4/29/08 vs Brewers; L 7-10; (16-10)

In nine losses this season, the Cubs have failed to score more than 3 runs. Blame those losses on the hitting, right. Not tonight. The Cubs scored seven runs, had eleven hits, and eight free passes.

If I told you before the game that Ben Sheets was going to allow a career high seven walks in only five innings, would you have figured we win the game. Not so tonight. In fact, Sheets left with a 5-4 lead and earned the win.

So after the 7-1 home stand, we have dropped 4 of our last six. After having extended our lead to a game and a half and two games over St. Louis and Milwaukee respectively, we have let that slip to being tied for first with the Cardinals and only a game ahead of the Brewers. We need to get back on the winning track pretty quickly.

4/27/08 @ Nationals; L 0-2; (16-9)

From throwing our first shutout of the season to being shutout for the first time this season. Only 18 hours separated those events...what happened?

John Lannan for one thing. After a rough start in his first two games, his last three starts he pitched 20 innings and only given up one earned run. And that happened to be in the first inning of the first game. He is on a 19 inning scoreless streak. Good pitching beats good hitting.

Last Wednesday, fresh off a 7-1 home stand, we were heading for a five game road trip against two teams with a combined 15 wins on the season. Fast forward to today and find out we went 2-3 on that trip. Baseball is a game of averages. The screaming line drive caught by the third baseman is made up for with a broken bat single over second base. So the 7-1 home stand is averaged out by the 2-3 road trip.

We still come into the day off leading the NL Central (only .5 game now) over the Cards and have the second best record in baseball. This week will prove tough for us as we face our toughest two division rivals, Brewers and Cards, followed by three games at Great American Ballpark. The Reds always seem to play the Cubs a little tougher than they play the rest of the league.

A good six games against Milwaukee and St. Louis will make up for this lousy road trip and then some.

4/26/08 @ Nationals; W 7-0; (16-8)

Behind a strong pitching performance from Big Z and three ribbies from D Lee, the Cubs avoid a three game losing streak. In the process, they also tie the franchise record for wins in April (16), matching the ’69 team. That was two years before I was born, but I know I don’t like how that season ended. With three games left in April, the Cubbies are almost certain to break this tie and set the new record.

Ronny Cedeno continued his hot hitting, going 3 for 5, raising his average to .375. He is making a case to be the everyday second basemen. As much as I have tried to sell both Fontenot and Murton, the lineup yesterday looked pretty good. Except for Kosuke and Soto...both of whom went without a hit…the starters all tallied multiple hits.

Zambrano scattered five hits and four walks, allowing a base runner in every inning. He worked his way of every jam over seven innings. So did Michael Wuertz and Jon Lieber to give the Cubs their first shutout of the season.

Ted Lilly will go Sunday to try and give the team a series win and a winning road trip. Right now the Cubs are 2-2 on this short journey. They return home for an important series with the Brewers starting Tuesday. A win today would be nice for the momentum heading into that series.

4/25/08 @ Nationals; L 3-5; (15-8)

For the third time this season, the Cubs have dropped two in a row. Wil Nieves hit a two run walk off homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Nationals a win.

The play of the game may have been Reed Johnson's diving catch on the warning track. This guy is putting to rest the idea that he can't be an everyday centerfielder.

Ryan Dempster had a solid outing, the Cubs offense just didn't capitalize on their 8 hits, leaving 19 men on base. Most disappointing for me personally, was Fontenot striking out in the eighth. He is barely above the Mendoza line this year after I kept insisting he get more playing time.

Not much else to be said about this game. We still have plenty of time to break the franchise record for wins in April.

4/24/08 @ Rockies; L 2 - 4; (15-7)

All good things must come to an end.

Our six game win streak…ended. Ten straight games with at least 8 hits….ended. Five straight games with at least seven runs….ended. All hitting streaks by individual players (except Geovany Soto who is at three)….ended.

Jason Marquis threw a solid seven innings, giving up only two runs. But the Chicago offense was missing in action today. Even scoring a run in the second, they really didn’t mount a threat until the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with no one out. Unfortunately, Mike Fontenot hit a ground ball…driving in a run at least…that he narrowly avoided being doubled up on. Then THE-RIOT, our hero from last night, hit a line drive right into Todd Helton’s glove and he was able to beat Fontenot back to the bag to end any hope.

But all is not lost. I found that not only was 15-6 our best start since 1975, but the best start in franchise history. We are still on pace. The 1975 team lost their 22nd game as well. So the team hits the road and heads to Washington. The Nationals are sporting the worst record in the league at this point, not a bad place to visit to start another winning streak. We also get our two winningest pitchers, Dempster and Zambrano as our next two starters. 17-7 would be a better record than both 1975 and 1908.

4/23/08 @ Rockies; W 7-6; (15-6)

What are the chances the Cubs will start every road trip with an extra inning win? I would place a bet that they win the World Series this year before I take the former bet.



