You knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

And that's OK. Nothing worth much ever is. Sometime later today, we should hear the results of an MRI on Carlos Zambrano's right shoulder. He left Tuesday's start against Houston after five innings complaining of pain in his arm. That came after he was skipped in the rotation on Sunday. Manager Lou Piniella also revealed on Wednesday that Rich Harden has some pain in his right arm. Harden's next start has been pushed back to Wednesday against St. Louis.

At the same time, the Cubs have hit a season-worst 5-game losing streak. Houston completed an improbable sweep on Wednesday night, as the mediocre Randy Wolf fired a complete-game shutout. On Tuesday, the Cubs rallied from a 7-3 deficit to tie the score, thanks in part to four home runs, but failed to pull ahead late despite numerous golden opportunities. Geoff Blum's homer off Kerry Wood in extra innings was the game-winner. On Monday, Roy Oswalt pitched into the ninth as the Cubs were shut out again.

Fortunately, the New York Mets helped out immensely, sweeping the Brewers in Milwaukee. So here's where we stand: with just 22 games remaining (23 for Milwaukee) the Cubs still have a 4.5-game lead in the NL Central. They are 30 games over .500. And, barring an absolute freefall (knock wood) will definitely make the playoffs, even if Milwaukee steals the division. Can they win without Zambrano? I think they can. Without Z and Harden? That will be very difficult. The rotation would then be Dempster-Lilly-Marquis and maybe Marshall. I don't think that is good enough to beat Milwaukee or maybe even Arizona.

Up next: the Cubs go to Cincinnati to face a Reds team that has given them fits. I can't express how huge Friday's game is. It would snap the losing streak and probably ease some of the tension surrounding the team. In fact, it may be good for the team to hit the road and avoid all the hype around Wrigley Field. The Cubs will miss Edinson Volquez, which is a plus. They are going to have to have their hitting shoes on. Meanwhile, Milwaukee will be hosting the lowly Padres for three games. San Diego's best chance to win a game this weekend will likely come Saturday when Jake Peavy takes the mound.

Phils bounce back to earn split; Cubs' lead at 4.5

Results: The Phillies beat the Cubs 5-2 on Saturday and 5-3 on Sunday. The Cubs lead over the Brewers is now 4.5 games. Milwaukee swept the pathetic Pirates over the weekend.

What happened: Jayson Werth torched Cubs pitching all weekend. The Cubs left scads of runners on base both Saturday and Sunday. They hit practically nothing but singles all weekend. Carlos Zambrano missed his start Sunday with a "tired arm," but is supposed to pitch on Tuesday. Bleh.

Up next: Astros-Cubs today at 3 from Wrigley. Roy Oswalt vs. Jason Marquis. Milwaukee hosts the Mets.

Late Soriano HR pushes win streak to 7

Result: Cubs 3, Phillies 2. The Cubs are now 85-50 and lead the Brewers by 6.5 games in the NL Central. Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh on Friday, 3-1.

What happened: The Cubs managed just four hits, but drew seven walks, including four in the sixth inning as they tied the score on Kosuke Fukudome's bases-loaded base on balls. Soriano then put the Cubs ahead with his 23rd homer in the bottom of the seventh. Jeff Samardzija and Carlos Marmol made the slim lead hold up. Samardzija earned his first MLB win, and Carlos Marmol recorded five outs for seventh save, striking out three. Rich Harden allowed just one earned run in five innings, but ran up his pitch count and was out of the game early. The Cubs appeared to get a big break in the top of the seventh, when Ryan Howard was called out on a close play at first. Replays showed that he beat the throw, and the go-ahead run would have scored.

Up next: Phillies-Cubs at 2:55 today on FOX. The Phils send the resurgent Brett Myers to the mound against Ted Lilly, who is seeking his 14th win.

Ramirez's slam beats Phillies

Result: Cubs 6, Phillies 4. The Cubs lead the NL Central by 6.5 games over Milwaukee and now have the best record in baseball at 84-50. The Brewers were idle on Thursday and play at Pittsburgh this weekend.

What happened: The Cubs were shut down through seven innings by ace lefty Cole Hamels, managing only one run on an RBI triple by Mark DeRosa in the fifth. Philly took a seemingly comfortable lead with three runs in the sixth, but the Cubs got to the Phils' bullpen. Pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot greeted Ryan Madson with his ninth homer of the season, making it 4-2. After back-t0-back singles by Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot, Chad Durbin was brought in and he walked Derrek Lee. Aramis Ramirez then launched a Durbin fastball deep into the centerfield bleachers, sending Wrigley into bedlam. That made a winner out of Bob Howry, who came on to relieve Ryan Dempster, who was not as sharp as usual. Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his 28th save.

Up next: Phillies-Cubs today at 1:20. Joe Blanton vs. Rich Harden in a matchup former Oakland A's rotation-mates. Thursday's win was a big one for the Cubs. It was a great way to start a long weekend series against a potential playoff opponent and to pick up another half game on the Brewers. Every winning season contains some signature wins, often comebacks, and this will surely go down as one for the '08 Cubs.

Lead up to 6, but schedule gets tougher

Results: the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of hapless Pittsburgh, clubbing their way to a 14-9 win on Tuesday, and shutting out the Bucs 2-0 on Wednesday afternoon. The Cardinals rallied by Milwaukee 5-3 on Wednesday, increasing the Cubs' lead over the Brewers to six games.

What happened: Tuesday -- Carlos Zambrano struggled but Geovany Soto helped bail him out with a homer and seven RBIs. The Cubs fell into an early 3-0 hole, but battled back with four runs in the fourth. The game see-sawed back and forth several times before the Cubs blew it open with a seven-run eighth, capped by Soto's second three-run double of the game. Alfonso Soriano added three hits, while Derrek Lee drove in two and scored twice. Sean Marshall got the win with a scoreless relief inning. Zambrano continues to struggle in August, though he claims to be fine, physically. On Tuesday, he allowedsix earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 4.1 innings. Wednesday -- Jason Marquis shut out the Pirates over seven innings, and the Cubs played small ball to scratch out a pair of runs. Reed Johnson started the Cubs' rally in the seventh with a leadoff bunt single. Mark DeRosa followed with a double to left, and Ronny Cedeno brought home Johnson with a soft grounder. Backup catcher Henry Blanco made it 2-0, getting down a suicide squeeze bunt. Marquis had his best start of the season, allowing five hits and walking NONE in seven scoreless innings. Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood closed it out with scoreless frames.

Up next: Phillies at Cubs tonight at 7. The Phils are neck and neck with the Mets in the NL East and will provide a stern test for the Cubs over four games this weekend. Tonight, the Phillies send Cole Hamels to the mound against Ryan Dempster. The Cubs play 26 of their final 29 games against teams with winning records.

Cubs hit 31 games over .500; lead back to 5

Result: Cubs 12, Pirates 3. The Cubs lead the NL Central by 5 games over Milwaukee, which was idle on Monday. The Cubs have the best record in the majors at 81-50, and are 31 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1984 season.

What happened: The Cubs roughed up Pittsburgh starter Jeff Karstens, the same pitcher who shut them out over six innings on August 1. Aramis Ramirez lined a three-run homer as the Cubs built a 5-0 lead after three. They blew it open with a five-run fifth inning. Kosuke Fukudome and Jim Edmonds each broke out of prolonged slumps. Fukudome went 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Edmonds clubbed two doubles and a triple. Derrek Lee, returning from a day off due to back spasms, came through with three hits as well. Lilly hurled seven solid innings, benefiting once again from generous run support. He struck out seven and gave up three runs over seven innings.

Up next: Cubs-Pirates again tonight at 6:05. Carlos Zambrano goes for the Cubs. Ian Snell for the Bucs. The Brewers and Cardinals start a two-game series tonight in St. Louis.

Cubs recover to take 8th straight series; have best record in MLB

Results: The Cubs defeated Washington 9-2 on Saturday and 6-1 on Sunday. They claimed their eighth consecutive series win and now lead the NL Central by 4.5 games over Milwaukee with an MLB-best record of 80-50. Milwaukee swept Pittsburgh to pick up one game over the weekend.

What happened: Saturday -- Aramis Ramirez smacked a pair of three-run homers to help Ryan Dempster win his 15th game of the season. Ramirez' s first bomb came in the fourth, and was more than enough for Dempster. He added some insurance with a three-run blast in the eighth. Dempster pitched into the eighth inning, allowing just one earned run. Sunday -- Rich Harden showed once again he is every bit the ace acquisition that C.C. Sabathia is, allowing just two hits while striking out 11 in seven innings. The only real mistake by Harden came on Austin Kearns's solo home run in the third. Mark DeRosa and Geovany Soto homered early to stake Harden to a lead, and Kosuke Fukudome added a pinch two-run homer in the eighth to put the game on ice.

Concerns: Derrek Lee left Saturday's game early and sat out Sunday with back spasms, a reoccurring injury the past couple of seasons. ... Despite winning two of three in the series, the Cubs lost ground to Milwaukee, which has abused the weaker teams in the NL, such as the Nats. Unfortunately, the Brewers' schedule the rest of the way is much more favorable than the Cubs'. The Brewers and Cards are off tonight before starting a two-game series on Tuesday in St. Louis.

Up next: Cubs-Pirates tonight at 6:05 from the best ballpark in MLB. Ted Lilly starts for the Cubs against Jeff Karstens, who shut down the Cubs earlier this month at Wrigley Field.

Stoked

For seeing My Morning Jacket on Saturday night in Dallas.



Check back for a full report with (hopefully) pics on Sunday or Monday.

Feel the reverb!

Inexcusable loss

Result: Nationals 13, Cubs 5. The Cubs lead the NL Central by 4.5 games over the Brewers and 7 over St. Louis. Those two teams easily dispatched the patsies they were playing at home.

