Cubs Get Stomped 13-6

The outcome of Sunday afternoon's contest was disappointing. The Cubs again failed to score runs as the Arizona Diamondbacks went on an offensive rampage. Greg Maddux had a bad outing, departing during the 4th inning after surrendering 5 runs. Brandon Webb's sinkerball keep him rolling through 6 or 7 innings as Cubs batters resisted being patient at the plate. Cub middle reliever Mike Remlinger entered the game and served up a fastball right down the middle of the plate to the Diamondback's catcher. He spanked it to deep left centerfield for a grand slam. (What the hell was Remlinger thinking?) The Cubs drop to 53-52, a mere game above .500. This is pathetic, but it should be expected since they drop back like this every year at this time. Being positive about the team's playoff chances is difficult when they play so poor consistently. Aramis Ramirez did leave the game early due his nagging quadracep injury, but the Cubs could only muster runs from sacrifice flys and groundouts until the 9th inning. Then they collected a couple of hits, but fell short of a long rally.

While the Cubs are scuffling with their offense to win games the Houston Astros are red hot at the moment. All of a sudden this team is flowing with a great resurgence. Andy Pettite has won his last 8 games and allowed no more than 1 run in those starts. Then there is Roger Clemens, need I say more. Anyway the Cubs once again look to be up a shit creek without a paddle. The good news is the Cubs made a trade. OF Jody Gerut had a short stay in Chicago as he was sealed and delivered to the Pirates in exchange for OF Matt Lawton. All the sports analysts and gurus are talking about how this is a good deal for the Cubs. Yes, the Cubs did need a good leadoff man or position player to get on base and add another source of dependable hitting. That's just dandy and all, but Lawton is not going to help this team score 3 or more runs per game. He's a likeable character and holds veteran experience, consequently this won't give the Cubs the edge they need. Why can't the club's management retrieve higher market players that can give the team a big boost in 2 months or less? Pressure can be relieved if Nomar comes back fully healthy and is able to go on a hitting tear. This team has got elevate their level of offense. It's going to be main reason whether they lose or win enough games.

Ramirez comes through with a big hit. 

Cubs Do It Again

Failing to score enough runs in games in the past week has resulted in late inning lead changes for the Cubs. Luckily they've pulled out victories by driving in runs in the 8th and 9th inning. Thanks to shaky relief pitching from the Diamondbacks Friday afternoon and patience from the Cubs batters they tied the game with a hit through the left side of infield by Michael Barrett in the 9th. Aramis Ramirez provided a clutch game winning infield single off the bench as a pinch hitter. For much of the season Chicago has scored the majority of their runs via the long ball. They showed today they know how to win through patience and solid contact which yielded base hits. The tricky hops on the field helped too. Derek Lee's average dropped as he went 0-4, but the victory is more important to him and his team. The home stand will give the Cubs a chance to show whether or not they can play high winning percentage baseball at Wrigley Field.

In the wild card at the time being they are 3.5 games out. The Nationals, Phillies, Astros, and Mets stand in the way. Washington appears to falling back in the NL East whereas the Astros are can't seem to lose. After the series with Arizona the Cubs can help themselves in the race as the New York Mets come in town. All these teams will face each other for several more games up until the end of September. When Kerry Wood returns he is expected to serve a role out of the bullpen. This may not be a wise decision if he continues to lack pitch control. The biggest challenge the team still faces is finding other reliable options for scoring more runs. With the trade deadline nearing, the Cubs management better make a move on the best available talent (preferably outfielders) even it means dealing away one or two of their quality relievers. Pitching makes a team strong, but runs are needed to win close games. The Cubs have played many neck and neck games this year with good and bad outcomes. By using sound judgment, the Cubs management can hopefully make the right decisions before the trade deadline.

Note: Cubs fans WGN will be broadcasting a television special on Ryne Sandberg this Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The tribute will include career highlights and his induction into the Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown. Finally another day to honor and celebrate the career of one the Cub Greats and the best second basemen of all-time. This is a chance to watch vintage Ryno during his prime so don't miss it.