The extra inning win last night in Colorado moves the Cubs to 4-0 in extra inning games on the road this year. There seems to be a never say die attitude in this team that has been missing in past years. Remember Bartman? Who could forget! The problem was the attitude following that event. Everyone on the team took that as a sign of the apocalypse, and we were done. I don't think we have that problem this year.



With a 15-6 record...and a little help from the Dodgers beating the D-Backs, the Cubs are now tied for the best record in both leagues!

Woody blew his second save, but ended up with the win. Marmol then relieved in the tenth to pick up his second save.

Theriot was back in the lineup and came through with the big two out hit in the tenth. Speaking of hitting, any idea when the last time the Cubs had two double, two triples, and two home runs in the same game?

This win makes the Cubs the second team to reach 10,000 wins, second only to the Giants in total wins. It was also Piniella's 100th win and tied him for 14th winningest manager all time. I guess there is something to playing all your position players every game! He emptied the bench again today, but did take until the tenth inning to complete it. At least no one can complain about getting their chances.

Maybe Lou Needs 14 position players on the roster!

For the second time in nine games, Lou Piniella has exhausted his supply of position players by the eighth inning. He has managed in the National League before, right???Against Philadelphia he was saved by Carlos Zambrano’s grounder….no he was saved by Chase Utley’s error in the tenth.

Yesterday, with Theriot having a tight back, he was down to twelve position players. He chose to use one of them to sacrifice bunt for the pitcher? Can anyone tell me what he was thinking? If Lilly can’t get the bunt down, then why not use another pitcher who can. Instead he wastes Fontenot. Then he has to use two players in the seventh when a pitching change is made after Daryle Ward has been announced.

Neither of these came back to bite the Cubs, but can anyone explain the thought process in either of these games? In both games he ended up with a pitcher having to bat in our last half inning. Lou has been around longer than this and you would think he could maneuver a little better when it comes to position player strategy.

4/22/08 vs Mets; W 8-1; (14-6)

This post will be quasi live as I have just been able to get the game on and will update during the time I can keep watching. I am going to have to leave around 4:15 EST, so the game will be in the sixth inning most likely. I’ll listen on the radio and update this post tonight.

Lilly is off to a good start getting us to the fourth inning with no runs allowed. I just turned on the game in time to see Ronny Cedeno double to right to plate Kosuke Fukudome. Angel Pagan, thanks for kicking it around by the wall.

After an intentional walk to Blanco, Lilly hustled out a grounder to second while Delgado and Figueroa made dinner plans. That loaded the bases for Reed Johnson who took advantage by dropping a curve ball into left field for a two run single.

Len Casper just updated us on the fact that the 13-6 start I mentioned in an earlier post was last achieved in 1985. Should we win today, it will be the first time since 1975 since we won 14 of our first 20. Should we do that, it also gives us a 7-1 home stand. I know, I know, it’s just April.

After allowing two base runners, Lilly got out of the jam. End of five, no runs allowed, and only two hits. This is easily his best outing for the season so far.

Our half of the fifth gave us a couple base runners, but no runs. Len did mention the Cubs are only two wins away from 10,000 all time. I’ll have to research some other major league clubs and see where that stands.

Lilly allowed the bases loaded with only one out. DeRosa just took a chance on a weird looking low liner by Brady Clark. He made a diving attempt to catch it in the air and prevent a run from scoring. He ended up getting the force at second and Raul Cassanova grounded to shortstop to end the inning.

If you missed Doug Glanville singing the seventh inning stretch you missed a gem. He did his best Harry Caray impersonation for both the intro and the song. It was hilarious.

As I leave my appointment, and turn on the radio, I am just in time to hear Ronny Cedeno hit a grand slam. Maybe I should be notified every time he is about to hit in a key situation so that I can turn on the TV or radio and ensure he comes through. Early in today’s game Ronny hit with the bases loaded and made an out. That was the first time this year. He is now 4 for 5 this season with the bases loaded.

That shot allowed Kerry Wood to sit down and Kevin Hart wrapped up the ninth inning for us. With this series being only two games, that goes down as our third series sweep of the season.

4/21/08 vs. Mets; W 7-1; (13-6)

I was able to watch the first few innings of this game Monday night. I was out for some drinks with friends of mine before we headed to the Asia concert. I saw Aramis give the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth before we left. Turns out that was all the offense needed.

Carlos Zambrano pitched a solid seven innings shutting down the Mets. He wasn't exactly sharp tonight. As we watched the early portion of the game, it appeared he wasn't quite as sharp as you would like. Five of the seven innings he allowed base runners, but had some defensive help cleaning them up in all but the sixth inning.