What happened: Complete breakdown by the pitching staff, specifically Jason Marquis, Neal Cotts and Chad Gaudin. Together, not only could they not hold a 4-0 lead, but they were pummeled and embarrassed by the worst team in baseball. With that four-run lead entering the top of the sixth, Marquis was cruising. But, he quickly loaded the bases on an infield hit and, you guessed it, two walks. After a sacrifice fly, Neal Cotts came on and quickly surrendered the lead on a grand slam by Willie Harris. The Nationals, a ragtag collection of has-beens and never-will-bes (with perhaps the exception of Ryan Zimmerman) pounded the ivy and sent three home run balls into the seats or onto Waveland. This is a team that before Thursday had lost 12 straight games. This does not let the offense off the hook, either. For four straight home games now it has under-performed. On a day when the wind is gusting out, five runs will not cut it. On the bright side, Derrek Lee finally hit another home run. The Cubs had better win Saturday and Sunday, or else this is a wasted homestand. Just wretched.

Up next: Nats-Cubs at noon today at Wrigley. Odalis Perez vs. Ryan Dempster.

Cubs take 7th straight series win

Results: The Cubs split the final two games with the Reds, seeing their bats go near-silent. The Reds won 2-1 on Wednesday, while the Cubs recovered to take the finale 3-2 on Thursday. The Cubs' lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central is now 5.5 games. St. Louis is 8 back.

What happened: Wednesday -- the Cubs wasted an outstanding pitching performance by Ted Lilly. They couldn't solve the typically hittable Bronson Arroyo, managing just three hits. Lilly allowed only two hits in seven innings, but they both led to runs. Alfonso Soriano appeared to loaf on a pop-fly double to left by Edward Encarnacion, which led to the eventual winning run. You have to take the bad with the good with Soriano. The Cubs grounded into inning-ending double plays with runners in scoring position in both the fourth and fifth innings. Thursday -- Carlos Zambrano returned to form on the mound, and stayed true to form at the plate. Big Z (13-5) gave up just one run on six hits in seven innings of work, and his fourth home run of the year proved to be the winning margin. The Cubs managed just six hits and failed to tally after scoring once in each of the first three innings. Kerry Wood struck out two in a perfect ninth inning for his 26th save.

Concerns: The offense seems to have suddenly gone into a slump particulary Derrek Lee, whose power outage should be bothersome. Lee has only four home runs since the end of May, and his hit few extra-base hits in recent weeks. Would Lou Piniella dare shake up the lineup if he continues to hit for little power?

Up next: Nationals-Cubs today at 1:20 at Wrigley Field. John Lannan starts against Jason Marquis. I'm going to be honest here: the Nats are terrible, and anything less than a Cubs sweep will be a disappointment.

Harden near perfect as Cubs blank Reds

Result: Cubs 5, Reds 0. The Cubs are now tied with the Rays for the best record in baseball at 77-48. They lead the Brewers by 6 games and Cardinals by 8.5 in the NL Central. Milwaukee lost at home to Houston and St. Louis did the same to Pittsburgh.

What happened: Rich Harden fired seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out 10 and walking none. Johnny Cueto provided the Reds' end of what was a pitchers' duel. He allowed just one run in seven innings, and that came thanks to the hustle of Geovany Soto. The Cubs' catcher led off the fifth with a triple, and with one out scored when Harden laid a bunt down the third base line. Soto followed third baseman Edward Encarnacion down the line, and when Encarnacion threw to first for the out, Soto dashed home, beating the throw. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez added RBIs in the 8th, and Kosuke Fukudome put it out of reach with a two-run single. Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood contributed scoreless innings in relief, as the Reds sent just 30 men to the plate in the contest.

Up next: Reds-Cubs at 7 tonight at Wrigley. Bronson Arroyo starts for the Reds, while Ted Lilly gets the nod for Chicago.

Cubs finish road trip 5-1, lead Central by 5

Results: The Cubs split the last two games with the Marlins, losing 2-1 on Saturday and winning 9-2 on Sunday. They lead the Brewers by 5 games and St. Louis by 7.5 in the NL Central. The Cubs have the best record in the National League at 76-48.

What happened: Saturday -- Lou Piniella stacked the deck with left-handed hitters against righty Anibal Sanchez, but if failed to pay off as the Cubs were shut down offensively. The Cubs left all kinds of runners on base, and closer Kevin Gregg got Mike Fontenot looking to end the game. Two of the three strikes on Fontenot appeared to be outside, and hadn't been called strikes all game. The Cubs' only run came on a homer by Henry Blanco. They wasted a pretty solid spot start from Sean Marshall, who struck out eight in five innings. Sunday -- The offense erupted for eight runs in the seventh inning to give Ryan Dempster his 14th win of the season. The Cubs appeared destined to a second straight frustrating offensive day, as they were shut out through six innings by Chris Volstad, despite getting runners on base frequently. But they came through with three bases-loaded doubles in the seventh -- from Reed Johnson, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez. Dempster allowed two or fewer runs for the 16th time in 28 starts. He struck out 10 free-swinging Marlins.

Spotted: Seated ringside for World Wrestling Entertainment's "Monday Night Raw" program were Dempster, Fontenot and Bob Howry. With the event in town, they took advantage of the night off. WWE champion CM Punk, who is apparently a big Cubs fan, wore ring attire with a modified Cubs "C" logo on it.

Up next: Reds-Cubs tonight at 7 from Wrigley Field. Johnny Cueto for the Reds and Rich Harden for the Cubs.

Ward's pinch-HR stuns Marlins as streak continues

Result: Cubs 6, Marlins 5. The Cubs won their ninth straight road game and fifth consecutive overall to improve to a league-best 75-47. They have now won 15 of 18 games. With Milwaukee's loss to the Dodgers late Friday, the Cubs lead in the Central is now 5.5 games. St. Louis is 7.5 back.

What happened: Daryle Ward, oft-maligned for his failure to produce off the bench virtually all season, launched a mammoth three-run blast off Kevin Gregg in the ninth inning, stunning the dozens of Marlins fans at Dolphin Stadium. Entering the ninth down 5-3, the Cubs got two men on base with a Mark DeRosa walk and single by Reed Johnson. Ward then followed with a majestic blast to right field on an 0-1 pitch off the Marlins' closer. Kerry Wood let two men reach base in the home half of the ninth, but struck out Alfredo Amezaga to end the game. Florida pulled ahead 5-1 early thanks to poor control from Carlos Zambrano and a three-run homer by Jorge Cantu, who seems on his way to becoming a Cub killer. DeRosa got the Cubs back into the contest with a two-run homer in the fourth. DeRosa reached base all four plate appearances, with three walks to go with the home run. Chad Gaudin earned his fourth win as a Cub, with two perfect innings of relief.

Concerns: Zambrano's wildness. This start wasn't as bad as his two previous, but walks really hurt. Of his five runs allowed, four reached base via walks. Still, he was able to get through six innings and keep the Cubs close. He again ran up a pitch count well north of 100. ... Aramis Ramirez sat out Friday with his bruised hip. The injury is not supposed to be too serious, but you never know. Hopefully, we'll see him at least available to pinch-hit tonight.

Up next: Cubs-Marlins at 6 p.m. today in Miami. Sean Marshall earns a start after his stellar work out of the bullpen. Anibal Sanchez starts for Florida.

Cubs finish off Braves, increase lead

Result: Cubs 11, Braves 7. The Cubs improved to 74-47, 4.5 games ahead of the Brewers, who finally lost a game -- to Jake Peavy and the Padres. St. Louis is 7.5 back.

What happened: The Cubs roughed up Tom Glavine, much to the delight of El Hijo, and overcame a near-miss bench-clearing brawl and Mark Kotsay hitting for the cycle. Repeating a recent pattern, the Cubs jumped ahead early, scoring two in the first. They went ahead 5-1 on Aramis Ramirez's three-run homer off Glavine in the third. Soriano added a two-run homer later. Ramirez left the game after scoring a run in the fifth. Kotsay lost a Geovany Soto fly ball in the high Atlanta sky, and Ramirez raced home from second. The relay throw was up the third-base line, causing Aramis to slide and land awkwardly. He laid on the dirt around home plate for a couple of long minutes before being helped up and walking off the field on his own. We'll see. Lilly didn't have his best stuff but once again benefited from unreal run support to pick up his 12th win. He drilled Yunel Escobar in the 6th and both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown, nor was anyone ejected. Good to see Lilly protecting his teammate (Soriano, whose head was thrown at Wednesday), no matter what he tells the media.

Concerns: Obviously, Ramirez's health is a potential season-changing event. The Cubs probably can't win the pennant without him. Now the word is that it may just be a hip-pointer type injury, and not the feared "oblique strain." ... Bob Howry's struggles continued, giving up a three-run bomb to Jeff Franceour, thereby letting Atlanta get back in the game. Fortunately, with Kerry Wood healthy for now, the Cubs are flush with quality relievers. Carlos Marmol came in to put out the fire, getting four outs on 11 pitches. Wood pitched a scoreless ninth.

Up next: Cubs at Florida, tonight at 6. Carlos Zambrano has been awful in August. Can he bounce back tonight? Josh Johnson goes for the Marlins, who have PWNT the Cubs in recent years, especially in Miami.

Cubs sweep doubleheader, hit high-water mark

Results: Cubs swept a day/night doubleheader in Atlanta, taking the first game 10-2 and the second 8-0. Chicago leads the NL Central with a league-best record of 73-47. They are 3.5 games ahead of the streaking Brewers and 7.5 clear of St. Louis.



What happened: The bullpen was stellar in both games, combining to go 7 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing only four hits.

Game 1: The Cubs scored a pair of runs in each of the second and third innings, then blew the game open with a three-run fifth. Geovany Soto went 3 for 3 with 4 RBIs, and Jim Edmonds added to his Cubs legend by clubbing his 16th homer, while also scoring and driving in three. Jason Marquis pitched into the sixth for the win, and Jeff Samardzija added two scoreless innings of relief. Alfonso Soriano admired his blast to left, trouble was it failed to leave the park and he got only a single out of it. He was chided by Lou Piniella and ultimately apologized to teammates. That wasn't good enough for Atlanta, whose Francisley Bueno threw a pitch behind Fonzie's head.

Game 2: A four-run first was all that was needed for Rich Harden and the Cubs' relievers. Aramis Ramirez drove in the Cubs' first run, and Derrek Lee scored to make it 2-0 with a nifty slide around the catcher's tag at home. Kosuke Fukudome blooped a two-run single down the left field line. Fukudome had two hits in the game and a couple other solid at-bats. Maybe he is showing signs of breaking out of this extended slump. If not, we will see more Reed Johnson and Mark DeRosa in the outfield. The Cubs never hit the ball particularly hard in the nightcap, just in the right places. Harden gave up just two hits, but got in trouble and saw his pitch count soar because of five walks. As a result, he was lifted after five shutout innings. Chad Gaudin, Neal Cotts, Kerry Wood and Sean Marshall combined to finish it off.