Comeback Victory In Final At Bat

Pulling out another come from behind show at Wrigley, the Cubs finally made good on big opportunities. In the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs Jeromy Burnitz laced a double down the right field line to win the game for the Cubs. The team got some revenge on former reliever, Latroy Hawkins who got charged with a couple of runs and failed to get batters out as the Cub fans at Wrigley booed him every minute while on the mound. Hawkins reassured the Cubs management that they made the right move by sending to the Giants earlier in the season and that he still is stinking up the league. It was a toe and nail scrape fight for the series with both teams scoring few runs and tying each game. Derek Lee picked up to 2 more hits in Wednesday day game. Drawing a couple of walks in the series wasn't surprising, but geting intentional walked was a bummer. If the guys in front of Lee would start reaching base more consistently the first basemen would have over 100 RBIs at this point instead of 83.

The outfield situation is improving slowing, but surely. Rookie, Matt Mirton, called up from Triple A Iowa had 3 hits and a walk in Tuesday night's game which encountered a 2 hour and 43 minute rain delay. Look forward to seeing Nomar soon. Right now he's playing in Triple A, planning to be back on the roster in about a week or two. His offense will be needed to play a big role in the Cubs run production. The Cubs will host the Mets and the the Diamondbacks next at home. This time they may have to push harder to get a sweep. They almost pulled it off in St. Louis to the surprise of the Cardinals. With the season dwindling down to a precious 60 games or so the Cubbies must be determined to win as many games possible to stay within range of their main goal.

The Lee-Ramirez connection high fiving. Photo- Al Behrman 

Fending Off the Red Birds

The road trip so far has not gone to plan. That doesn't mean the Cubs can't handle their rivals in St. Louis. The ball club will try with earnest efforts to win 2 of 3 before departing back home to face the Giants, who remain without Barry Bonds. With a victory earlier in the day the Astros have sneaked a game and a half in front of the Cubs. Chicago needs to stay on pace. If not for a tie-breaking, game winning suicide squeeze Friday night by the Cardinals' David Eckstein a sweep could have be possible. Thanks to the double play off the bat of Albert Puljos in game 2, the Cubs barely scathed by on the hair of their chin. Mark Prior(7-3) is set to go against Jeff Suppan(9-7) for the final game of the series. Relying on the bats of Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, who are both sizzling may not be enough to stop the Cardinals.


An injured Scott Rolen and Reggie Sanders does help the cause, but without these guys there is plenty of offense left in the Cards' lineup. With Prior bringing his best stuff he can keep the scoring to a minimum. His presence is the rotation means so much to the team. His contributions is a major in winning. A good approach for Prior facing the Cardinal hitters is this: throw Jim Edmonds high fastballs away, use breaking ball when needed, don't give Albert Puljos anything over the middle of the plate to swing at, keep him guessing with pitches on the outside corner or throw up and tight to back him off the plate, keep the lead off batter from the getting on base, and let your teammates handle the rest of the load. When these two teams meet during the season it's always a spirited,competitive affair.

Ramirez extends his arms, hitting the ball to left field. 

Progressing Day By Day

Taking advantage of an opportunity is what the Cubs are doing on their road trip. Winning 2 games against the Reds in Cincinatti things are looking up. Building more and more confidence moving further into the season seems to be making the team grow stronger. The offense has picked up as Aramis Ramirez hit two homers Tuesday night, providing five runs driven in during the game. The Cubs win 7-3 as Mark Prior earns his seventh victory of the season. With the hitters springing to life and supplying ample hitting to score runs it's not going to be long before they ride a winning streak. They've had their tumbles here and there, but with Lee and Ramirez hot along with Todd Walker swinging well this may lead to a breakout in scoring. People need to give the Cubbies credit, they're still hanging around in the NL contrary to their season already being over predetermined by skeptics a month ago.

With the win at Cincinatti the Cubs improve their record to 48-45. Ryan Dempster collects another save in his role as closer. Derek Lee hit 2 doubles and single to push his batting average over .380. This guy is having his best season ever and continues to lead the league in several categories(homeruns, RBI, batting average,etc.) The possibility of him receiving Triple Crown honors is not unlikely. His main focus rather than obtaining such a prestigious award is helping the Cubs win as many games possible to grab a playoff spot. The big series in ST. Louis is coming up which the Cubs are looking forward to this week. Having the Cards drop a couple of games in a row wouldn't hurt. Has this team had a slack period this season? Anyway, seizing the opportunities presented and scoring early in games throughout the road trip is what the Cubs need to do. The competition is only going to be get more tenacious. Just keep up the hitting, go Cubs!

