been in and kept the Cubs at bay.

I am more concerned with how the team will respond when they head out for a real road trip. If we can bounce back, and get on a hot streak, then we will forget this weekend.

6/28/08 @ White Sox; 5-6; (49-32)

The Cubs lost again today, marking their second three game losing streak. The White Sox squeaked out a one run game, 6-5 today.

Derek Lee went big today, going 5 for 5. Mark DeRosa had a couple base knocks and so did Daryle Ward. What was up with Ward hitting fourth and Ramirez fifth. If Lee and Ramirez are in the lineup, they have been third and fourth every time. I don’t know why Lou chose this lineup.

Friday, June 27, 2008

6/27/08 @ White Sox; L 3-10; (49-31)

Ryan Dempster did his best Jason Marquis impersonation today. Eight earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. Not good at all. The only good news from today is Kosuke was back in the lineup.

He banged out two hits in his return to the top of the lineup. Geovony Soto got three base knocks in four trips to the plate.

Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez went hitless today. That's the second day in a row they both went hitless and the team got spanked. We need them hitting. This year when the Cubs play a game and neither of those two get a hit, their record is 4-9. Not the most surprising statistic, but in this season where we have guys picking each other up regularly, we need these two to pick each other up.

Luckily St. Louis was handed defeat by Gil Meche and the Royals. The Brewers fell to the Twins, winners of ten straight. The silver lining is not losing ground in the central division.

6/26/08 vs Orioles; L 4-11; (49-30)

They just can’t get to 21 games over .500 can they? The Orioles routed the Cubs today, knocking around Jason Marquis in the process. They also became only the second team this year to take a series at Wrigley Field. Milwaukee has done it twice so far this year.

I am in Vegas as I write this, so I’ll keep it brief.

The Cubs managed ten hits, but not much run production. Theriot, Fontenot, and Daryle Ward each notched two hits. Eric Patterson only had one hit but drove in two runs. Ronny Cedeno, Mark DeRosa, and Henry Blanco each hit safely once.

See the problem?! While I like that our bench players can produce when needed, Lee, Ramirez, Edmonds, and Soto played. But they didn’t hit. Theriot and DeRosa are the only two regulars who got hits. A couple here or there by the other starters and we may have a ball game.

I have been reading Moneyball by Michael Lewis. In it he told how the 2002 Oakland A’s thought they needed 95 wins to make the playoffs. They built their team around getting that done. The realization after a loss was, if they win 95, they will lose 67. That particular game was one of those 67. Under that logic, this is one we chalk up. We are still on pace for 100 wins…how great would that be, 100 wins on the 100th anniversary of the World Series….which means we have to lose 62.

Marquis got roughed up today. Seven earned in four innings isn’t going to get it done. Remember his last start, against the White Sox? We won the game and he earned the victory, but gave up five earned in seven innings. That is a 9.82 ERA in his last two starts.

At least we have the good news that Big Z is ready to throw off a mound and expects to pitch next Friday against St. Louis. Kosuke on the other hand missed his second straight game.

White Sox this weekend, this time at their place. Let’s get all three again and get to 22 games over!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

6/25/08 vs Orioles; W 7-4; (49-29)


The Cubs scored early and often tonight. They sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning and eight in the second. Entering the third inning they led 6-2 over the Orioles. Ted Lilly pitched seven decent innings and left with the score 7-4. Carlos Marmol struck out two and Woody struck out the side to earn his 20th save of the season. A new home winning streak has begun!


Kosuke Fukudome was scratched due to tigthtness in his calf. Eric Patterson hit lead off in his spot. He ended up being the only Cub without a hit. Geovany Soto was the offense leader tonight with two hits and three rbi. Jim Edmonds continued his hot hitting, with his fourth home run in as many games. Ryan Theriot and Aramis Ramirez added two hits, as did Ted Lilly.

Aramis' two hits marks six straight multi hit games for him. He has brought his average up to .303 on the season. Theriot has a three game multi hit streak and two hits in four of his last five games. He still leads the team with a .316 average.

The Cubs are now 4-1 on this home stand. They finish it tomorrow and then head off for a ten game road trip.









Tuesday, June 24, 2008

6/24/08 vs Orioles; 5-7; (48-29)

This was the Orioles first trip to Wrigley Field. It started out well for them. In the fourth they put two runs on the board to take the lead. Kosuke answered with a one run home run in the bottom half of the inning.


Unfortunately, Sean Marshall couldn't hold the Orioles. He surrendered two more in the fifth and was pulled. In the sixth, Michael Wuertz gave up three runs making it a 7-1 Oriole lead.


But this is Wrigley Field, and anything can happen. In the bottom of the seventh, singles by Lee and Ramirez were followed by a three run blast from Jim Edmonds. This guy leads all everyday players in batting average over the last 30 days.


Jon Lieber pitched a perfect eighth inning. Daryle Ward pinch hit for Lieber to start the Cub half. He worked himself a nine pitch base on balls. Jason Marquis..yes the pitcher...came in to run for him. He was forced at second on a grounder by Fukudome, again after battling for twelve pitches. Eric Patterson singled to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Derek Lee.


After a pitching change, Derek Lee grounded into a force play at second. Ramirez singled to right to plate Fukudome and cut the lead to 7-5. That was as close as the Cubs would get, but not without some potential.

Leading off the ninth, Soto singled. DeRosa walked and Theriot reached on an infield single to load the bases with no one out. George Sherrill, the Baltimore closer, settled down after that. He struck out three straight to end the game.

With the home field winning streak over, the W flag won't fly and Go Cubs Go wasn't heard for the first time in fourteen home games. The Cubs failed to get to 21 games above .500 and the Cardinals closed the gap with a win over Detroit.

The silver lining...we almost rallied in the ninth. This team doesn't ever believe they are out of a game. Facing Sherrill, second in the majors with 25 saves, they loaded the bases with no one out. There isn't an ounce of quit in this team, and that will bring victories.