Up next: Cubs at Braves, tonight at 6:05. The Cubs go for the series sweep with Ted Lilly on the mound against a returning-from-injury Tom Glavine. The Cubs will go for their eighth straight win on the road.

Cubs take series from Cards, still lose ground to Brewers

The Cubs managed to take two of three games from the Cardinals in an electrified Wrigley Field over the weekend. However, with the Brewers sweeping four games from the Washington Generals, err, Nationals, the Crew actually sliced 1.5 games off the Cubs lead in the NL Central. The Brewers are now 3.5 back, while the Cards are 6.5 out after beating Florida on Monday. The Cubs, with an NL-best record of 71-47, enjoyed a day off.

Notes from the weekend: Jim Edmonds stuck it to his old club, pounding two homers in Friday's 3-2 win. It took 11 innings and a Henry Blanco RBI single to put away the Cards. ... On Saturday, Carlos Zambrano endured his worst outing of the season, as the Cards hammered four home runs, including a pair by Troy Glaus, on the way to a 12-3 win. Sunday night before the ESPN cameras, Ryan Dempster earned his team-best 13th win, pitching into the 7th inning. The Cubs broke the game open with 5 runs in the sixth thanks in part to some uncharacteristically poor Cards' defense. That came in part off Chris Carpenter, who left the game with yet more arm trouble.

Up next: Cubs at Atlanta tonight at 6:05. Atlanta had been struggling mightily before taking 2 of 3 at Arizona last weekend. Rich Harden takes the mound for the Cubs, opposing Atlanta's Charlie Morton.

Cubs take 2 of 3 from Astros; Cards in Chicago for big series

Wednesday's result: Cubs 11, Astros 4. The Cubs came back from an early deficit, scoring the final 10 runs of the game, keyed by an eight-run third inning. After the Cards lost to L.A. on Thursday, the Cubs lead the Brewers by five games and Cards by six.

What happened: Mark DeRosa clubbed a grand slam and Alfonso Soriano smacked a three-run homer as the Cubs battered Brandon Backe in the eight-run frame. After a shaky early going, Jason Marquis settled down and pitched into the seventh inning, saving the bullpen a bit.

Up next: Cardinals-Cubs today at 1:20 from Wrigley. The Cards are six games back, and the Cubs could shovel some dirt on them with a sweep. Conversely, the Cards can really cinch up the NL Central standings if they could reel off three straight at Wrigley. That would sound unlikely, considering the Cubs' remarkable 43-16 home record.

The pitching matchups for this weekend: today -- Braden Looper vs. Ted Lilly. Saturday -- Todd Wellemeyer vs. Carlos Zambrano. Sunday --Chris Carpenter vs. Ryan Dempster.

El Hijo returns: Cubs 5 games up in Central.

After about a week off to hide out from the brimstone heat, El Hijo is back with a Cubs update...

Standings: The Cubs are now an NL-best 68-46, five games clear of the Brewers and 5.5 ahead of St. Louis, who comes to Chicago this weekend.

Last weekend: the Cubs showed signs of fatigue on Friday. Coming home from the triumphant four-game sweep at Milwaukee, they looked lifeless and were shut out by the Pirates. That sparked increased talks about playing Friday and Saturday night games. El Hijo has long approved of increased night games, and this would be great. Imagine a September pennant race game at Wrigley on a Friday night. Talk about atmosphere. On Saturday, Ted Lilly overcame early wildness and pitched into the seventh. The offense manufactured more than enough runs, and the Cubs even stole three bases. Sunday's game was a wild one. Piniella removed Carlos Zambrano after five innings to give him so well-deserved rest, but the bullpen could not hold a 5-2 lead. Reed Johnson bailed them out with a pinch two-run homer.

Monday: Heinous thunderstorms swept through Chicago, leading to a near three-hour rain delay. The Cubs were once again silenced by journeyman Brian Moehler, who shut them down earlier this summer in Houston. Baffling. It was 2-0 after five innings, and then the rains came. After the delay, they played a couple more innings, but the game was called in the eighth. You had to like the Cubs' chances of scoring two or more in the final two innings. So, they kinda got hosed there. Maybe MLB needs to revisit its policy on suspending games, especially when teams are going to be playing again the next day.

Tuesday: Once again the Cubs squandered a big lead, only to pull out the victory. They led 6-1 after two innings, but Rich Harden gave up several longballs and Houston shockingly took a 7-6 lead. But, Alfonso Soriano clubbed a three-run homer in the seventh and the Cubs won 11-7.

Up next: Astros-Cubs, 1:20 today at Wrigley. Brandon Backe takes on Jason Marquis.

Rounds 2-4: More of the same, only worse. Cubs humble Brewers

Result: The Cubs completed an impressive 4-game sweep with an 11-4 win on Thursday. Their lead swelled to five games over both Milwaukee and St. Louis. The Cubs have the best record in the NL at 65-44, and trail only the LA Angels of Anaheim for the best record in MLB.

What happened: Jim Edmonds homered twice, including a grand slam in the fourth. Rich Harden was sharp yet again, and finally was fortunate enough to earn his first win as a Cub. Harden went 7 strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out 8. He has now pitched 24.1 innings and allowed 3 earned runs while striking out 38. Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome added homers. With reality setting in for the Brewers, Eric Gagne threw behind Edmonds in the 9th. Both he and manager Ned Yost were ejected. The horses were out of the barn by that time.

Big picture: There are still two months left in the season, so let's not rush to crown the Cubs NL Central champs just yet. That said, the importance of this series shouldn't be underestimated. The Cubs came into the series reeling, and almost entered the four-game set in second place, but for a rally Sunday against Florida (and a little help from Houston). Now, after beating aces C.C. Sabathia (I know he didn't take the loss) and Ben Sheets, and hammering Brewers pitching over the last three games, the lead has swelled to five. There's a lot of work left, but the Cubs took a HUGE step forward in Milwaukee. The bats came back to life, against high-level pitching. The offense was appropriately patient and aggressive, at different times. Lastly, the Cubs may have finally turned the corner on the road.

Up next: Pirates vs. Cubs, 1:20 Friday at Wrigley. Without Jason Bay, Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, the hapless Bucs are even moreso. Jeff Karstens, who came over from the Yankees in the Nady-Marte deal, starts against Jason Marquis. The Brewers head to Atlanta for a weekend set while St. Louis hosts Philadelphia.

Round 1: Cubs-Brewers, 7/28/08. Cubs get to Sabathia, beat Brewers

Result: Cubs 6, Brewers 4. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2 games over Milwaukee and 4 games over St. Louis, which beat Atlanta on Monday.

What happened: The Cubs scored early against the previously untouchable C.C. Sabathia, then rallied for two runs in the 9th off closer Salomon Torres for a thrilling victory in a playoff-like atmosphere at Miller Park. Ted Lilly held the Brewers scoreless through the first five innings before running into trouble in the 6th, as J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun hit back-to-back homers. The Cubs regained the lead when Reed Johnson barrel-rolled into Rickie Weeks at second, spoiling a potential double play and allowing two runs to score on Weeks' errant throw. After the Crew tied it in the 7th, Lee delivered the go-ahead run on a double in the 9th. Carlos Marmol was mostly sharp in the bottom half for his fifth save. Chad Gaudin picked up his second win in as many days. Just a thrilling ballgame.

Concerns: Bob Howry continued to be ineffective since the All-Star break, allowing the tying homer to Russ Branyan in the 7th. Carlos Zambrano's stamina after throwing 125 pitches in his last outing has to merit watching.

Up next: Cubs-Brewers tonight at 7. Carlos Zambrano vs. Ben Sheets in a matchup of two all-stars.

Post-weekend report; Cubs head to MKE with 1-game lead

Results: The Cubs avoided dropping three straight to Florida with a stirring comeback victory on Sunday. Meanwhile, Milwaukee dropped 2 of 3 to Houston, and St. Louis did the same to the Mets. The Cubs lead the Brewers by one game and St. Louis by 4.

What happened: At one point on Sunday, Florida led 5-0 and Milwaukee led the Astros 4-1, making it seem likely the Brewers would head into their 4-game set with the Cubs starting tonight with a 1-game lead. The Cubs rallied behind a 3-run Alfonso Soriano homer, and Mike Fontenot provided the winning margin with a pinch-hit, 3-run double in the 7th. That helped erase the memory of another poor start by Jason Marquis. Jeff Samardzija pitched two innings for his first save, and looks like he could be the answer to the Cubs' sudden bullpen woes. The Cubs were helped by a huge Houston rally to knock off Milwaukee, reversing the trend and giving the Cubs a one-game lead.

All this came after gut-wrenching one-run losses on Friday and Saturday, both of which could have easily been wins. The Cubs' pitching was good enough both days, but the offense just could not come through with the big hit in late-inning situations.

Concerns: Can the Cubs regain their hitting stroke and finally find some consistent success on the road, against the hottest team in the NL, no less? Not to make too much of a series in July, but this four-game set could really set the tone for the rest of the season. I am much more concerned about the Brewers' sudden surge than with the Cubs going into a nosedive.

Up next: Cubs-Brewers from Miller Park at 7 tonight. Ted Lilly vs. the unbeaten-in-the-NL C.C. Sabathia. Hopefully lots of Cubs fans will have bought up tickets.

Marlins-Cubs, Thursday, 7/24/08. Reserves provide pop in comeback win

Result: Cubs 6, Marlins 3. The Cubs lead the NL Central by 1 game over the Brewers and 4 over St. Louis. The Crew completed a four-game sweep of the Cards on Thursday at Busch Stadium. The Brewers host Houston for a three game series starting tonight, while St. Louis visits Shea to take on the Mets.