Like I said in an earlier post, with Marmol and Wood, a lead in the seventh is pretty secure. Sure enough, both Carlos and Kerry faced the minimum number of batters and secured the win. Woody needed only six pitches for the second game in a row. He would have been in line for another save, except the Cubs piled on in their half of the eighth inning.

With the meat of the order coming to the plate, the Cubs capitalized on some mistakes. Derek Lee was safe on an error and Aramis was hit by a pitch. Kosuke singled to load the bases with no one out. DeRosa then struck out and Soto popped up to turn our rally into potential disaster. However, two unlikely heroes came through with two outs. Ronny Cedeno singled, he is now 3-3 with bases loaded this year, followed by a three run blast by Felix Pie. Yes, the Felix Pie who came into the game hitting .172 with no extra base hits. I guess all his batting cage work is finally starting to pay off.

4/20/08 vs. Pirates; W 13-6; (13-6)

I have never been so happy to be wrong. Braden Looper didn't pick up his fourth win today. The Giants beat the Cardinals and the Reds took care of the Brewers. That moves YOUR CHICAGO CUBS into first place in the NL Central for the first time this year. Mark your calendar, write down the date.... April 20th. The first date of the 2008 season that the Cubs sit atop the NL Central standings. Here's to Sep 29th being the last time during the season they are in first.

As for this game, where should I start?

• For the second game in a row the Cubs scored 13 runs. The run total also marks the third time this season, all in the last five games, that they have scored 12 or more runs in a game.
• Aramis Ramirez had his first great game of the year, going four for five, with four RBIs. Ryan Theriot also had four hits extending his hitting streak to seven games. During that streak he has raised his average 109 points. The Cubs now have six everyday players hitting over .300, whereas after the first week of the season they only had two hitting over .200.
• Matt Murton got the start I was looking for him to get. He did drive in two runs and get a base knock, but he left eight of his teammates on base. Considering the slow start most of the team had, I am willing to cut him some slack for his first eight at bats. Driving in more of those runners today though might have earned more time in the starting lineup.
• The Cubs tallied 18 hits today, all by the eight starting position players. For the season the team has the second most hits in the NL. Second only by one hit to the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Ryan Dempster picked up his third win of the season, claiming the team lead from Zambrano.

With the record sitting at 12-6, we are at a critical point....as far as superstitious history is concerned. A loss tomorrow and we are 12-7, the same record as the ill fated 2003 team after 19 games. A win tomorrow and we are 13-6, the same record as the 1908 Cubs at the same point in their season. I won't give up on the season should we fall to the Mets. I will keep my eye out for black cats, billy goats, and Steve Bartman at the game tomorrow night.

4/19/08 vs. Pirates; W 13-1; (11-6)

Alright then. Cubs cruise past the Pirates on a D Lee home run, an RBI and a couple runs from Kosuke, and a couple RBIs from DeRosa. Sounds like a lot of our game recaps this year doesn't it. So let's skip the game recap and go straight to roster moves.

Matt Murton was called up from Triple A and Eric Patterson was sent down. As I, and many other Cub fans, have argued, Murton should have gotten the call to start with. He pinch hit in the sixth and stayed in the game in left field. He didn't get a hit in his two at bats, but that didn't matter today.

In another minor league note, Al from bleedcubbieblue says that Jeff Samardzija is performing well and may be moved up to Triple A soon. I know I would like to see him promoted...not because of baseball....just because my boys and I followed him at Notre Dame. They are more interested at their age when they have a connection to individual players. Plus, we can have a Harry Caray impersonator spell his name backwards.

In his game recap on The Bullpen, Brian says we are searching for an everyday center fielder. CoCo Crisp is the name mentioned. I don't know that I like that idea. This is a career .280 hitter who only has one extra base hit this year. Granted he is faster than Reed Johnson so he may get to a few more balls and may steal a couple more bases. I still agree with Brian that trading pitching for him is too much. If they'll take Pie and Cedeno for him, then sure make the trade. That way we still have Murton on the roster when Soriano comes back.

Back to the game....with this win, and a little help from the Tim Lincecum and the Giants, we move to within a half game of first place. With Looper throwing for the Cards today, probably not a chance that they lose again. We'll take care of our business and sweep the Pirates for the second time this season. Then we move into a series with the Mets while the Brewers and Cards beat each other up.

4/18/08 vs Reds; W 3-2; (10-6)

Let's review this Cubs win in reverse. I was only able to watch the bottom of the eighth and top of the ninth on TV. Plus, I think a couple of the best performances were at the end of the game. The post game effect of this game, Cubs keep pace with the Brewers and Cardinals who both won on Friday. Still tied for second place in the NL Central.

The top of the ninth didn't take long. Kerry Wood threw six pitches, all of them strikes, to get three outs. Very impressive indeed. Since giving up three runs on opening day, Woody has settled comfortably into his role. In his eight appearances since opening day, he has thrown nine innings, given up only one run, and struck out eight. He has four saves in those eight games and picked up the win in another.