Monday, June 23, 2008

6/22/08 vs. White Sox; W 7-1; (48-28)

Eric Patterson, Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez
Two, three, and four in the order on Sunday night against the Sox. Six for eleven at the plate, five runs and six rbis. Oh yeah, and two home runs. The only run they didn't knock in was a technicality. On Lee's first inning single, an error allowed the second run to score.


Ryan Dempster
Two starts ago he threw a complete game. He was about to do the same tonight. He led off the Cub eighth as a hitter, letting you know Lou had confidence in his starter. However, two singles to start the ChiSox ninth got him yanked.


He ended the night scattering ten hits and one walk, allowing only one run. Three double plays by the Cubs helped wipe away some of those baserunners. While Z is on the DL, you have to consider Dempster the Ace of this staff, and today he pitched like it.


Back to those hitters. Aramis hit his fourth home run of the series. That is more than anyone else has hit against the White Sox all year. He is hitting .291 during June, but exemplifies the Cubs this season. At Wrigley in June he is 13 for 25, a .520 clip! On the road, 10 for 54. I hope the National League wins the All Star game so the Cubs get four home games in the World Series.

Patterson just got called back up, but went 5 for 8 in the two games he played. He notched his first career home run, just a day after his big brother Corey hit is 100th career long ball. With Johnson and Edmonds ailing a bit, I like the way he is playing. I'll admit, earlier this year I wasn't high on him, I wanted to see Murton. A .625 series makes me like him more.

D Lee leads the team in hits, runs, triples, and home runs. He went 5 for 12 over the weekend along with some sparkling defensive play. If you didn't see the game, in the fourth inning Ramirez made a nice sliding stop but the throw short hopped. D Lee made a great pick to get the out. Great play on both ends.


The Cubs are twenty games over .500 for the second time this season. Tomorrow they will try to get to 21 for the first time. If they do, that will extend their home winning streak to 15 games, the longest since 1935...A World Series Year for the Cubs. They will do so against the Orioles, with Sean Marshall taking Zambrano's turn in the order. This will be the first trip to Wrigley for the Orioles.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

6/21/08 vs White Sox; W 11-7; (47-28)

Offense Offense Offense. It is about time. Nothing else to talk about this game except offense. Other than Marquis showed us that it is more likely I am right than Gene Wojciechowski, but more on that later.

In their last nine games, the Cubs haven't exceed seven runs in a single game. Today they got nine...in one inning! Again they set the Sox up, baiting them into a 4-1 lead and making them feel all comfortable and happy. Then BAM, fourth inning.

Jim Edmonds leads off with a home run to start the scoring. Nine batters later, Edmonds goes yard to end the scoring. Nice bookends to an innings' worth of scoring. In between those, the Cubs scored seven other runs, and only recorded one out. The final two outs came after Edmonds SECOND blast.

Mike Fontenot hit after Edmonds today and hit a home run to make back to back jacks for two days in a row. Get this, when his spot came up again in the inning they hit for him! What does a guy have to do to stay in this lineup. A home run isn't enough!

After a Soto groundout, Theriot walked and Marquis got in on the offensive action with a single of his own to put runners on the corners. Then the merry go round started. Fukudome singled in a run, runners on the corners. Patterson singled in a run, runners on the corners. Lee singled in a run, runners on the corners.

Finally, to stop the merry go round, Aramis went deep for the third time in two games driving in three runs. Edmonds second homer actually made for two sets of back to back jacks in the inning. Nice show Cubbies.

Let me go back to Eric Patterson for a minute. This guy just got called up from Iowa, after being sent down not that long ago, and went 3 for 5. Nice job rook.

The end of the game got a little interesting as the ChiSox chipped away at the lead. They got it close enough that Woody was able to come in and get one out and earn a save. His 19th, tying him for the national league lead.

Back to Marquis. If you read yesterday's post in response to Wojciechowski, I contend Marquis will do nothing but go downhill the rest of the year. Today he went seven innings and earned the win. Point to Wojciechowski, right? Thanks to a nine run fourth inning. He gave up five earned runs over seven innings. He only walked one, but gave up eight hits including two home runs. At least he helped his cause with two hits of his own. I won't go overboard and say I dislike him, but I still don't think he is one of the keys to 2008.

Go Cubs Go has now played thirteen straight times at Wrigley Field. Even better, we have already won the series against the Sox and have a chance to sweep tomorrow. Dempster will take the mound for the Cubbies (and my fantasy squad) and try to make it fourteen straight at home.

MRI Results - Zambrano

Per an ESPN report, no structural damage. Only a minor strain. Lou says they'll discuss his return at some point today, but he will still miss his next start. Collective sigh of relief.....whew.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Is This The Year

Gene Wojciechowski wrote an interesting piece today entitled Wait till this year: 10 reasons Cubs could go all the way. His general point is that this team may have what it takes, unlike the 2003 or 2004 teams, or even the 2007 Mets. I don't agree with all his supporting points, but some make great sense.

  1. The NL Central. Agree. This division is weak and getting weaker. Milwaukee Houston and St. Louis all looked like they could challenge early, but are fading. Without Pujols, I don't think they'll be around.
  2. Circle of Friendship. Agree. You can kind of see it, even on TV. In the past teams have had individuals playing together on game day. This team seems to enjoy itself and place the team at greater importance than the individual. I have never competed at a level any where near the majors, but I do know those teams with camradarie were much more competitive, sometimes despite talent.
  3. The Great Switch. Agreed. No brainer on Woody as a closer, or at the very least, reliever. He doesn't have the stamina any more for the rotation. It is a wasted roster spot if he isn't in the bullpen. Dempster has definitely impressed as a starter. At this point he is top ten in ERA and wins, and top twenty in strikeouts. I don't think we could have hoped for any better.
  4. The Fukudome Effect. Agreed. Read Wojo's points.
  5. Depth. Agreed (but for different reasons) Seriously, Felix Pie is available! What are you thinking. Nice arguments that Edmonds was a solid pickup, DeRosa is versatile, and Hoffpauir is the best player you never heard of. But Pie! What about Fontenot and Cedeno, especially Ronny, off the bench. Those guys don't get a mention in the depth argument, ridiculous.
  6. Nontrades. Disagree. Marquis is a traditional first half player. He is 5-3 with a 4.24 ERA. Can't wait to see the second half. Take the ten bats.
  7. The True Rookie. Agreed. Geo, enough said.
  8. Cha Ching. Agreed. Always nice to have deep pockets.
  9. Big Z. Agreed. And nervous. Do we want the MRI to be positive or negative. That always confuses me. Negative sounds bad, but that means no damage. Please only miss Tuesday's start.
  10. They're not those guys. Whatever. He just needed one more to make it ten. If he was a real baseball guy he would realize 9 is a solid number.