What happened: Ronny Cedeno and Henry Blanco got rare starts and each homered as the Cubs overcame an early 2-0 deficit. Carlos Zambrano tossed seven strong innings and Carlos Marmol worked into and out of a jam in the 9th for the save. Florida took a 2-0 lead on Hanley Ramirez's homer in the third. Cedeno's solo shot cut that lead in half, and the Cubs took the lead for good in a four-run fifth. Zambrano tioed the score with an RBI double, and Aramis Ramirez snapped out of his recent slump with a two-run double. Marmol maddeningly walked three to load the bases in the 9th, but recovered to strike out Wes Helms to end it.

Concerns: A sudden lack of depth (and reliability) in the bullpen. With Kerry Wood out for the time being due to a finger blister, the 9th inning falls to Marmol or Bob Howry, neither of whom have looked the part lately. Maybe Chad Gaudin can work into that mix? Of course, that bumps up everyone else an inning, and some of those guys have been ineffective lately. This may put the Cubs in the market for another end-of-the-bullpen arm before the trade deadline. The shortage of arms in the bullpen (remedied today by the calling up of former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija) may have led to Lou sending Z out for the 7th, which led to his pitch count reaching 127.

Up next: Marlins-Cubs, 1:20 today at Wrigley. Josh Johnson vs. Ryan Dempster

Tennis update

I intended to make this blog about more than just Cubs updates, so here goes. I enjoy playing tennis and like to think I am somewhat competent at it. This summer I have been playing in a round-robin league of sorts against others of my skill level.



My level is "3.0" and I play against others at that level. Think of it as similar to a golf handicap. It's difficult to explain what a 2.5 or 3.0 or 4.0 player is, and the difference between him and a higher or lower-level player, but much like Justice Potter Stewart said about pornography, you know it when you see it.

Anyway, I played last night against a guy who plays at both the 3.0 and 3.5 levels. Players at the 3.5 level are mostly noticeably better than 3.0. They simply hit with more pace and consistency. Granted, my opponent on Wednesday was not what I'd call an elite 3.5 player, but as you'll see he was good enough to beat me.

My opponent on this evening was an affable Indian fellow who used an unusual grip to generate a confounding spin on the ball. He hit his backhand with two hands, seemingly cross-handed, an always with generous back and side spin. Though the first set was competitive, I failed to close out games in which I had set points, was broken twice and dropped the set 6-2.

I was very much disappointed with that result, and came out smoking in the second set, winning the first three games. I was up 4-1 when he started a comeback. One of the best parts of my game is my serve. I take pride in the big, flat first serve that I often hit for an ace. It was frustrating that my opponent on Wednesday seemed to handle my first (harder, bigger) serve much more easily than my second (kick) serve, often coming up with winners from tough angles. It was his return of serve that evened the second set at 5-all. I managed to hold for a 6-5 lead, and then broke him in a lengthy game to take the set 7-5. The winning point came on a smooth one-handed backhand I hit down the line -- on the run -- for a clean winner.

However, that was about the end of my highlights. I was down 2-1 in the third set when the heat and humidity started bogging me down. If I sat during changeovers my back started to tighten up. I was soaked with sweat and generally exhausted as the match approached three hours. There was nothing left in the tank. I refused to retire, but put up little fight in dropping the final four games. It has taken me a good 16 hours to get re-hydrated and feeling normal again. Clearly, I need to work on my fitness and stamina if I intend on playing competitive singles, because as it now stands, if I don't win in straight sets I'm probably not going to win in three. In this round-robin, I have played five matches. The two wins were easy walkovers over clearly inferior players. The three losses have all been in three sets.

Cubs-D'Backs, Wednesday, 7/23/08. Bats come alive, keep lead at one game.

Result: Cubs 10, Diamondbacks 6. The Cubs lead the NL Central by one game over Milwaukee and three over St. Louis. C.C. Sabathia shut out the Cardinals on Wednesday.

What happened: After scoring just two runs in the first two games in Phoenix, Cubs' bats erupted. Derrek Lee got it started with a first-inning homer, and Reed Johnson capped a six-run eighth inning with a grand slam. Ted Lilly was serviceable enough, allowing three runs in six innings for his 10th win, joining Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster as 10-game winners.

It was over when the Cubs roughed up the D'Backs' bullpen in the eighth. Consecutive singles by Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto plated a run, and also broke up lengthy hitless streaks for both. Mark DeRosa drew a bases-loaded walk, setting up Johnson's blast to right-center. Johnson may have been aided by an overreaching fan, but the umpires upheld the home run call.

Up next: Marlins-Cubs from Wrigley tonight at 7. Scott Olsen vs. Carlos Zambrano.

Cubs-D'Backs, Tuesday, 7/22/08. Cubs lose; Lead down to 1 game

Result: Diamondbacks 9, Cubs 2. Cubs have lost 4 of 5 since the All-Star break, and their lead is now just one game over the red-hot Brewers and two over the Cardinals. Milwaukee defeated St. Louis 3-2 on Tuesday.

What happened: Another below-average pitcher shut down what's supposed to be the most potent offense in the NL. Yusmeiro Petit, making just his second start of the season, held the Cubs to one run and three hits over five innings. Conor Jackson had three hits and three RBIs, and Arizona blew it open with two runs in the 7th and four more in the 8th. Jason Marquis was serviceable, but not nearly good enough with the Cubs' anemic bats. Maybe they can steal the finale and return home, where all seems to be well -- so far.

Up next: Cubs vs. Arizona at 8:30 tonight. Cubs try to avoid sweep with Ted Lilly matching up with cancer survivor Doug Davis.

Quick note: this is the second time in recent weeks where an opponent has failed to give the Cubs a favorable "getaway day" starting time. The Cubs will have to fly back to Chicago after tonight's game, and also lose two hours across time zones. Not cool, Arizona. This should have been an afternoon game.

Cubs-D'Backs, 7/21/08, Cubs make Unit look like he's 39 again

Result: Arizona 2, Cubs 0. The Cubs lead the NL Central by two games over both St. Louis and Milwaukee. The Brewers beat the Cards 6-3 in 10 innings on Monday.

What happened: Rich Harden and Randy Johnson locked up in an elite-level pitchers' duel, with Johnson getting the slight edge. Harden carried a no-hitter into the sixth before Alex Romero(?) got a change-up out over the plate and took it out to right for his first career home run. In his second start since coming over from Oakland, Harden went 7 innings, allowing just that one hit and striking out 10. Johnson, who turns 45 in September, ran his record against the Cubs to a staggering 13-0 lifetime. He allowed only two singles in 7 innings. The home/road splits for the Cubs offense got even more ridiculous.

It was over when Derrek Lee took a bad swing in the 9th. With two men on and no outs, Lee was ahead 2-0 against Monday's closer Chad Qualls. Lee took a full swung at a fastball in on his hands and hit into an easy 6-4-3 double play, effectively sinking the Cubs chances. You have to expect more from your no. 3 hitter and one of your biggest run producers. Terrible at-bat.

Up next: Cubs-D'Backs tonight at 8:30. Jason Marquis vs. Yusmeiro Petit, who will no doubt have his best start of the season.

Cubs-Astros, Sunday 7/19/08

Result: Cubs 9, Astros 0. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2 games over St. Louis and 3 over Milwaukee. San Diego's AAA club couldn't even manage to salvage one of its four games with the Cards, blowing a late lead Sunday, and the Brewers finished off a road sweep of the Giants. The Brewers and Cards start a four-game series tonight in St. Louis. The Cubs and D-backs meet for a three-game set starting tonight in Phoenix.

What happened: Ryan Dempster pitched 8 shutout innings to earn his first road victory of the season. The Cubs got to Houston's Brandon Backe for two runs in the first, and built a 4-0 lead before exploding for five runs in the ninth. Mike Fontenot had three hits, including his 8th home run of the season.

The game turned when Dempster worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth by striking out J.R. Towles and Backe, then getting Kaz Matsui to foul out.

Concerns: Kerry Wood is expected to go on the DL today, meaning that Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry will be expected to close out games. Are they up to it? We'll see. ... The Cubs have failed to show any kind of offensive consistency on the road. They will need to score more runs in Arizona this week against a Diamondbacks team that, though they are under .500, are still in first place.

Up next: Cubs at Arizona tonight at 8:30. Rich Harden vs. Randy Johnson.

Road woes continue; Cubs' lead just 2 games

Result: Astros 4, Cubs 1. The Cubs lead the NL Central by just two games with a record of 57-40, having lost three straight. St. Louis is in second, followed by Milwaukee three games back.

What happened: The Cubs continued their Jeckyll/Hyde act between home and road. They repeatedly failed with runners in scoring position, finishing with nine hits but just the one tally against Wandy Rodriguez and a host of relievers. The Cubs have scored four runs in their last three games. That includes being held to one run on Friday by journeyman Brian Moehler, who strangely has succeeded against Chicago. That wasted Ted Lilly's sparkling start, and the Astros scored in the ninth to win 2-1. On Saturday, Houston scratched out four runs, mostly on broken-bat hits, off Carlos Zambrano, and that was more than enough. Jose Valverde fanned the side in the ninth. Zambrano's opposite-field homer in the seventh was the lone run for Chicago.

Concern: The majority of the Cubs' remaining games are on the road. The Cardinals and Brewers have plainly shown they are not going away. Despite the great success of the first half of the season, if the Cubs can't perform better away from Wrigley Field they will surely not make the playoffs.

Up next: Cubs at Astros today at 1. Ryan Dempster looks for his first road win. Houston starts Brandon Backe.

Cubs' All-Star Break Report Card

All-Star game: AL 4, NL 3 in 15 innings and Billy Wagner and Dan Uggla team up to (hopefully) cost the Cubs home-field advantage in the World Series. Cubs pitchers gave up exactly nothing, but their hitters failed to produce.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: A
Not much to complain about. Sure, you would love to see that road record at .500 or better, but they have more than made up for it by being virtually unbeatable at home. The sweep at the Cell and Kerry Wood's Saturday meltdown in St. Louis stick in one's craw as well. Otherwise, the '08 Cubs hit the All-Star Break (ASB) in as good a position as virtually any team in club history. After the Cardinals beat the Padres on Thursday, the Cubs lead them in the Central by 4 games. Milwaukee is 5 games back.