Carlos Marmol gets another quality appearance. We'll forgive the Nate McLouth home run in the eighth, that guy is sick this year with a 16 game hit streak to start the season. In two innings, regardless of the home run, another hit and a walk, he struck out five. In his nine appearances this year, he is averaging just over four outs a game. Seventeen of those have come on strikeouts. Nearly half of his outs are coming on strikeouts and has only given up three runs.

With the starting pitchers struggling to get past the sixth inning successfully, I am sure more comfortable knowing I am going to get three solid innings out of these two guys. When the rotation settles in, and with the offense we have this year, the last three innings of most games should be an elongated victory party.

All the Chicago offense was in the fourth inning. Kosuke lead off the inning with a triple. DeRosa singled to plate the first Cubs run, followed by a double by Geovany Soto. With runners on second and third, no outs, and the game tied, Reed Johnson reached on an infield single to give the Cubs the lead. Two consecutive ground balls advanced and scored Soto to give the Cubs all the runs they would need.

Rich Hill had a decent start going five innings giving up only one run. He picked up his first win of the season for the effort. As Carrie Muskat points out in her cubs.com article, it is the first win for a Cub left hander this year. Hopefully, Ted Lilly will make it a trend in his next start.

Reed Johnson made a fantastic catch in center field. A couple days ago The Bullpen stated that Johnson was a liability, at least compared to Pie, in centerfield. Hopefully this changes his mind. Johnson was two for four and after the game Lou confirmed that Johnson will start Saturday in the lead off spot.

4/17/08 vs Reds; L 2-9; (9-6)

What did Meatloaf say..."two out of three ain't bad?"

That's exactly what the Cubs end up with against the Reds in this series. It is also what they are averaging in their last twelve games.

Ted Lilly started out better with just one walk and one hit through the first three innings. However, in the fourth inning a walk and a base hit, followed by another walk loaded the bases for Joey Votto. He didn't leave them loaded. He hit a bases clearing double. He followed that up in the sixth with a two run homer. Those five runs batted in were the only runs given up by Lilly. Granted, they were five total runs, but on only two hits. The margin between success and failure is so small in the major leagues.

Besides Votto, Ken Griffey drove in three runs for the Reds. He must love hitting in Wrigley with the wind. Since 2004 he has only hit more than two home runs at an opposing park twice...IN A SEASON! He hit two in this series!

There were some positives for the Cubs in this game...at least individual Cubs.

• Michael Wuertz pitched three whole outs without giving up a walk or a hit, much less a run.
• Reed Johnson, after struggling on Wednesday, went four for four.
• Derek Lee extended his hitting streak to six games...just barely. With two outs in the ninth he hit a slow grounder to Encarnacion at third. As he fielded the ball, his feet came out from under him and Derek just beat out the throw he made while seated on the field.

Low points for the Cubs, besides the loss itself:

• Aramis Ramirez committed another error
• Kosuke didn't get a hit, and actually ended the game on a strikeout looking
• Mike Fontenot got another chance to lead off but didn't get a hit in five at bats. See more on this on bleedcubbieblue

There is also a great argument regarding the Cubs bringing up Eric Patterson instead of Matt Murton. I tend to side with the Matt Murton apologists. I think he should have been on the major league roster from day one.

4/16/08 vs Reds; W 12-3; (9-5)

I got my wish. Mike Fontenot and Reed Johnson were both in the starting lineup. Unfortunately, they didn't have stellar performances. Fontenot went one for five and Reed Johnson didn't get a hit in three tries. Other than that, I can't complain about this game.

The Cubs jumped on the Reds early with four runs in the first, which proved to be enough. They added six in the third inning and were on cruise control the rest of the game. Big Z had a nice outing going seven strong, giving our bullpen some needed rest. For the first time this year our starting rotation notched two wins in a row!

With this game all but over, Adam Dunn hit a meaningless home run in the eighth, apparently his specialty. My friends who are Reds fans believe he never comes through in the clutch, and tonight was no exception. The highlight of this event was the bleacher fans response. Apparently they threw in excess of 15 home run balls back onto the field. I would like to have seen that.

Combined with the Brewers loss to the Cardinals, the club is alone in second place in the division. Now tomorrow afternoon, we can go for our second season sweep and maybe our third consecutive win by a starting pitcher. We are counting on you Ted Lilly.

Alfonso Soriano was placed on the 15 day DL today. Maybe the rest will make him stronger and let him have a new season when he returns.

4/15/08 vs. Reds; W 9-5; (8-5)

Homecoming!


Often times it is bittersweet. We return to the site of our former glory only to realize we are merely a memory, if that, to the current team and fans. Maybe for Dusty Baker and Corey Patterson it was a little better, since some of their team mates are still here. The result was entirely one sided, and for them it wasn't good.