What do you think?

6/20/08 vs White Sox; W 4-3; (46-28)

Aramis Ramirez is a hero in Chicago today. Well, half of Chicago. He led off the ninth inning with a solo home run, his second in as many at bats, to defeat the White Sox 4-3. The comeback win preserved the home winning streak, now at twelve games, as well as the Windy City bragging rights.

On a day where the game was delayed by rain, and the wind was a paltry 5 mph, home runs were the order of the day. The Cubs scored first, but on ground out double play. The White Sox were the first to go deep. In the second Jermaine Dye hit a solo shot to tie the game. Then in the third, A.J. Pierzynski hit a two run shot to put the Sox in front.

It stayed that way until the seventh. Kenny Chesney must have brought some luck because WGN had their first back to back jacks winner in over ten years. Derek Lee went first and Aramis followed suit to tie the game.

Bob Howry had relieved Lilly in the seventh to get the final out. He pitched the eighth, inducing a double play after a lead off single. I didn't think we would see Carlos Marmol today, and Howry did a fine job.

Kerry Wood took the mound in the ninth. After a lead off double, he worked his way out of the inning. The biggest roar came when he struck out Pierzynski to end the inning. I am sure it was for the Cubs getting out of the inning, not because everyone hates A.J.

That led to Aramis' heroics. Go Cubs Go. Hey Chicago what do you say, the Cubs are going to win today.

Ted Lilly deserves mention. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, striking out eight. Aside from the two home runs, he held the Sox scoreless. He put the Cubs in position to win, and with offensive support a little earlier, he would have earned it himself. Instead, Woody was the beneficiary and earned the W.

Speaking of offense, the Cubs put together ten hits, but didn't capitalize. Three double plays took the life out of three innings. Besides Ramirez, Fukudome, Theriot, and Matt Murton got two hits apiece. Murton has to be happy about a 2 for 3 performance after going 1 for his first five. Now they were both singles, but we'll take some consistency at this point.

Regardless of the analysis, I am still pleased to fly the W flag today. After the last road trip, I am taking any win I can get.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

6/19/08 @ Tampa Bay; L 3-8; (45-28)

It had to happen. The Cubs have joined the rest of the major league baseball teams by losing three in a row. This is also the first series they have been swept in.

As if that isn't bad news enough...Big Z will miss his next start. The Cubs opted for a more intense MRI, and pushed that back to next week.

I am glad the team heads home for a while. The only problem there is the White Sox will be chomping at the bit to prove THEY are the best team in Chicago.

Sean Gallagher got into trouble in the second inning, loading the bases with no one out. He managed to get out of the mess allowing only one run. That was all the scoring until the seventh inning. Gallagher ended up allowing only four hits and two walks in his six innings. He kept the Cubs in position to win.

In the seventh, it looked like they would. Hoffpauir and DeRosa started the inning by reaching base. Fontenot, Fukudome, and Theriot all drove in a run to put the Cubs up 3-1. Fukudome was on third and Theriot on second with only one out, Lee and Ramirez coming to the plate. Neither of them produced, and 3-1 was the way it would stand.

As we have seen all year, give the Cubs a lead in the seventh and it will be lights out. Marmol and Woody take over, no problem. Not today. Carlos Marmol faced four batters in the seventh. He walked the first two. Then it got bad. He hit the next two. All four ended up scoring. That gives Carlos an infinity for his ERA this game. No outs, four earned runs. The math doesn't work!

Again I'll thank the Kansas City Royals who defeated the Cardinals to day to preserve our lead in the Central Division. We left home on the 12th of June with a 3.5 game lead. Despite our 2-4 road trip, we return home tomorrow with a 3.5 game lead.

Hitting stars for the day: Derek Lee with three hits and Micah Hoffpauir with two hits. The offense wasn't up to the high standards it has set during this road trip. The Cubs have averaged almost 5.5 runs per game in 2008. This road trip they averaged 4. Let's get back to the friendly confines and get back to hitting.

The Cubs will have a six game home stand. Then they start their road trip on the South Side of Chicago, which almost makes it a nine game home stand. By the time they head to San Francisco on the last day of June we'll know more about both Zambrano and Soriano. Hopefully we'll have recharged the offense as well.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

6/18/08 @ Tampa Bay; L 4-5; (45-27)

I am more concerned about Zambrano leaving with shoulder pain than I am the loss. More tomorrow.

Zambrano will undergo an MRI and the team will have results on Friday. Cub Fans...cross your fingers. Injuries can be the difference in a World Series Championship or the 100th year of frustration. Soriano is out, Reed Johnson has sore back, and Edmonds left the game with a sore foot. Those all should be better by the All Star break. We need Big Z's shoulder to be minor as well.

The loss is frustrating. Another one run loss on the road. Granted, the Rays are playing great baseball, having won 24 of their last 28 at home.

At least Matt Murton got a hit. He replaced Edmonds and went 1-2 the remainder of the game. Micah Hoffpauir got a couple of hits including a double. He needed a little redemption after striking out last night with a chance to tie the game.

Geovony Soto had two hits, including his twelfth home run of the year. That gives him the lead for all rookies, one ahead of Joey Votto and Evan Longoria.

With Reed Johnson out, Kosuke got his first shot at hitting leadoff. He did alright with a double, rbi, and run scored. Theriot hit second and had a hit and two rbi on the night.

So now it comes down to Sean Gallagher to try and save a .500 road trip for the team. He'll need some support from the offense, which has been a little inconsistent on this trip.