Player-by-player breakdown
Henry Blanco -- Age seems to be showing on the back-up backstop, but he had a huge home run in the Cubs' rally from 9-1 down to beat Colorado. Grade -- C.
Ronny Cedeno -- Glovework has been solid as a part-time player, and he has shown some occasional pop, the cost of which has been increased strikeouts. Grade -- C+.
Neal Cotts -- Hard-throwing lefty who has more trouble getting out right-handers. His strikeout rate is nice, but struggles against lefties might require the Cubs to shop for another southpaw for the bullpen. Grade -- C+.



Ryan Dempster -- The conversion from maligned closer to no. 2 starter and ASG representative (where he struck out the side in his one inning) has gone smoother than planned. You would love to see him break through (and catch a little luck) on the road, but Demps has been nails at home. It took Tim Lincecum's best to hand him his first loss at Wrigley. Grade -- A.
Mark DeRosa -- The Cubs' Mr. Versatility, DeRosa had a reasonable claim for the All-Star team. His power has increased and he has driven in some big runs. He only gets partial demerits for some defensive lapses. Grade -- B.
Jim Edmonds -- Jim Hendry's controversial pick-up has come up aces. Struggling in San Diego, Edmonds has been resurrected in Chicago. His acquisition was a bitter pill for many Cubs faithful, but his performance his eased that pain. Grade -- B+.
Mike Fontenot -- The pint-sized second baseman El Hijo has dubbed "Tanner Boyle" for his resemblance to the foul-mouthed member of "The Bad News Bears," has shown considerable pop in recent weeks. Plus, his pre-game "hammer and nail" routine with Zambrano is always amusing. Grade -- B-.
Kosuke Fukudome -- Everyone's favorite Japanese import has quickly become beloved at Wrigley Field. He has slumped in recent weeks as perhaps NL pitchers have caught up with him. His defense and baserunning have remained impeccable, but it would be nice if he could push that average back towards .300. Grade -- B.
Chad Gaudin & Rich Harden -- Hendry's masterstroke, provided Harden can (knock) stay healthy. Gaudin will prove to be quite valuable. Grades -- Incomplete.
Kevin Hart -- Not ready to pitch in the majors, and he has shown that repeatedly. Grade -- D.
Bob Howry -- The hard-throwing righty reliever is effective as long as that four-seamer is working. Has pitched in some bad luck at times. Can probably close if needed. Grade -- B.



Reed Johnson -- Hendry's last-minute pickup off the waiver wire has been better than anyone could have expected. Made the catch of the year at Washington, and has delivered an extraordinary number of RBIs in his limited at-bats. Grade -- B+.
Derrek Lee -- Team and possibly league MVP through May, his power numbers have slowed down, but he keeps hitting for average. Seems to be a quiet leader, and is no doubt a vital cog in the NL's most potent lineup. His glovework at first also merits praise. Grade -- A-.
Jon Lieber -- Has turned in some quality relief outings, but has been victimized by the longball. The Reds love to see him warming up. Is talking like this is the end of the line for him. Grade -- C.
Ted Lilly -- The no. 3 starter has been wildly inconsistent, and has benefited from great run support to get to 9 wins. One of the bigger disappointments of the season, really. Grade -- C-.
Carlos Marmol -- Dominant for the first 2.5 months, Marmol was the best reliever in baseball. Read that sentence again. A few bad outings inflated his ERA, but a solid ASG performance proved that he still has it. It's hard to pick a team MVP for the first half, but Marmol would definitely get some votes. Grade -- B+.
Jason Marquis -- It's not secret that El Hijo is not a big fan of the former Cardinal, but he has been increasingly steady the last month or so, reversing his course from 2007. When he gets his sinker working and cuts down on the walk, he can be very effective. Grade -- C+.
Sean Marshall -- Small sample size, but Marshall has looked very good, beating the Cards at Busch and throwing two perfect extra innings of relief work last Sunday. Could be the left-handed answer out of the 'pen. Grade -- B.
Aramis Ramirez -- The team's RBI leader is great at getting that runner home from third, including via the sacrifice fly. He seems to have a knack for the dramatic, and his defense has been very solid. Grade -- A.
Alfonso Soriano -- The suddenly injury-prone outfielder was white-hot when he returned in May, but was shuttled back to the DL when hit by a pitch on his hand. You can't overlook his frigidly cold start to the season. Grade -- B.



Geovany Soto -- He looks more and more like a captain/team leader every day. The pitchers love the way he calls a game, and he doesn't look like he'll stop hitting. Starting the ASG as a rookie? This one's easy. Grade -- A+.
Ryan Theriot -- The Cubs' acceidental shortstop. Not a natural at that position, and doesn't quite have the arm, but he makes it work. He's in the top 10 in hitting in the NL, and scores a lot of run. Runs well, too. Grade -- B+.
Daryle Ward -- The once-super productive pinch-hitter has struggled to hit anything at all this season. His lack of mobility in the field is also a hindrance, and if he's not hitting, it's hard to justify keeping Micah Hoffpauir in Iowa. Grade -- D.
Kerry Wood -- The reverse Dempster, moving from starter to closer. It just may have saved his career. More and more Wood is looking like a natural, and could have a long career ahead of him in ninth innings. He has only gotten himself in trouble with walks and hit batsmen, and the blown save in St. Louis sticks out. Grade -- B+.



Carlos Zambrano -- Increased maturity has resulted in Big Z becoming the ace he was destined to be. Save for that blow-up in L.A., the old Carlos seems to have vanished. The shoulder trouble was troubling, though hopefully not long-lasting. Probably the best hitting pitcher in the NL, he's a lock to start any potential Game 1s. Grade -- A.

Cubs finish "first half" with 4.5 game lead

The Cubs took two of three from the Giants last weekend at Wrigley Field, with Tim Lincecum helping SF avoid the sweep with 8 strong innings on Sunday. Ryan Dempster finally lost at home, though he pitched well enough.
The Cubs' lead swelled to 5.5 games on Saturday, thanks to their roller-coaster win and some unlikely help in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates scored four in the ninth and won in 11 on a walk-off homer. Chicago survived Carlos Marmol's implosion, where he gave up five ninth-inning runs as the Giants tied the score. Reed Johnson and Sean Marshall were the heroes in extra innings. That terrible performance cost Rich Harden the win in his Cubs' debut. He pitched only into the sixth, but allowed no runs and struck out 10.
At the break, the Cubs were tied with the LA Angels of Anaheim for the best record in baseball, with marks of 57-38.
Coming up next...All-Star Game thoughts and "First-half" report cards for all Cubs.

Giants-Cubs, 7/11/08. A-Ram's HR lifts Cubs in pitchers' duel

Result: Cubs 3, Giants 1. The Cubs lead the NL Central by 4.5 games over the Cardinals and 5 games over the Brewers. The Cards beat Pittsburgh on Friday, while the Reds knocked off Milwaukee. At 56-37, the Cubs once again have the best record in baseball; their winning percentage is just slightly better than that of the Tampa Bay Rays.

What happened: Jason Marquis matched the Giants' Matt Cain pitch for pitch over 7 innings. Marquis' line -- 7 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. Cain's line -- 7 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 3 walks and 9 Ks. In two starts against the Cubs, Cain has thrown 15 scoreless innings. Good thing the Cubs are through with SF after this weekend. With Marquis' strong outing, that is 3 excellent starts in 4 games of this homestand. Aramis Ramirez hooked a three-run bomb around the left-field foul pole, giving the Cubs all the runs they need. Bob Howry worked a scoreless 8th, and Kerry Wood gave up a run but earned his 24th save.

It was over when: Wood got the final three outs. The Giants scored one and got the tying runs on base with no outs in the 9th. Wood then struck out Aaron Rowand, got John Bowker to pop out to shallow right, and got Rich Aurilia to ground out to first base to end it. While you never want to see your closer get into trouble, it was nice to see Wood work his way out of it.

Up next: Giants-Cubs at noon today from Wrigley. Rich Harden makes his Cubs debut against SF's Kevin Correia.

Reds-Cubs, Thursday 7/10/08. Reds pound Cubs pitching.

Result: Reds 12, Cubs 7. The Cubs dropped to 55-37, 4 games ahead of Milwaukee and 4.5 games clear of third-place St. Louis in the NL Central. The Cubs have the best record in the National League and are 35-11 at Wrigley Field.

What happened: Ted Lilly failed to get out of the third inning, and the Cub relievers didn't do any better. Cincinnati hit seven home runs, including HRs in six consecutive innings, erasing an early 3-1 Cubs lead.

It was over when: Ken Griffey launched a 3-run homer in the fourth, the 605th of his career. That gave the Reds a 7-3 lead. The Cubs got to within 10-7 in the sixth, but the Cincy bullpen shut them out over the final three innings.

Concerns: Don't be confused by Lilly's won-loss record (9-6), his ERA stands at 4.68 and he has been nowhere near the pitcher he was for most of 2007. After back-to-back stellar outings from Dempster and Zambrano, let this game serve as a not-so-gentle reminder of the necessity of Rich Harden. Geovany Soto started a day game after a night game. I know the all-star break is coming up, but as the NL's starting catcher, Soto won't get much of a break. He has played in 85 of the Cubs' 92 games, starting the vast majority. Ryan Theriot seemed to crumble late in the 2007 season, no doubt feeling the strain of a 162-game grind. Soto is far too valuable. It would be great to see Henry "Hank White" Blanco get a few more spot starts, beginning today.

Up next: Giants-Cubs at 1:20 today at Wrigley. Matt Cain, who shut out the Cubs for 8 innings last week in Frisco, takes on Jason Marquis, who could be pitching to keep his spot in the rotation.

Reds-Cubs, Wednesday 7/9/08. Zambrano dominates

Result: Cubs 5, Reds 1. The Cubs improved to 55-36, 4.5 games ahead of St. Louis and 5 games above Milwaukee in the NL Central. Both the Cards and Brewers lost on Wednesday. The Cubs have the best record in the National League and are 35-10 at Wrigley Field.

What happened: Carlos Zambrano allowed just a second-inning solo homer to Adam Dunn in 8 innings of sterling work. He left the game having retired 20 straight Reds. Aramis Ramirez gave the Cubs the lead with a home run in the 6th off Johnny Cueto, who was very sharp. Kosuke Fukudome, Derrek Lee and Ramirez all added RBI hits as the Cubs padded their lead with three runs in the 7th.