The Cubs started early with Mark DeRosa hitting a two run homer in the second. That shot regained the lead after Encarnacion plated Brandon Phillips in the top of the inning. Ken Griffey hit number 595 in the third inning putting the Reds up by two.


Then, in the fifth inning, the Cubs took and held the lead. After Dempster lead off the inning with an out, Fontenot doubled and Theriot walked. That brought Derek Lee to the plate, who promptly cleared the bases with a shot to center, his fifth home run of the season.


DeRosa and Lee both had multi hit games, as did Theriot and Fukudome on the way to fourteen hits for the Cubs.


Dempster finally surrendered, after a thirteen inning streak of no earned runs. Still, only giving up three runs on a night with the wind blowing out like it was is a solid effort. Michael Wuertz on the other hand has a separate streak going. For his second straight appearance, he didn't record an out, and oh yeah, gave up a home run.


Carlos Marmol was amazing again picking up his fourth hold of the season. Side note...if we can track "holds" why can't we go back to tracking GWRBI? He struck out the side in the eighth after coming in during the seventh to help Dempster out of a two on and no out jam. He has given up only five hits and two walks in over ten innings while striking out twelve. This guy is solid. Plus he is proving he can go a couple innings each day which is probably better use of him than in the closing spot.


The only down side is that we lost Alfonso to an injury. He strained his calf in the top of the first and didn't even record an at bat. Fontenot hit for him and DeRosa moved to left. Not a bad lineup in my opinion as I have been pining for Fontenot to get a few more at bats. Let's see what he does now that he probably gets a chance to play every day. I wish I had seen the play that he made defensively. See The Bullpen for an idea of how important it was.

When you are there, look at his position on center field. I disagree. I'll take Reed Johnson over Pie for now. I am looking forward to tonight's lineup to see what Lou thinks.

4/13/08 @ Phillies; W 6-5; (7-5)

Carlos Zambrano pinch hits in the tenth and the winning run scores as a result of his at bat! It has been a crazy road trip....may as well end it with our ace pitcher putting the ball in play as a hitter. It is the only thing close to a win our starting staff can be credited with during this road trip.

Derek Lee, Ryan Theriot, and Henry Blanco all had multiple hits today. Again our starting pitcher didn't see the sixth inning. At least Marquis left us with a lead, which Michael Wuertz promptly destroyed.

Lou used all thirteen position players by the eighth inning, forcing him to pinch hit Zambrano in the tenth. He used six pitchers, not counting Zambrano hitting, meaning twenty of the twenty five active players saw time in this game.

Whatever it takes might become the motto for this team. This win helps us avoid our first series sweep of the season and lets us leave this road trip 4-2.

The Week in Review

The team has to be happy about being back home tonight. I am sure stranger road trips have been endured, and a 4-2 record isn't anything to complain about. But take into account the following from this six game road trip:

• 
  Three of the six games went extra innings, with a total of ten extra innings being played in seven days.
• 
  The team record was 4-2. Starting pitchers posted both losses. Relief pitchers chalked up all four wins.
• 
  The winning run in the last game was scored on an error on a double play ball hit by our Ace pitcher.

In earlier posts I argued that the pitching rotation needed some adjustment. Jon Lieber has thrown nine and a third innings this year and has yet to give up an earned run. Meanwhile Rich Hill has allowed five earned runs in nine innings. Ted Lilly has given up an astonishing 14 earned runs in his three games and hasn't made it out of the fifth inning yet. I think Lieber deserves a chance while we let these two guys get some bullpen time to work their problems out.

As for the lineup, which has been a question since Opening Day, I think we follow the lead of Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. His suggestion after opening day was that neither Theriot or Soriano should be leading off, but Fukudome. His only negative on that thought is that it puts our two lefties, Fukudome and Pie separated only by the pitchers spot. I can fix that. Play Reed Johnson instead of Pie. If you want another left handed hitter in the lineup, play Fontenot instead of DeRosa.

When those two have started this year they have normally hit second. I choose Johnson as the two hole in the lineup I propose. That puts Fontenot hitting sixth after Soto. Both Johnson and Fontenot have hit solidly this year. I recognize DeRosa's contributions so far (see earlier posts) this year and am not down on him. I just like Fontenot and if the argument is needing another left hander, I am picking him over Pie. If you like DeRosa, then move him to right and Kosuke to center, as Lou has often done, and pull Pie.

I would prefer we play Reed Johnson over Pie regardless of the Fontenot decision. Give me a guy who can hit from the right side instead of someone who stands on the left side of the plate any day. I can't wait to see how Lou sorts this out and who gets a chance this week.
The week ends with the team third in the standings, just 1.5 games out of first place. The top two teams in the division, St. Louis and Milwaukee, face off to start the week. Tuesday night Dusty Bakers returns to Wrigley Field, but as manager of the Cincinatti Reds. Why is that important?