Luckily the Cardinals lost last night too, allowing the Cubs to maintain their 3.5 game lead. Boston did win and now has one more win on the year than Chicago.

6/17/08 @ Tampa Bay; L 2-3; (45-26)

The Cubs dropped another low scoring game on the road. They had a chance to win when DeRosa singled and Fukudome doubled with one out in the ninth. DeRosa scored on a past ball putting the tying run on third with only one out. Unfortunately, Micah Hoffpauir's pinch hitting experience wasn't good as he struck out looking. Edmonds walked and Reed Johnson laid down a perfect bunt, but Evan Longoria made a fantastic bare handed play to end the game and prevent the run from scoring.



Ryan Dempster threw a decent game, striking out six over five innings, while only allowing one earned run. He just didn't get any run support tonight.



Eric Patterson was sent back to Iowa in favor of Matt Murton. Matt got a start in left field and wasted it. He went 0-3 with two strikeouts. Is the jump from Triple A to the majors so hard? This guy is hitting .298 in Iowa but can't get above the Mendoza line for the big club. I don't know why I am such a Murton fan, but the last couple years I thought he was going to mature to a great player. This year I am not seeing it.



It looks like Reed Johnson has settled in to the lead off spot comfortably. He has gotten the nod from Lou three games in a row, while the rest of the lineup must be coming from a bingo machine. Lou is using the entire team on this trip and juggling the lineup nearly every day.



Reed probably should enjoy the lead off position while he has it. Word is Soriano could be back before the All Star break. Guarantee he gets that spot back when he does return.



The Cubs had not lost the series opener since May 5th prior to this road trip. Now they have lost the opener in both of the last two series....on the road. Big Z will try to get them back on the winning side and set them up to win the series, which would be their sixth out of the last seven. Other than a 2-2 against the Dodgers, the Cubs have won every series since Memorial Day.



They still hold a 3.5 game lead in the Central and a one game lead for the best record in the majors. If Big Z comes through, he guarantees at least a .500 road trip.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Hall of Fame Game

Thank you mother nature! The only thing that could happen in this game, were it actually played, was for someone to get hurt. The Cubs had already planned to use minor league pitchers, but the everyday players would have been exposed to injury.

I am sure they enjoyed the day off as well.

Monday, June 16, 2008

6/15/08 @ Toronto; W 7-4; (45-25)

Happy Fathers Day! The Cubs winning a road series is as good a present as I could ask for. The Cubs were victorious today, 7-4, against the Blue Jays to take two out of three.

Reed Johnson got the opportunity to lead off again today and went 2 for 5 with two runs scored. Four Cubs tallied two hits in this game, Lee, Edmonds, and Hoffpauir being the other three.

Ted Lilly was superb today allowing only one hit through six innings. He struck out six Blue Jays as well. The bullpen allowed four runs against the Blue Jays but that wasn’t enough as the Cubs had jumped out to a 7-0 lead.

The scoring started in the third inning with Micah Hoffpauir. He doubled to lead off the inning. Reed Johnson singled to advance him, and then he scored on a single by Fukudome. Derek Lee singled to score Reed Johnson and Edmonds singled to plate Fukudome.

Chicago extended the lead in the seventh. Theriot singled and Reed Johnson doubled. With two outs, Derek singled to score both runners. That was followed by Aramis Ramirez’ first homer in three weeks.

The Chicago offense was better on the road than it has been in a while. They hit .274 in this three game series in which they faced a pretty good pitching staff. The Blue Jays have the third best ERA in the major leagues. The Cubs managed 15 runs over the weekend series.

It won’t get any easier as the Cubs head to Tampa Bay. They are scheduled to face Scott Kazmir and Andy Sonnanstine in the first two games. Those two have only five losses between them on the season. The Rays are also the owners of the third best home record in the majors.

Fukudome hit a little better in this road series and Jim Edmonds is hot. The Cubs will need everyone to be swinging well. I expect to see a similar lineup to today, with Johnson leading off and Fukudome hitting second. Geovany Soto has struggled over the last 30 days, hitting only .228. We need him to get going as well as Kosuke, who showed signs of improvement against the Jays.

The Cubs will head into this series twenty games above .500 at 45-25. The last time they were 20 games above this early was 1969, when they were 45-25. I hate making comparisons to the ’69 team, because that will be the battle cry for Cub haters later this year. That not withstanding, the Cubs didn’t get to twenty games over .500 in 1908 or 1945 until late July and even August.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

6/14/08 @ Blue Jays; W 6-2; (44-25)

Let’s lead off…pun intended….with a discussion of the lead off hitter for the Cubs. Today, Reed Johnson got the opportunity to lead off against his former team. He didn’t exactly make the most of it, going for 1 for 5. However, the one hit was a three run homer in the second inning. We’ll have to see what tomorrow brings in the lead off spot as the lineup is expected to include more regulars.

The lineup was quite different today with Soto and Theriot getting some rest, and Aramis was used as the DH. That meant Johnson was playing left field, DeRosa third base, with Fontenot covering second defensively. Ronny Cedeno and Henry Blanco got starts in place of Soto and Theriot. Fukudome was used in the two hole, and went hitless, reaching base only on a walk.

Derek Lee had a nice day in the third spot going 3 for 4 and scoring two runs. One of those was a triple to lead off the fifth inning. Aramis had one base hit batting fourth and Edmonds followed in the five spot since Fukudome was moved up. Edmonds had two more hits today continuing his recent surge. He is hitting .355 in June raising his average 41 points. DeRosa, Fontenot, Blanco, and Cedeno rounded out the lineup each getting a base knock today.

Pitching performances today were solid for the Cubs as well. Jason Marquis pitched a nice game going seven plus innings and not allowing a run until the eighth. He picked up his fifth win of the season and fourth in a row. He hasn’t lost a decision since May 13th. Carlos Marmol inherited bases loaded in the eighth and only gave up one run while garnering two strikeouts. Bob Howry took over for the ninth inning and finished things up.

The end result is a 6-2 win on the road. So today I am flying my W Flag proudly as the Cubs win on the road.