It was over when: Kerry Wood got Brandon Phillips to foul out with the bases loaded in the 9th. With Zambrano in a groove, and Carlos Marmol retiring the first two in the 9th, the 5-1 lead looked rock solid. But Marmol lost his control again, loading the bases on an infield hit and two walks.

Up next: Reds-Cubs at 1:20 today at Wrigley. Cubs go for the sweep with Ted Lilly facing Bronson Arroyo.

Cubs-Reds, Tuesday 7/8/08; Dempster wins again, Cubs dealt ace

Result: Cubs 7, Reds 3. Chicago has an NL-best record of 54-36. It leads the NL Central by 3.5 games over St. Louis and 4 games over Milwaukee. The Cards shut out the Phillies 2-0 on Tuesday, while the Brew Crew topped Colorado, 7-3 in C.C. Sabathia's Brewer debut.

Harden: In response to Milwaukee landing Sabathia, GM Jim Hendry went out and acquired Oakland ace Rich Harden in a six-player deal. The Cubs sent Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson, Matt Murton and minor-league catcher Josh Donaldson to the A's for Harden and versatile pitcher Chad Gaudin.


What happened: Dempster was lights out once again at Wrigley. He improved to 10-0 at home by tossing 7 innings of 2-hit baseball, allowing just one run while striking out five. The Cubs posted single runs in the second and third before Mike Fontenot and Geovany Soto clubbed two-run homers for insurance. The Cubs battered Cincy starter Aaron Harang, who has had great success against the Cubs in the past.

More Harden: The big question about Harden is his health. He has a long history of stays on the disabled list, including one earlier this season. Still, he has answered the bell for his last 12 starts. When healthy, Harden is unquestionably one of the best dozen or so starters in baseball. He was the best available pitcher out there after Sabathia went to Milwaukee, and if he's 100 percent, he may in fact be better. Also consider that Harden is under contract through 2009, so he's not a rent-an-arm deal like Sabathia, whom the Brewers most certainly will be unable to sign. Harden is 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 13 starts (77 IP). His strikeout to walk ratio is nearly 3-1 (92-31).

As if there was any doubt, this is a sure sign from the Cubs' management to the fans that they are committed to winning. Winning big and winning now. El Hijo is muy excited.

Up next: Reds-Cubs at 7 tonight. Johnny Cueto vs. Carlos Zambrano.

El Hijo's recap; good excuse for no updates

This marks El Hijo's first post in a week.
Now, this honestly can't be attributed to the predictable malaise that sets in the first month or so after a blogger gets going. No, he has a good excuse.
El Hijo ran off and got married last weekend to his longtime galpal.
So, let's recap the past week in Cubs news:
******************************************
The Cubs managed to split the 4-game series in San Francisco.
That led them into St. Louis with a 2.5-game lead for a huge weekend series.
There, the Cubs took 2 of 3. Although Kerry Wood gave up three runs in the 9th on Saturday to hand the Cards a 5-4 win, the Cubs were perhaps fortunate to win on Friday, thanks to some questionable strike calls in favor of Wood against Troy Glaus. On Sunday, Sean Marshall turned in his best start to date and the Cubs' bats came alive in a 7-1 win.
They entered this week with a 3.5-game lead over both St. Louis and Milwaukee.
The Brewers shook things up on Monday, finalizing a trade for plus-sized Cleveland lefty C.C. Sabathia, which seemed to shift the balance of power in the Central...

Cubs-Giants, Tuesday 7/1/08. Cain able to slay Cubs

Result: Giants 2, Cubs 1. Cubs fall to 50-34, still 2.5 games ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central. The Mets topped the Cards, 7-4 on Monday.

What happened: Matt Cain hurled 8 shutout innings, and Brian Wilson struck out Ryan Theriot with the tying and go-ahead runs on base to end the game. Cain struck out 10 and allowed just two hits. Fred Lewis' took home on the back end of a double steal, and Randy Winn singled home the Giants' second tally.

The game was not over until the last out. Obviously, that's true in all games, but this tightly played contest came down to the last pitch. Derrek Lee led off the ninth with a triple and scored on Geovany Soto's single. With two outs, Mike Fontenot reached on an infield hit. Theriot fought off numerous pitches from Wilson before finally whiffing on some high heat.

Lost in the mix was Jason Marquis' strong outing. He gets blasted here often, so it's only right to point out when he succeeds. Seven innings, four hits, two runs and just three walks is the line.

Up Next: Cubs vs. Giants tonight at 9:15. Ryan Dempster vs. Kevin Correia should give the Cubs a substantial edge, but remember, Dempster is a different animal away from home. Cubs need to win, especially considering that Sports Illustrated cover boy Tim Lincecum awaits them on Thursday. Tonight's game should be the last for the Cubs without Aramis Ramirez, who was back in the D.R. taking care of some undisclosed family matters.

Cubs-Giants, Monday 6/30/08. Lilly stellar in Cubs win.

Result: Cubs 9, Giants 2. The Cubs are the first NL team to 50 wins (50-33) and lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis. The Cards ripped the Mets, 7-1.

What happened: Ted Lilly pitched 8 scoreless innings before giving up a pair of runs to start the ninth. Even though he couldn't finish the game, his sharp outing was more than enough to end the Cubs' four-game losing skid. It was a big lift after being swept by the White Sox and flying to the west coast, then getting ready for Monday's game on little sleep. Lilly's final line: 8+IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks.



The game was over when: Mark DeRosa cranked his second homer of the night, a grand slam to make it 9-0 in the eighth. DeRosa, who will be filling in for Aramis Ramirez (family issue in the Dominican Republic) for three games, also homered in the fifth.

Up next: Cubs-Giants, 9 tonight, WGN. Jason Marquis vs. Matt Cain. Marquis looks to continue his success on the road and bounce back from a dismal start at Wrigley last week against the Orioles.

Lazy days at the lake, reports are sparse.

El Hijo spent a long weekend at Greers Ferry Lake and is now sunburned.
I caught bits and pieces of the Cubs' games Saturday and Sunday.
Of course, it was a lost weekend, with the White Sox returning the Cubs' sweep from a week earlier.
At different times, the Cubs' pitching and hitting failed them over the weekend.
It's pretty clear they will have to trade for at least one starting picher.
The record now stands at 49-33 and have lost 5 of 6. St. Louis is just 2.5 games back and Milwaukee is 4.5 back.
The Cubs play four games in San Francisco starting tonight, before a HUGE weekend series in St. Louis. Carlos Zambrano is scheduled to come back for Friday's game against the Cards.

Do you know Guillermo Quiroz?

Probably not.
Anyway, he is the Orioles' catcher in today's game.
He came in to the game hitting .197, and Jason "PIEFUCKER" Marquis walked him to lead off the third, sparking a five-run Orioles rally.
It is absolutely maddening watching Marquis pitch. You see why Leo Mazzone and Atlanta were so quick to deal him, and Dave Duncan in St. Louis effectively gave up on him.
Awful.

Cubs lose 11-4 on a dreadful day at Wrigley.
O's take 2 of 3.
Cubs lead St. Louis by 4.5 games in the NL Central with an MLB-best record of 49-30.

Up next: Round 2 of the Windy City Classic, this time at The Cell on the south side. Cubs-White Sox, Friday at 3 (Comcast Sports), Saturday at 2:55 (FOX), and Sunday at 7 p.m. (ESPN).

Cubs sweep White Sox! Thoughts on a dominant weekend at Wrigley.

Results: Friday -- Cubs 4, Sox 3. Saturday -- Cubs 11, Sox 7. Sunday -- Cubs 7, Sox 2. The Cubs run their home record to an improbable 32-8 (.800 winning pct.) and have won 14 straight at Wrigley Field. The Cubs now lead the NL Central by 4.5 games over St. Louis and 6.5 games over Milwaukee. They have an MLB-best record of 48-28.



Stars of the weekend: Aramis Ramirez -- 4 HRs in three games, including a walk-off shot on Friday as the Cubs erased a 3-1 deficit. Ryan Dempster -- with Carlos Zambrano on the shelf, Demps stepped up and performed like an ace before an ESPN Sunday Night crowd, pitching into the ninth. He is now 9-0 at home. Jim Edmonds -- homered twice in the Cubs' 9-run fourth inning on Saturday. He continues to endear himself to the Cub faithful, a group who once hated his guts. Eric Patterson -- he went 2 for 3 with a HR and three runs scored on Sunday, after going 3 for 5 with two runs scored on Saturday. Jason Marquis, begrudgingly -- it wasn't all pretty, but Marquis gave the Cubs seven innings on Saturday for his fifth straight win, saving the bullpen. That was just what the Cubs needed on a day where runs were scored in bunches. A month ago, Marquis was close to being replaced in the rotation.

Concerns: The lack of control for Carlos Marmol. He pitched one inning on Saturday and walked three batters. That came after his disastrous outing in Tampa on Thursday. Cubs coaches insist he is wilder when he gets extra rest, but you have to wonder if he's not showing signs of overwork. Sean Marshall -- will he be able to answer the call when he takes Zambrano's spot in the rotation on Tuesday? Z was put on the 15-day DL Saturday with a shoulder strain.

Up next: Cubs host the Orioles at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Baltimore is playing surprisingly well, but you have to like the Cubs' chances at home.

Glossary/The Drams

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Brent's image is too volatile to be captured.
See more at my flickr page.

Glossary/The Drams

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Brent Best and Co.

Glossary/The Drams

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Joey, Kelly and Eric.

Glossary/The Drams

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Kelly and Todd.

Glossary/The Drams

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Glossary in action.

Pics and Review from Glossary/The Drams at White Water Tavern 6/14/08

A week late, I know. For posterity's sake...

I was there for both and am just now starting to feel myself again.
The White Water is a real dive, a hole-in-the-wall hotbox. By the end of each night, bands and audience alike were sweat-soaked, but I doubt many would have changed a thing.

Glossary continues to earn their label of Postcard's favorites. Their Friday set was as tight as I've heard them and included at least one new cut. They hit all the high spots from the last three records, and mixed it up enough so that there was little overlap in the two setlists. I don't remember if it was Kelly or Joey who indicated that in addition to the upcoming vinyl release of "The Better Angels Of Our Nature," they are hoping to get pressed "How We Handle Our Midnights" and "For What I Don't Become."