In 2003, the Cubs were 7-5, starting their fifth series of the season, at home facing the Reds on April 14th. Arguably, that was the last great Cubs season. In 1908, when they only played 154 games and the season opened on April 14th, they faced the Reds. This early in the season, I am going to look for any similarity to successful summers past for the Cubs.

4/12/08 @ Phillies; L 1-7; (6-5)

Three hits and two errors. I don't know how many games you can win making almost as many errors as you get hits. Aramis had his third error of the season, putting him on pace for 42 errors this year. I know he won't continue that pace, but it would be nice to cut down a little.

Pitching wasn't great in this game either. See Carrie Muskat's game recap on cubs.com for more details on Lilly's year. I didn't realize our starters only have two wins to their credit. With most of the team hitting below .200 for the first week and the starters picking up wins in less than twenty percent of the games, it is a wonder we are above .500.

I like the suggested changes to the rotation offered by Brian Corbin in his blog The Bullpen. Lou has made multiple changes in the batting order this year. After two weeks, I think it is time to mess with the pitching staff a little and shake things up.

In today's game, we need to avoid a sweep. We also need to get some hits to support our pitching staff while it sorts itself out. I would like to see Fontenot get another start today. Kosuke should be back in the lineup. Maybe those two can spark the offense today and we can leave the road trip above .500 for the trip and the season.

4/11/08 @ Phillies; L 3-5; (6-4)

By the time I got the game on TV in my basement, the Cubs were up 2-0 courtesy of first inning back to back home runs by Lee and Ramirez. With Zambrano on the mound I settled in for what I thought would be another win. Then Pat Burrell happened.

On Monday when I was in Cincinnati, he had two home runs against the Reds. I still recall before Ryan Howard came along, Pat Burrell was praised as the key prospect for the Phillies. He is certainly playing up to that billing this week.

In the fourth he tied the game with a two run homer. In the sixth he double in Ryan Howard to break a 3-3 tie. When I was young, they kept track of Game Winning RBI as an official stat. That would have bee one for Burrell. I don't think they keep that stat anymore.

The Phillies had originally taken the lead on a quirky play in the fifth inning. Kosuke ran down a fly ball in left center and appeared to make the catch. However, after taking two steps he brushed against Soriano and the ball came loose. The ruling was no catch and a run scored.

Lou came out to discuss the play, but this isn't the NFL. Two steps doesn't make a catch. The rule says the ball must be presented to the umpire to validate a catch. I remember watching a college world series game where an outfielder caught the ball on a dead run, hit the wall, and was knocked unconscious. He didn't drop the ball. While medical personnel were tending to him, the announcers were discussing whether or not it would be ruled a catch. With that as precedent, I would agree that Kosuke didn't officially make the catch.

Lou continues to shuffle the lineup around. Thursday night, with Fontenot in the lineup instead of DeRosa, Geovany Soto hit sixth. After a four for five performance, he stayed there Friday night. DeRosa hit seventh. Daryle Ward got his first start of the season but didn't make much of it going hitless on the night.

4/10/08 @ Pirates; W 7-3; (6-3)

Five game win streak....Cincinnati and San Francisco did their job....Cubs are second place in the division only half game out of first.

I had a discussion earlier this year with fellow Cub fan Matt Snyder about second base. He really likes DeRosa and I am a big Fontenot fan. I paid a little more attention to DeRosa after that, and as previous entries have shown, he has played exceptional. Mike Fontenot has been a great hitter off the bench, and last night he got his first start. He didn't let me down. Two for five with a two run homer in his first start. Just like when Reed Johnson had a chance to play and excelled, it will be interesting to see what Lou does as a starting lineup tonight.

Another guy I have to mention is Geovany Soto. He keeps playing like this and he will give the Cubs two legitimate rookie of the year candidates, Fukudome being the other. He hit his second home run of the season last night on his way to four for five, raising his average to .333, all while catching 36 innings in three games! Maybe I don't pay enough attention to the whole roster during spring training, but I didn't see this coming. If Soriano can get untracked, we have a first six in the lineup that is pretty impressive.

Thanks to CBS Sportsline for these notes. This is our longest winning streak since we got to seven in a row last June. We have as many extra inning wins as we did all last year! We hadn't won two extra inning road games in a row since 1927. I hope that isn't the only once in a lifetime accomplishment of this year!

4/9/08 @ Pirates; W 6-4; (5-3)

2008 Cubs road games ....two
2008 Cubs road games won....two
2008 Cubs road games extra innings....two

Road trips are tough enough, much less playing nine extra innings in two games. I guess the day off on Tuesday helps, as does winning both of these games. There is a bit of fight to this team and that is pleasant to see.

As I checked the outcome of the game on espn.com, I was happy to see Felix Pie came through with a clutch hit. Aramis too came through in the clutch, but the pitching kept him from being the hero of this game.