6/13/08 @ Blue Jays; L 2-3; (43-25)

The Chicago Cubs are 3-0 at home in June. They have won their last eleven games at Wrigley Field, last losing to the Pirates on May 17th. During that eleven game home winning streak, they are 6-7 on the road. While that has improved during June, they are 4-3 this month while away from Wrigley, the road has not been kind.

Friday June 13th was no exception. The Cubs started a road trip Friday night as well as a 15 game stretch against the American League. They lost 3-2. Sean Gallagher gave up a lead off double to Alex Rios in the bottom of the third. That was followed by back to back home runs by Matt Stairs and Scott Rolen.

I wasn't able to see any of the game, but it doesn't seem Gallagher was sharp, throwing 100 pitches in only five innings. He managed five strike outs compared to only two walks, but allowed seven hits. The Blue Jays didn't score against him other than the third inning. The bullpen was solid, having been given plenty of rest in the Braves series. They put together three scoreless innings to keep the Cubs in contention to win the game.

It was a lack of offense hurting the Cubs tonight. Typical for this season, if they don't score more than three runs, the game doesn't end well. In their last fifteen games, they are 9-0 when they score at least five runs. They are 2-4 when scoring three or less.

Chicago put together eight hits tonight, but managed to score only two runs. Jim Edmonds stayed hot, going 2-3 and driving in a run. Aramis and Kosuke each had two hits as well, and Fukudome scored both Cub runs.

This was the first interleague game of the year, allowing Lou to work a lineup with a DH. Without Soriano, Lou opted for Theriot leading off tonight. In the finale against the Braves he had used Eric Patterson, but tonight he hit in the nine hole. Micah Hoffpauir hit second and got the start at first base while Derek Lee hit third as the DH. The middle of the lineup was the fairly familiar order of Lee, Ramirez, Fukudome, Soto, Edmonds, and DeRosa.

I like Theriot a lot, but I am not sure he is our lead off man. I definitely don't think Hoffpauir is a two hole. I would like to see Lou give Fukudome the nod at the top, followed by Theriot. Let Hoffpauir hit between Edmonds and DeRosa, or drop him in behind Soto.

Regardless of the order, Chicago is going to have to hit better and be more productive on the road. Especially considering tonight was the start of a 22 game stretch where 16 are on the road.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

6/12/08 vs Braves; W 3-2; (43-24)

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (from a Cub perspective)

The Good

  • After Zambrano allowed a leadoff walk in the eighth, Scott Eyre allowed a double to Brian McCann. An intentional walk loaded the bases with no out. Eyre worked two strikeouts and then gave way to Carlos Marmol. Marmol picked up one more strikeout to leave the Braves scoreless and keep it a one run game.
  • Jim Edmonds hit a game tying home run in the ninth inning. He had driven in the only other Cubs run of the day with a sac fly earlier.
  • Kerry Wood struck out four in two innings keeping the Cubs in the game during extra innings. His reward...his third win of the year.
  • The Cubs patiently worked the Braves pitching in the eleventh. Ramirez walked on five pitches, and advanced to second on a passed ball. Fukudome was intentionally walked. Geovony Soto worked 3-2 count before his single loaded the bases. Reed Johnson didn't have to be so patient; the first pitch he saw hit him to bring home the winning run. That is the sixth extra inning win for the Cubs this year and their eleventh one run victory.

The Bad
  • Lou leaves Zambrano in to hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The Cubs had scored one to pull within a run of the Braves. They had runners at first and second. Zambrano is a good hitter, batting .364 on the season, but you had the whole bench available. Hoffpauir and Fontenot as lefties since Campillo was pitching. The result is a popup on the infield to end the inning. Going from bad to worse....Zambrano walks the leadoff batter in the eighth and gets pulled.
  • Ryan Theriot managed no hits in five at bats.

The Ugly
  • The 1948 Cub blue stirrup socks with red stripes.
  • Andy Pafko, a member of the 1945 World Series team, needing a cheat sheet to sing the seventh inning stretch.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

6/11/08 vs Braves; W 7-2; (42-24)

First Inning
Ryan Dempster gives up one hit but strikes out two. The Cubs come to the plate and quickly make two outs. Then Derek walks, Aramis singles, and Fukudome goes yard. Two out walks kill you. For Fukudome it is his fifth of the year, fourth at Wrigley. Cubs lead 3-0.

Second Inning
Dempster sets the Braves down 1,2,3, highlighted by his leaping grab of a high hopper to end the inning. DeRosa singles with one out and Dempster bunts him to second. Soriano is at the plate when a ball runs up and in from Jeff Bennett. I know I said I don’t want him in left field in the ninth, but not due to injury, and especially not missing his two other at bats between the second and eighth innings. Fontenot comes in to run for Soriano. Ryan Theriot doubled to score both DeRosa and Fontenot. Cubs lead 5-0.

Third Inning
Again Dempster allows a base hit, but otherwise shuts the Braves down. The Cubs start the third with a Ramirez single, a walk to Fukudome, and a Soto single to load the bases with no one out. Mike Quade almost sent Ramirez, but with no one out didn’t take the chance. Jim Edmonds comes to the plate and singles home two runs. At that point, only two official innings into the game, Jeff Bennett is pulled. He has allowed seven runs and is responsible for two more. Luckily for him, neither scored. Cubs lead 7-0.

Fourth Inning
This inning Dempster hit a batter. I guess he wanted some variety in how he allowed his one base runner each inning. Theriot started the Cubs half with an infield single. Then Derek Lee got absolutely hosed on a third strike call. The ball was nearly at his chin when it crossed the plate. Aramis struck out swinging before Theriot advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kosuke walked on a full count breaking ball bringing up Geovany Soto with two on and two out. On a full count pitch, Geo hit a line drive to left field that was caught by Greg Norton on a very nice diving play. For the first time tonight, the Cubs go down scoreless. Cubs lead 7-0.