All night Friday, Jimmy kept teasing MMJ's "Evil Urges" on the keys. I called him out on it and told him they didn't have the guts to play it. Well, I was proven wrong, as they closed out Saturday's set with a version that sounded better to these ears than the original.

The Drams got the place jumping, opening the Saturday set with an inspired cover of "The Shape I'm In." On Friday they covered the Jayhawks' "Real Light," and closed the show Saturday with "Cortez the Killer." Highlights included "Hummalong," "Unhinged" and "You Won't Forget." Plus, we got "Trust Jesus" and "That Is All" for Slobberbone faves.

Kevin Kerby (Mulehead) opened both nights, the first with his band Battery and the second a solo acoustic set. I preferred the former. Also, Brent brought him up to sing the Kerby-penned "Josephine" on Saturday.

Cubs-Rays, Thursday, 6/19/08 -- Marmol implodes, Rays sweep

Result: Rays 8, Cubs 3. The Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by 3.5 games with a MLB-best record of 45-28. St. Louis was swept by Kansas City, 4-1 on Thursday.

What happened: Cubs relievers gave up seven runs in the Tampa 7th after the Cubs had scored three times to take a 3-1 lead.

The game turned when Carlos Marmol failed to retire any of the four batters he faced in the 7th. Marmol walked two and hit two batters to make it 3-2. Scott Eyre came in and immediately allowed a grand slam to Carl Crawford. Four of the five batters Eyre faced hit for extra bases.

Concerns: Marmol's lack of control. Even in recent quality appearances, Marmol has had trouble finding the strike zone. He was the most dominant reliever in MLB the first two months of the season, but perhaps is showing signs of overwork. The strain on the team of losing two of their key parts could also be showing, which is problematic coming into a tense weekend series on short rest with its rival.

Silver lining: Another strong outing from Sean Gallagher. The rookie allowed four hits and one unearned run in six innings, lowering his ERA below 4.

Up next: Cubs-White Sox in the crosstown clash at Wrigley today at 1:20. The Cubs appear to be reeling a bit without Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano and after being swept by the Rays. The Sox come in fresh off a sweep of Pittsburgh, and no doubt inspired as always for being the red-headed stepchild of Chicago baseball.

Cubs-Rays, Wednesday, 6/17/08 -- Zambrano injured?

Result: Rays 5, Cubs 4. The Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by 3.5 games with a MLB-best record of 45-27. St. Louis lost at home to Kansas City, 3-2.

What happened: Tampa got to Carlos Zambrano for five runs early, and the Cubs could not quite make up the difference against Andy Sonnanstine and the Rays' bullpen. Zambrano left the game in the 7th with tightness in his shoulder and is scheduled for an MRI today.

The game turned in: the Cubs' half of the 5th. Trailing 5-2, they loaded the bases with no outs and the 2-3-4 hitters coming up. But, they only managed one run on Ryan Theriot's fielder's choice. Derrek Lee struck out swinging and Aramis Ramirez hit a lazy fly to right on the first pitch. Geovany Soto made it a one-run game, leading off the ninth with a blast to left off Troy Percival, but the tying run never got past first base.

Concern: Zambrano. He hasn't quite been the same since that 130-pitch outing against the Dodgers at Wrigley. Now he could be headed to the DL. If that is the case, will it be another "Pitchcount-Gate" that wrecks a promising Cubs season. This Cubs team is veteran and deep, but I'm not sure it can survive losing an ace like Z without trading for an adequate replacement.
Names of potentially available starters that are flying around include C.C. Sabathia, Rich Harden and Ben Sheets. Any of those would be great in blue pinstripes, but there are injury concerns on two (Harden, Sheets) and the other has not performed up to his standards this year.

Up next: Cubs-Rays tonight at 6. The Cubs try to avoid the sweep with Sean Gallagher going to the mound versus James Shields, who throws a wicked right hand.

Cubs-Rays, Tuesday, 6/17/08

Result: Rays 3, Cubs 2. The Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by 3.5 games with a MLB-best record of 45-26. St. Louis lost at home to Kansas City, 2-1.

What happened: Evan Longoria threw out Reed Johnson on a bunt attempt for the final out, preventing the Cubs from tying the score. Tampa's bullpen was just a little better than Chicago's, as Troy Percival survived the ninth for his 16th save. Starters Ryan Dempster and Scott Kazmir were sharp, but both left early due to high pitch counts.

The game turned on: Longoria's play. A brilliant and daring try by Johnson, and it almost worked. Longoria bare-handed the bunt and skipped it across to first, where Willy Aybar somehow dug out the throw. Not normally a first baseman, Aybar was practically straddling the bag. There was contact between he and Johnson, and by rights Johnson could have steamrolled him and tried to knock loose the ball.

Other notes of interest: Cliff Floyd, a Cub in 2007, showed that he still has some of the greatest home-run power in MLB, murdering a high splitter from Dempster. ... Johnson took the bone-headed play of the night, getting caught trying to steal third with two outs in the 7th. ... Neal Cotts was the runner up, throwing errantly to first base after Akinori Iwamura's grounder hit off his foot and caromed high into the air. Cotts had no play, but threw anyway, allowing Iwamura to get all the way to third. He eventually scored Tampa's third run. ... Longoria flexed his muscle on an opposite-field blast, an easy swing that is a big reason he is considered one of the best young prospects in baseball.

Up next: Cubs-Rays tonight at 6 from the worst ballpark in America. Carlos Zambrano and Andy Sonnanstine are your starters.

Monday update -- Cubs take 2 of 3 in Toronto

Results: Cubs 6, Blue Jays 2 on Saturday. Cubs 7, Jays 4 on Sunday. Cubs lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over St. Louis with a MLB-best record of 45-25. St. Louis kept pace by taking the final two from Philly, though it lost Yadier Molina for a while in a nasty collision at home plate.

What happened: Saturday -- Jason Marquis put forth his second straight spectacular start, outdueling Roy Halladay, who is one of the most durable starters in MLB, yet only got through five innings. Former Jay Reed Johnson clubbed the big blow, a three-run homer in the Cubs' second inning.

Sunday -- It was Ted Lilly's turn for a quality start. The former Toronto lefty went six innings, allowing just one hit, walking five and striking out six. The Cubs scored three in the third, and blew it open with a 4-run 7th, capped by Aramis Ramirez's two-run homer.

The games turned when: Both Cubs starters put up a string of zeros. Toronto had been one of the best pitching teams -- particularly its starters -- all season, and the back-end of the Cub's rotation outperformed them.

Up next: Cubs at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m. Lou Piniella returns to the one city where he failed to have success as a manager. Now, the Rays are thriving with a bevy of young talent under manager Joe Maddon. Ryan Dempster vs. Scott Kazmir in a pitching matchup of two certain all-stars.

Cubs-Blue Jays, Friday 6/13/08

An abbreviated recap for this one, as El Hijo is recovering from last night's epic Drams/Glossary show.

Result: Blue Jays 3, Cubs 2. Cubs lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over St. Louis with a MLB-best record of 43-25. The Phillies beat the Cards 20-2.

I think the loss can most likely be attributed to Toronto's stone-pimp throwbacks they wear for Friday home games.



What happened: One bad inning was enough to sink the Cubs on Friday. In the third, Sean Gallagher gave up a two-run HR to Matt Stairs, and Scott Rolen followed with a solo shot.

The game turned when the Cubs failed to tie or go ahead in the 6th. They caught a bad break when Jim Edmonds' single deflected off the second-base umpire, forcing Kosuke Fukudome to stop at third. Eric Patterson singled home a run to make it a one-run game, but Ryan Theriot hit into an inning-ending double play. Toronto's bullpen shut down the Cubs the rest of the way.

Concerns: The Cubs home-road splits in batting average seem to worsen, and strikeouts were definitely a problem Friday. Cubs hitters went down 13 times.

Up next: Cubs at Toronto, noon today.

Braves-Cubs, Thursday 6/12/08

Result: Cubs 3, Braves 2, 11 innings. Cubs lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over St. Louis with a MLB-best record of 43-24. The Cubs finally got some help from Cincy, which defeated the Cards 6-2. St. Louis hosts Philly this weekend. The Cubs are now 29-8 at home, having won 11 straight at the Friendly Confines. Simply staggering.

What happened: Jim Edmonds tied the score with a ninth-inning home run, and Reed Johnson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th. Carlos Zambrano pitched seven solid innings, allowing only a two-run homer to Jeff Francoeur. The Cubs and Braves wore throwback unis from the 1948 season.

The game turned when: Edmonds homered. He had driven in Chicago's first run on a sac fly in the 7th. With the wind blowing out to left, he lined a shot that just reached the basket, a classic Wrigley Field homer. The Cubs had struggled against Tim Hudson, stranding runners and hitting into double plays to end two innings, but Zambrano kept them close long enough for the offense to come through. Scott Eyre got into and out of trouble in the 8th, with a little help from Carlos Marmol.

Concerns: Eric Patterson, typically a second baseman, got the surprise call-up from Iowa to start Thursday in left field in place of the injured Alfonso Soriano. This seems to indicate that Piniella will look to mix and match in left, perhaps even more than we could have expected. It will be interesting to see the lineup he drafts with a designated hitter tonight.

Up next: Cubs at Toronto, 6 p.m. Reed Johnson makes his triumphant return to Canada after being released by the Jays in the spring. The Cubs and Jays last met in 2003, when Toronto took 2 of 3 at the park then known as SkyDome.

Now playing: The Drams "Jubilee Dive" -- getting primed for their two-night stint at the White Water Tavern starting today. I am actually more geeked about co-headliner Glossary, but any project involving the legendary Brent Best of Slobberbone commands my respect and dollar.
The Drams

Braves-Cubs, Wednesday 6/11/08

Result: Cubs 7, Braves 2. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 42-24.

What happened: Ryan Dempster pitched the team's first complete game in nearly a year, and the offense scored all seven runs in the first three innings. But the big news was Alfonso Soriano going down with a fractured finger on a hit by bitch from Jeff Bennett. Soriano will miss at least six weeks.