Derek Lee somehow managed to go hitless in eight plate appearances, thus ending his four game hitting streak. It is crushing how much a batting average can drop in one game early in the season. Especially when you get six ABs in a game and you only have 30 on the season.

Props to Ryan Dempster for another solid outing. Seven innings, one hit, and no runs allowed. It's a shame he doesn't come out of this with a win. Nonetheless, one earned run in his first 13 innings this season sure ratifies the decision to make him a starter.

The team faces the Pirates tonight with a chance at their first series sweep as they look to extend their winning streak to five. The pitching matchup seems to favor the Cubs as Rich Hill takes on Matt Morris. With a win, and a little help from Cincinnati and San Francisco, the Cubs can be knocking on the door for first place as they head to Philadelphia for the weekend.

4/7/08 @ Pirates; W 10-8; (4-3)

The Cubs first road trip started out in spectacular fashion. I was at Great American Ballpark with my friend Sean Murray, my three boys, and his two boys. When the Cub Pirates score was posted following the third inning, I was ecstatic. A seven run lead after three innings when our highest game total is nine!

I quit paying attention to the score of the Cubs game due to having five boys under age 12 with me and enjoying the atmosphere of Great American Ballpark. Side note, Bronson Arroyo surrendered four home runs before he left the game. The Reds made a valiant effort at coming back and had the winning run at the plate in the ninth. The weather was perfect with the sun shining and the temperature in the 60s. That was a great way to take in my first game of the 2008 season.

When we left the game, I wasn't even concerned about the Cubs. I have none of them on my fantasy team, and I was very secure in the seven run lead. So when I checked the score on my cell phone, I was shocked to find it tied at 8 in the eleventh inning. Quickly I got my browser to the play by play page, and as soon as we came in range of AM 720, put the game on the radio.

So the game ended in our favor, thanks mostly to free passes from the Pirates pitching staff. In fact our two runs in the final inning came without a hit! Thus we now have a three game win streak and are above .500 for the first time this year. The top two hitters this season, Fukudome and Lee both had multi hit games. Geovony Soto added three hits as well, doubling his total for the season.

Reed Johnson started again and drew a couple walks in addition to a base hit, while scoring two runs. I am expecting to see him stay in the starting lineup for the time being. Interesting to me was that Carlos Marmol worked the twelfth inning for the save. I haven't heard mention of why Kerry Wood didn't work that last inning, but will keep my eyes open.

Tomorrow is a day off. Well deserved after three extra innings the emotion that this game required.

4/6/08 vs. Houston; W 3-2; (3-3)

D Lee continued his hot hitting today with a seventh inning home run to give the Cubs the lead for good. He finished 2 for 3 on the day. Alfonso Soriano also went deep today as well as throwing out a runner at the plate.

Big Z threw a solid seven innings and it was great for WGN to continuously show him drinking water to avoid the cramps he had in his first outing. Carlos Marmol threw a solid eighth inning with two strikeouts and Kerry Wood was efficient once again in wrapping up the ninth inning in 13 pitches, including one strikeout.

Lou started Reed Johnson in center for the second straight day. Reed had been swinging a hot bat, but not today. After an 0 for 4, we'll see what Lou does with the lineup tomorrow.

As the Cubs end their first week of the season they have fought their way back to .500. Good things are happening and we head into a week of game in Pennsylvania where neither the Phillies or the Pirates are off to a good start.

4/5/08 vs Houston; W 9-7; (2-3)

Nine runs against Roy Oswalt. Not what I would have expected. Since little league season is upon us, I spent most of this game at my son's practice. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when I came home and checked the final score.

D Lee had a tremendous game and Kosuke continued his hot hitting. Let's not forget Mark DeRosa, who is quite modest in addition to hitting well. "He's doing it all right now." DeRosa says of Fukudome. In case you hadn't notice, DeRosa is 6 for 16 to start the season. He followed up Kosuke's tiebreaking double with an insurance RBI of his own. He has the second highest average of the everyday players and is one of only three regulars hitting over .200. I think he can safely say he is doing a little bit to help too!

Kerry Wood didn't strike anyone out but was efficient in disposing of three hitters in the ninth in just twelve pitches.

Now Big Z can go out today and get us the first series win of the year.

4/4/08 vs. Houston; L 3-4; (1-3)

Two out walk followed by a home run....Mark DeRosa starts an inning with an error...later that inning Alfonso misplays a double into an RBI triple. When you lose a game by only one run, those little things can kill you.



The game wasn't as good as yesterday, but it was no where near as bad as Wednesday. Our two through seven hitters all reached base on a hit. Aramis showed some nice effort on a backhand play. Mark DeRosa hit a solo homer, so now the whole middle of the lineup has gone yard this year. Kosuke had another solid game going 2-4 today.