Fifth Inning
Ten pitches, one strikeout, inning over. Dempster is now officially in position for the win. Dempster has six strikeouts through five innings while only allowing three runners. Great numbers for my fantasy team so far. The Cubs went 1,2,3 for the first time tonight. Cubs lead 7-0.

Sixth Inning
Domination by Dempster; Two more strikeouts for a total of eight, no runs scored yet tonight, only three base runners on the evening and none have reached second base. The Cubs half of the sixth, Derek Lee singled with two outs ending a streak of six straight outs. Alas, Ramirez grounded out to second base and the Cubs fail to score again. Cubs lead 7-0.

Seventh Inning
With two outs in the inning, the Braves finally got a runner to second base. Jeff Francoeur doubled to left center. Corky Miller followed that with a pinch hit two run homer blowing the shut out. Dempster came back with a strike out to end the inning. Kevin Butler…butthead…former Bears kicker sang the seventh inning stretch. It wasn’t stellar and was mostly emotionless. It didn’t really fire up the Cubs as they went scoreless again. Cubs lead 7-2.

Eighth Inning
Word as of now is that Soriano is going on the DL with a slight fracture in his hand. Injuries can kill an otherwise great season. The rest of the squad needs to play like the beginning of the season when Soriano struggled.

Dempster picked up another strikeout and worked a one, two, three inning. On top of the big victory last night allowing Wood to have the day off and Marmol to only face one batter, Dempster working into the eighth gives us a nice strong bullpen.

DeRosa led off with a single in the eighth (quality fantasy night for me) bringing up Dempster. He will hit for himself and attempt to get the complete game in the ninth. He ended up striking out and Cubs stranded DeRosa. Cubs lead 7-2.

Ninth Inning
Dempster is taking the mound in an effort to get the first complete game for the Cubbies since June 16th of last year. Omar Infante has the first crack at him. He reaches on an error by Aramis, his sixth of the season. After committing four early in the season, his fielding has been much better. Texeira hit into a double play, Fontenot to Theriot to Lee. Not quite the ring that Tinker to Evers to Chance, but we’ll take the two outs. Ruben Gotay comes the plate trying to keep the Braves alive. Dempster struck him out to get the complete game victory.

CUBS WIN 7-2

6/10/08 vs Braves; W 10-5; (41-24)

Finally some action. I stole the phrase from our fantasy league commissioner who was reacting to our first big trade and the resulting uproar. I use it in regards to the Cub offense. In the four game series in LA, they only scored eleven runs. The last three games were relatively boring, other than Big Z throwing a tantrum. I am a baseball guy, so I love going to a game when it is a 1-0 pitchers duel. However, this Cub team has me accustomed to, and looking forward to, crooked numbers posted in most innings. Well tonight they delivered.

The game didn't start well as the Braves were the ones putting up crooked numbers. A three run homer in the first put the Cubs down early. Those turned out to be the only runs Ted Lilly gave up. He went 6 2/3 and only gave up two hits and two walks after the first inning. He struck out eight to pick up his sixth win on the season.

The Cub offense took care of the rest. They put up two runs in the second and again in the third. One more in the fourth and again in the seventh put the Cubs up 6-3 heading into the eighth. The Braves weren't done yet, scoring two of their own to pull within a run.

Then the Cubs really opened things up. Soriano scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth courtesy of a Derek Lee sac fly. Then Geo hit a three run bomb to stake the Cubs to a five run lead and needing only three outs to win.

Jon Lieber came in to get those three outs. Not before walking one and giving up a hit, forcing Kerry Wood to get up in the bullpen. A double play ball ended the game and let Kerry have the day off.

The whole Cub offense participated today, but the real production came from our 3,4,5 hitters. Lee, Ramirez and Soto combined for six runs, six rbi, and four of the twelve team hits.

DeRosa, Fukudome and Soriano both had two hits apiece. DeRosa's hot streak has resulted in a .309 batting average, good for second on the team.

We had a decent road trip, winning five of nine. But again, there is no place like home for the Cubs this year. Scoring seems to be a lot easier at Wrigley Field than it is on the road.

Game Note: Chipper Jones, expected to miss the first two games of the series, did pinch hit. Lilly walked him with a base open forcing Bobby Cox to use another player to pinch run.

Monday, June 9, 2008

6/8/08 @ Dodgers; W 3-1; (40-24)

The Cubs are still the only major league team to avoid a three game losing streak all year. They were in danger today, having lost their last two against the Dodgers. Jason Marquis and Mark DeRosa made sure of that.

Marquis gave up only one run, unearned, in six plus innings. DeRosa hit a solo shot in the first, then added an RBI and a run scored in later innings. He was involved in all three of the Cub scores.

Kerry Wood picked up his eighteenth save in 22 tries. That makes eight straigth save opportunities that Woody has converted. The conversation about whether or not to keep him in the closer role seems to have died down.

The Cubs will take today off and prepare for a three game set against the Braves. Then they head back on the road for interleague play.

6/7/08 @ Dodgers; L 3-7; (39-24)

Man do I wish I could have seen this game. Zambrano blew up after giving up a home run to Matt Kemp in the seventh. The maturity we had been hearing about wasn't evident Saturday. Unfortunately, I was involved in a fundraising event and couldn't watch.

The Cubs took the lead in the fifth 1-0. Alfonso Soriano extended that lead with a solo shot in the sixth. In the bottom half of that inning the Dodgers pulled even. A two run homer by Russell Martin tied the game going into the seventh.

Zambrano was the hero in the top half, driving in a run to regain the lead. But on the mound that inning, things got ugly. Two singles and an error by Aramis allowed the Dodgers to tie the game again. Jeff Kent popped up for the second out and it looked like we would get out of it. Instead, Russell Martin singled to give the Dodgers the lead. After a single by James Loney, Matt Kemp hit his three run homer that knocked Zambrano out of the game. That resulted in a Gatorade cooler, among other things, being knocked around by Zambrano.