The game was out of reach when: Jim Edmonds singled home a pair in the third, making it 7-0. Dempster kept the Braves scoreless until the 8th, striking out 11 and walking zero. Considering he also gave a taxed bullpen the night off, it's a shame Dempster's efforts are overshadowed by the Soriano injury.

Concerns: The response to Soriano's injury is a major concern, from the perspective of the team, media and fans. This shouldn't be a death blow, but more on that below.

Up next: Cubs vs. Atlanta, 1:20 p.m. at Wrigley. The Cubs go for their 11th straight home win. Could we see more beanball today?

Now playing: Radiohead "Karma Police" -- inspired by the notion that Cubs fans' collective glee over the Cards' loss of Albert Pujols resulted in some kind of otherworldly correction. Probably just a coincidence. This opioid cut from Radiohead's pre-tedious days still gets play around El Hijo's casa.

Deep breaths, Cubs fans

Make no mistake, this is a substantial blow.
But, like Ol' Granny said, "All sickness is not death."
The fractured finger of Alfonso Soriano will not doom the Cubs' 2008 season.
Here's why:

• The Cubs have already played well without him, going 9-5 when he was out with a strained calf early on.
• To further flesh that out, yes, Soriano does produce an unusually high number of runs out of a no. 1 hitter. However, his OBP is not what you necessary look for out of that spot. Theriot, Fukudome or Reed Johnson would have a better OBP.
  
• Soriano doesn't pitch, and thus won't affect the NL's best ERA.
  
• I started making a list of players who would be a bigger loss to the team right now than Soriano: Zambrano, Lee, Ramirez, Wood, Marmol, Dempster, Soto(?), Fukudome(?).
• The lineup right now -- and virtually all season -- has been clicking from spots 1 through 8 and even 9. There are too many professional hitters on that roster to let this team go into a 25-man funk.
• With the steadying hand of Lou Piniella, I can't see this setback snowballing into another "OH NOES! IT'S THE CURSE AGAIN" moment.
• Micah Hoffpauir, secret weapon. Wait and see.
  

Braves-Cubs, Tuesday 6/10/08

Result: Cubs 10, Braves 5. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 40-24. The Cards beat Cincy, but appear to have lost Albert Pujols for awhile.

What happened: Ted Lilly got off to a rocky start but recovered, pitching into the 7th for his sixth win. Greg Norton blasted a 3-run HR in the first. Omar Infante led off the second with a triple, but was stranded there and the Braves never seriously threatened Lilly again.

The game was out of reach when: Geovany Soto put one into the basket in left in the 8th, making it 10-5. Atlanta had threatened in the 7th and plated two in the 8th, but Soto's 11th HR -- a welcome sight after he struggled on the road trip -- seemed to ice the win.

Little things: Scott Eyre got one big out -- striking out Gregor Blanco to end the 8th in a one-run game -- but that ran his streak of scoreless appearances to 31. Lou no doubt knows his name by now ... The Cubs ran the bases well and stole three bases, with Kosuke Fukudome's swipe leading to an important insurance run in the 8th ... Reed Johnson continues to produce when he plays. He drove in a pair of runs, giving him a ridiculously high total of 27 RBIs for a guy who doesn't play everyday and usually hits 8th when he does, and he made a terrific running catch in front of the ivy early in the game.

Concerns: Bob Howry was unable to get through the 8th. Carlos Marmol came in for the final out of the 7th, using just 3 pitches. Wisely, Lou Piniella turned it over to Howry with a three-run lead. Unfortunately he couldn't hold it, giving up two runs on four hits. It would be GREAT if Howry could take some of the pressure off Marmol, and indirectly, Kerry Wood.

Up next: Cubs vs. Atlanta, 7:05 p.m. at Wrigley. The Cubs go for their 10th straight home win.

Now playing: My Morning Jacket -- "Evil Urges." Jim James and co. have not chosen the path of least resistance, mostly eschewing the reverb-y jams found on "At Dawn," "It Still Moves" and "Z." A couple of tracks even sound like Prince outtakes. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and overall I'm not saying there's not a lot of quality there. It's just going to take some time and a few more spins. http://www.myspace.com/mymorningjacket

Cubs-Dodgers, Sunday 6/8/08

Result: Cubs 3, Dodgers 1. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 40-24.

What happened: Jason Marquis pitched into the 7th, outpacing Brad Penny. It was Marquis' most solid start of the season, and resulted in a season-low of cursing Marquis' name in El Hijo's casa. Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood closed out the Dodgers in relief. Mark DeRosa homered and drove in two. The Cubs finished the west coast road trip 4-3. Not as good as they would have hoped after winning the first two in San Diego, but after being maligned for their home-heavy schedule, this was a good week for the Cubs.

The game turned when: Marmol got Jeff Kent to ground out to third with the tying runs on in the 8th. A two-out double by the hated Juan Pierre and a walk to Andre Ethier made for some drama, but Marmol got Kent to chase a sharp slider, grounding it to Ramirez who beat Pierre to the bag. Wood worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 18th save.

Not too much was made of Carlos Zambrano's antics from Saturday's game. It did merit some mention in ESPN's Sunday Night broadcast, but the insufferable Joe Morgan didn't dogpile on Z. Late in the game, he was shown celebrating with teammates on the bench after a big out was recorded. Ryan Theriot got the night off.

Grey clouds: Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto combined to go 1 for 7 Sunday, ending a forgettable road trip for both. It took Marmol 36 pitches to get through 1.2 innings, further taxing one of the most used relievers in baseball. It would be great to be able to go to Wuertz in the 7th.

Up next: Off day on Monday before the Cubs host Atlanta for three.

Now playing: Glossary -- "The Better Angels of Our Nature" in preparation for their two-night stay in the Rock next weekend, for which El Hijo is muy pumped.
Glossary

Cubs-Dodgers, Saturday 6/7/08; Big Z loses his shit

Result: Dodgers 7, Cubs 3. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 39-24.

What happened: Shaky defense cost the Cubs, and especially Zambrano, leading to 5 runs in the 7th for L.A. Derek Lowe and Zambrano dueled through 6 before Carlos gave the Cubs the lead with an RBI single. An error by Aramis Ramirez and what should have been an error on Ryan Theriot paved the way for L.A. Matt Kemp capped it with a three-run bomb to center, setting off Mt. Zambrano. Jon Broxton and Takashi Saito shut down Chicago in the last two frames.

The game turned when: Theriot dropped a great throw from Geovany Soto, allowing Juan Pierre to steal second with one out in the 7th. Perfect throw from Geo, and it could have snuffed the L.A. rally. Gotta make that play, Riot. Instead, Pierre was safe and the Dodgers scored 5 in the inning.

Flip your wig: After getting the hook, Big Z repeatedly battered a Gatorade cooler in the dugout. The FOX sideline reporter said on air that Carlos could be heard wreaking havoc on his way to the clubhouse.

Causes for concern: The defense. Theriot has 7 errors and should have 8. That's not going to cut it for a shortstop with no power. Also, the Cubs can't seem to get a call in L.A. Jeff Kent was ruled safe for an infield hit, and scored on the Martin HR. Replays showed he was probably out.

Much will be made of Zambrano's blow-up, but I think he gets a pass on this one. He got little to no support from the rest of the lineup, offensively or defensively. In the past, he has pulled similar acts when they definitely weren't warranted. Today's was understandable. Much has been made of Z's increased maturity this year, and this shouldn't be viewed as a big step back.

Silver linings: Forget the pitching line, this was another quality start for Z. He should have been in line for his 9th win through 7. Alfonso Soriano hit another bomb, his 15th of the year.

Up next: Cubs vs. Dodgers, 7:05 ESPN Sunday Night game. Cubs go for a winning road trip.

Now watching: NCAA Baseball Super Regionals.
Now drinking: Maker's Mark.
Now playing: The new Frightened Rabbit, "The Midnight Organ Fight" -- more on this later...

Cubs-Dodgers, Friday 6/6/08

So, I'm a pretty avid Cubs fan. I'll be posting about pretty much every game here because, frankly, there's not enough of this online.

Result: Dodgers 3, Cubs 0. Cubs still hold a 3.5-game lead over St. Louis and have the best record in MLB at 39-23.
What happened: L.A.'s Huroki Kuroda was stellar, and also benefited from the over-anxious Cubs swinging wildly at his diving slider. His 4-hit, no-walk, 11-K shutout was the best outing of his career and likely the best of any Dodger this season. Faceless Dodgers backup catcher Danny Ardoin drove in a pair of runs, causing much rejoicing in the Ardoin household and 18-team, NL only fantasy leagues everywhere.
The game turned when: Kosuke Fukudome was called out at first to complete a double play to end the fourth, though replays show he was CLEARLY safe. Easily. Ryan Theriot would have scored, tying the score at 1-1. The Dodgers added made it 2-0 in the bottom half, and the Cubs looked lifeless thereafter.
Silver linings: Sean Gallagher turned in another serviceable start, ensuring his spot in the rotation for another trip or two, at least. Walks led to a high pitch count, which resulted in him lasting just 5 innings. With all the strain on the bullpen lately, Gallagher really needed to pitch deeper. Overall, Cubs pitchers continued to excel at stranding runners on base, including Scott Eyre. He came in with two on and one out in the 7th, and struck out James Loney and Matt Kemp. That should help get him out of Lou's doghouse.
Causes for concern: Derrek Lee looks to be pressing, striking out twice on Friday. His average is dipping a bit. Alfonso Soriano struck out a couple of times where he missed the ball by at least a foot and a half, but with him you take the good with the bad. Kevin Hart continued to show why he should pack light and keep his apartment in Iowa.
Weird: Legendary Dodgers play-by-play man Vin Scully befuddled 99.7% of his viewers by referencing Rudolph Valentino, re: Russell Martin's sideburns and mustache. I'm sure that's what Russ was going for.
Up next: vs. Dodgers at 2:55 Saturday. Carlos Zambrano vs. Derek Lowe. A win would guarantee the Cubs a winning road trip.

Now playing: Beulah -- "Gene Autry." Inspired by the LA setting for tonight's game -- I've always thought this late, great band had a California feel befitting their roots, though NoCal as opposed to SoCal -- I gave a spin to several tracks from 2001's "The Coast Is Never Clear." See: http://www.myspace.com/beulahmusic