I like the effort today and I think it shows the team will come together. I also liked the first at bat for Reed Johnson. He hit a solid shot off the left field wall in his first trip to the plate as a Cub. I like the aggressiveness coming off the bench. Yesterday Fontenot came off the bench in a pinch hitting role and produced. We already know Daryle Ward can produce in that role too. Must be ice to have so many options for Lou to pick from.

Speaking of options, did you see the result of the double switch Lou pulled? At the end of the 8th, Ramirez made the last out. Michael Wuertz was brought in to pitch and batted in that spot. Daryle Ward came into left field hitting in the ninth spot. Alfonso moved to second base and DeRosa moved over to third. Flexibility and playing where the team needs you. Keys to a winner.

Tomorrow we face Oswalt. The boys better be ready to play!

4/3/08 vs. Milwaukee; W 6-3; (1-2)

So yesterday I complain that Theriot only gets hits when they don't matter, and Alfonso and Aramis don't get hits. Today, Soriano gets his first RBI by taking a base on balls...A BASE ON BALLS...he only did that 31 times all last year! Then Aramis goes deep in the fifth and both Soriano and Theriot get clutch RBI hits in the sixth. Maybe today I should complain that Rich Hill hasn't thrown a no hitter yet and the Cubs have never had every player in the lineup hit a home run!

But seriously, today was a much better game all around. Didn't seem that way to start what with spotting the Brewers a two run lead. In the end though, Dempster settled in and pitched well. Marmol had another nice outing and Kerry Wood notched the first save of his career.

Today was a day for redemption; something Cubs fans are all too unfamiliar with in the context of a whole season. The entire starting lineup has now reached base safely on a hit. Not to mention that our 3,4, 5 hitters (and Geovany Soto) each has a home run. Woody got his first save and the team got the first win. A nice way to send the Brewers out of town and get ready for the Astros.

Can we give enough credit to Dempster? This guy hasn't pitched as a starter in almost three years! Here we are in a season where the Cubs are picked by many to finish among the top in the league and the ghosts of 100 years are all around. The team had lost two in a row and realistically played terrible. Nice time to try out your stuff for more than an inning. What does he do in this sitation? Only come back from a rough first inning to throw a solid six innings, striking out five, and giving up only three hits! Years from now we'll be looking back at the first win of the 2008 World Champion Cubs and remarking on what a great performance Ryan Dempster gave us.

Thanks to KC sweeping Detroit, we aren't the last team to win a game this year. Thanks to San Diego have a four game set against Houston, and dominating, we aren't even in last place in our division. Now Houston comes to town before we head off in search of our first road win. Let's see if we can precede that with our first series sweep.

4/2/08 vs. Milwaukee; L 2-8; (0-2)

So I look back at last years World Series participants and both started by losing their opening day game. Enough to give this Cub fan a little solace on the day off before game two.

Now we've had game two. I don't have quite the patience to look back and find the last World Series participant to start the season 0-2. So let's contain our focus to this year.

D Lee and Felix Pie both have two game hitting streaks. That may be the high note of the season so far. Kosuke didn't get a hit today, but at least we had some other guys get on base. Now if we could catch the ball. I didn't get to watch the game, but heard the booing on the WGN broadcast. Who can blame them after allowing three stolen bases, two errors, two wild pitches, two hit batters and a balk! I am hopeful my sons 5th/6th grade team does better than that in their first game!

I mean losing is losing. When a team outplays you fine. George Will made a good point the other day. Every season, every team is going to win 60 games, and lose 60 games. The difference is what happens in the remaining 42 games. Yesterday was one of our 60 losses. We just didn't hit most of the game. Today was one of the 42 and it didn't go our way. We still had a chance at this game in the bottom of the seventh. Two on and one out in a 5-2 game...top of the lineup at the plate.

I am as big a fan of the The-Riot as anyone, but his two hits today came with no one on and two outs. You have to get the hit with first and third one out. Alfonso hits next and continues his O for the season. Then we bring in Pignatiello...."Steve, do you know what Pignatiello spelled backwards is?" I can hear Harry saying from his heavenly press box....and let the Brewers extend the lead.

Lastly, what about Aramis Ramirez. Again O for the season. Did anyone watch the opening day game. Why did D Lee almost take out Big Z's knees, because Aramis must have been standing still. Later he probably should have made an effort at the foul ball that drifted away from Geovany. Now today he makes an error and Braun doubles off his glove. I didn't see the game so I can't say anything one way or another about those particular plays. Combined with his lackluster effort Monday and the 0-6 at the plate, my impression is he didn't give a great effort at either.

So Lou is going to change the lineup tomorrow. Ryan Dempster also makes his first start after moving from closer to starter. Maybe these changes are enough to get these lovable losers going the right direction. I'll be listening to Len and Ron to find out.