I am not concerned over the outburst. There are times it is childish and times when it may show a lack of maturity. However, there are times as a competitor that you want it so bad, the frustration of failing needs an outlet. Big Z is still 8-2 on the year. He'll come back this week with a good start and the tantrum will be old news...until his next one.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

6/6/08 @ Dodgers; L 0-3; (39-23)

There doesn’t seem to be any average games for the Cubs offense this year. If they are scoring, they are scoring seven or more. If they aren’t scoring, they really aren’t scoring. They fell victim to not scoring…AT ALL….last night. The Dodgers Hiroki Kuroda threw a complete game shutout for his best performance of the year by far.

The Cubs managed only four hits last night and Kuroda didn’t walk a batter. The only real threat was in the fourth when Theriot and Lee both singled, and Theriot advanced to third on an error. Unfortunately Aramis struck out, one of eleven by Kuroda on the night. Then Fukudome, Thursday’s hero, hit into a double play.

In the sixth a double play erased the Cubs only hit as well. The two double plays mean Kuroda faced only two batters over the minimum. Good pitching beats good hitting and tonight the Dodgers were the beneficiary of good pitching.

Friday, June 6, 2008

6/5/08 @ Dodgers; W 5-4; (39-22)

The last time the Cubs faced the Dodgers, Takashi Saito blew a save in the ninth inning. Tonight he came in with the game tied and was charged with the loss. He gave up an RBI singe to Kosuke Fukudome in the ninth that proved to be the winning run.

It didn’t seem like the Cubs were going to have to rally for the win. Kosuke put the Cubs in front 1-0 in the second inning with his fourth home run of the season. The Cubs loaded the bases in the third and scored a run on an RBI groundout by Aramis. Chin Lung Hu made a great play in the hole to get Aramis on what looked like a sure infield single.

In the fifth DeRosa hit a solo shot, Dempster doubled, and Theriot drove him in with a single. Dempster took the mound in the bottom of the fourth with a 4-0 lead. He left in the sixth with one out and 4-3 lead. Still in position for the win, but it wasn’t to be.

Jeff Kent, who had homered in the sixth against Dempster, hit his second of the game in the eighth off of Howry to tie the game. What looked like a blown hold or save opportunity turned into the win for Howry. He was the pitcher of record when the Cubs scored in the ninth.

Kerry Wood came in for the save opportunity in the ninth. He didn’t make it easy on Cub fans. James Loney hit a lead off double to put the tying run in scoring position with no one out. After a strike out and a fly ball, Woody took the opportunity to hit a batter. Better with two outs than to lead off the inning. Then he walked Juan Pierre to load the bases. Matt Kemp came to bat but Woody survived by striking him out. That gave him the NL Lead out right with seventeen on the season.

Kosuke certainly had the most timely hits of the evening, but Ryan Theriot actually led the Cub offense with three hits. He scored the winning run, drove in a run earlier, and was involved in the third inning rally that produced a run. He is hitting .476 in June to bring his season average to .330. He came into the game tied with DLee for the team lead in hits. Lee was hitless, giving Ryan the out right lead.

The Cardinals made up their rainout from Wednesday with a double header. They split, increasing the Cubs lead to 3.5 games. St. Louis starts a three game series with Houston today. Hopefully the Astros can get going and take the series to help out Chicago.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

2008 Draft

With the first pick in the 2008 draft, the Cubs picked Andrew Cashner out of TCU. He is projected by Keith Law to be able to make it to the bigs this year! He was potentially projected as #8 for the White Sox or at #11 for the Rangers, but fell to the Cubs at #19. He was a closer for TCU, something we have a lot of.

Is this trade bait? We have as solid a one two punch in the bullpen as anyone at this time. If he was a projected closer in four years, then it would look as if we are building for the future. Cashner is projected as a big leaguer this year and is only four years younger than Marmol. Doesn't seem like a future pick, but a get it done this year pick.

I found out this is the second year we drafted him. Last year he was our pick in the 29th round as he was completing junior college. One year at TCU improved his stock and future earnings didn't it. It does pay to go to college.

The Cubs seem to be focused on pitching and middle infielders in this draft through the first six rounds. Take a look at who they picked as their first seven for this year.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

6/4/08 @ Padres; L 1-2; (38-22)

Greg Maddux threw seven pitches in the first inning. Len and Bob barely had time to get their voices warmed up and it was commercial break. Ted Lilly took the mound and after seven pitches he was down 0-1, had runner on second, and was down in the count 3-1 to Brian Giles. Seeing as the Cubs have won their last eight in come from behind fashion, they must have been out to set a trap for the Padres.

The plan worked…for awhile. By the fourth inning the Cubs had scored a run to tie the game. Lilly and Maddux battled for inning after inning keeping the score knotted at one apiece until the eighth inning.

At that point the Padres chased Lilly from the game. Brian Giles led off with a double and moved to third on Adrian Gonzalez’s fly ball. At that point Marmol came in to relieve Lilly. He pitched very well tonight, striking out eight Padres and walking only two. The only problem…Maddux was better. He only needed 69 pitches to get through seven innings. He was masterful.

Game reset…one out, man on second, tie game in the eighth. Marmol faced Kevin Kouzmanoff and he hit a sac fly to center. Marmol struck out Khalil Greene to end the inning but the damage was done.

In the Cub ninth, Trevor Hoffman struck out the side, interrupted only by Ryan Theriot hitting a two out single. The Padres prevailed 2-1, but the Cubs won their first road series since April.

The winning streak is over, but 9-1 over the last ten isn’t anything to be ashamed of. Now it is on to LA for a four game set with the Dodgers.

6/3/08 @ Padres; W 9-6; (38-21)

Last night I was planning to watch the game start to finish. I had been at the game Sunday, but was only able to watch a portion of the game on Monday night. I made plans to attend Wolfies, normally a great place to catch a game. I was meeting Sean there at 10 to celebrate a good day at work and take in the 9th win in a row for the Cubs.

Only to my dismay, Wolfies doesn’t subscribe to the Direct TV package that includes Comcast Sportsnet! So instead I enjoyed my Bass Ale watching girl’s softball. How ridiculous to not upgrade the package to include this channel. How much beer do you have to sell during a single Cubs game to make it worth it? It isn’t like this is a non sports establishment. They have more TV’s on the wall than the number of teams Kenny Lofton has played for.

Two beers later, I trekked out into a thunderstorm to return to my house, where I actually get Comcast. By the time I arrived, the Cubs were down 2-0 and hitting in their half of the fourth. I watched until they tied it up in the fifth, then went to bed (early morning work meeting) confident my Cubbies had things under control.

Sure enough, while I slept they took care of business. In fact, their very next turn at the plate netted them three additional runs. Geovany Soto led off with a solo shot and Mark DeRosa (great fantasy pickup by me) hit a two run homer. The Cubs eventually stretched the lead to six with a three run shot by Alfonso Soriano in the eighth inning.

After Marquis’ rough start, he settled in enough to work through the fifth and pick up the win. Wuertz, Eyre, Hart, Cotts, and Howry combined to get the Cubs to the ninth inning. Only Kevin Hart had a rough outing, giving up three earned runs and only retiring one hitter.

Kerry Wood needed only twelve pitches to pick up his NL leading sixteenth save. In the process he struck out two. I am tempted to believe, and even posted on Baseball Fan Blog, that we may come home from the west coast with a 14 game win streak. Should that happen, we are talking about the fourth longest streak in Cub history, at least that I have found mention of.

They’ll have a tougher time today against Maddux, although in their prior game against him they dominated. I expect a better outing tonight, but still a win for the Cubs.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Longest Chicago Cubs Win Streaks

Someone help me out. I can find the following win streaks easily. Is anyone able to supplement the list?

21 1935
18 1885
15 1936
12 2001

Alou Wants to be Part of the Success

Moises Alou can't make up his mind. He wouldn't have caught it. He would have caught it. Which is it? I think he just wants to be part of the success that is Chicago Cub baseball this year.

Monday, June 2, 2008

6/2/08 @ Padres; W 7-6; (37-21)

Carlos Zambrano got off to a rough start giving up three runs in the first inning. But in the fourth he tripled to drive in Jim Edmonds and tie the game. The Cubs scored again in the fifth to take the lead. Carlos finished off the fifth inning, putting himself in position for the win.

The Cub half of the sixth inning was big. DeRosa and Blanco singled. Zambrano was called upon to bunt, but hustled to first turning it into a base hit. Soriano hit a sac fly to right, and then Theriot reached on an infield single, scoring another Cub run making it 6-3.

Jim Edmonds...love him or hate him...drove in the Cubs seventh run in the seventh inning. Kosuke walked and stole second before Edmonds double to right scored him. Earlier Edmonds had hit a sharp ball past Gonzalez at first. Bob Brenly commented that seeing Edmonds pull the ball indicates him getting more comfortable and getting better as a hitter.

Regardless, it proved to be an important run, as the bullpen didn't exactly shut them down. Zambrano left in the fifth and ended up being the winning pitcher. Lieber, Wuertz, Cotts, and Marmol worked the 6th, 7th, and 8th without allowing a run. The ninth was a different story.

Marmol walked the leadoff batter. After inducing a pop up from Iguchi, Giles singled. That brought up Adrian Gonzalez who homered to make it a one run game. Kerry Wood came in and picked up the last two outs to earn his fifteenth save.

Theriot and Zambrano led the way for the offense with three hits apiece. Jim Edmonds added two hits, two rbis, and a run scored. Kosuke Fukudome reached base three times, scored two runs, and drove in a run with a sac fly.

That makes eight in a row now for the Chicago Cubs. They have opened up a 3.5 game lead on the Cardinals. The next five games are against teams with a below .500 record. Let’s stretch both the winning streak and the NL Central lead.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

6/1/08 vs Rockies; W 5-3; (36-21)

For the first time since 1908, the Chicago Cubs have the best record in all of baseball on June 1st.

For the first time since April 1970, they have swept a seven game home stand.

For the first time this year, they have a seven game win streak.

For the first time this year, I was in attendance at Wrigley Field. A 5-3 win against the Rockies made for a great day at the ballpark.

My wife Susan and I, accompanied by our neighbors Brock & Amy Morrison, made the journey from Indianapolis to Chicago to take in the game. Undaunted by an I-PASS fiasco, we arrived in time to down a couple cold ones before heading in to the stadium.

The weather seemed to be perfect with the sun shining and temperatures in the '70s. That changed when we took our seats in section 204 which was completely shaded for the entire game. A nice wind blowing in from right made the day down right chilly.

Sean Gallagher started well, striking out four in the first two innings. The only ball put into play in the first was an easy fly ball to Soriano. Well maybe not easy, but routine...right? Not for Alfonso. He can turn the easiest play into disaster. Brock tried to make the argument the sun could have been in his eyes. I vividly remember seeing the sun well to the west of the grandstands. I don't know if it was this play, or if Lou has been reading this blog, but Soriano didn't play left field in the ninth. Lucky for us he picked up the dropped ball and threw out Todd Helton trying to get to second.

Ryan Theriot and Aramis Ramirez got the Cubs off to a quick lead in the bottom of the first. Theriot reached on a single he hit off of Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez’s leg. That is the third time in recent memory he has hit a pitcher. Trying to drive the ball up the middle must be working for him.

Jim Edmonds hit a one out triple in the second, but was stranded when DeRosa grounded back to the pitcher and Gallagher went down on strikes. Edmonds ended up with a real nice day at the plate as did Aramis.

The Rockies scored two in the fourth to take the lead, but the Cubs came right back in their half. Jim Edmonds doubled to drive home Aramis. DeRosa hit a ball to second base with the infield in, but when it was muffed, Soto was able to score from third.

The Cubs added, or were given, an insurance run with a bases loaded walk to Edmonds in the fifth. Then in the sixth, Soriano did his best to atone for the earlier error by hitting his 13th home run this year. He hit it to the second to last row in left field, missing Waveland Avenue by just about ten feet.

Despite the fantasy league desires of my counterpart Brock, Kerry Wood came in and picked up his fourteenth save of the season. Pitching the ninth inning, Wood locked up the series sweep and prepared the Cubs for their west coast swing.

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