Cubs Take 3 of 4 Against Pittsburgh

In a hot, sunny day at Wrigley everything went the Cubs way. The starting lineup knocked the Pirates' Kip Wells from the mound in the third inning. A flow of 5 singles in the row and a double plated 6 runs in the inning. Carlos Zambrano had another fine outing, pitching a strong eight innings of work, allowing one unearned run plus swatted a 2-run double. Derek Lee, Jeromy Burnitz, and Aramis Ramirez all homered. Michael Barrett added 2 hits and an RBI after returning to the lineup after a few days rest from a sore shoulder. With the 8-2 win Zambrano improved his record to (7-5). Nearly sweeping the series at Wrigley looms heavily in favor of the Cubs. Right now they need to win as many games as possible. I know they don't need to be reminded of this everyday. The young relievers Sergio Mitre and Will Ohman got some work in towards the end of the game. Thanks to the effectiveness of the rotation the bullpen has gotten some rest this week.

On deck next in the schedule are the Reds and Cardinals. Tommorrow Jerome Williams will start in Cincinatti. The hitter friendly surroundings of the Great American Park should satisfy the Cub hitters. Even though the Reds are in last place at the moment their lineup is stacked with power and excellent hitters. Adam Dunn is having another great season and can take a pitcher deep in a hurry. (Holds record for longest homerun hit at Great American Ball Park, over 500 ft.) The same goes for Ken Griffey Jr. who's production has slacked off a bit, but still possesses the pop in his bat. There are other young, budding stars like Austin Kearns and Willy Mo Pena the Cubs need to pitch careful to as well. Then the Cubs travel to St. Louis to face the Cardinals, where they will have a chance to fight for redemption and ground in the division. Derek Lee will be a prime factor in these games. If he goes on a tear maybe it will lead over to the other Cub hitters. I think if Dusty will move Aramis Ramirez behind Lee in the order the Cubs will score more runs. Ramirez is heating up, already with 21 homers and over 60 RBIs. He's been a big lift to the team.

Help may be on the way as Ben Grieve was activated from the Iowa Cubs(AAA). His bat and presence in the outfield is needed. With Grieve available a balance can be made with outfielder Todd Hollandsworth. Jerry Hairston will most likely remain in centerfield since the absence of Corey Patterson (deployed to minors- Iowa(AAA) earlier this month). With the expectation of a return soon, Nomar may be back in early August. The Cubs can't have too much offense. With their prized starting rotation, it will be essential in order to win games. The current situation looks gloomy, standing 13 games out of first, but they're much closer in the wild card race here in July. They'll have to wait back and watch the teams in the NL East beat the living crap out of one another and then slip in first place in late September. This is if there is no chance of catching the Cardinals. Time to outplay those Reds and storm into Busch Stadium and send a loud, clear message: Oh yeah, we're bringing it bitch!

Kerry Wood rears back and delivers on the mound. 

Long Ball Helps Defeat the Bucs

Josh Fogg and the Pirates were in for a rough afternoon at Wrigley. The Cubs bats did some damage, scoring 7 runs with a grand slam coupled with a three-run homer from Jerry Hairston and Aramis Ramirez. Kerry Wood pitched a solid game once again, going six innings and giving up one run. The final score was 11-1. Moving a game over .500 still puts the Cubs at least 11.5 games back in the Central depending on the outcome of the Astros vs. Cardinals game. The main concern for Chicago is keeping the offense roaring, being productive. The starting rotation looks fine after coping with the injuries. They are just missing one or two elements that can put them over the top. Coming down the stretch, the Cubs must play well rounded, full team effort baseball. Their schedule is never easy in mid August and September since they normally play the toughest teams in the National league(Dodgers, Braves, Cardinals, and Giants). Since injuries and problems have plagued contenders in the west, it takes a little pressure off the Cubs.

Tommorrow poses a challenge as Pittsburgh will start Zach Duke, a young, talented rookie that was called up recently from Triple A. He is a flame thrower that relies on his fastball. Derek Lee and the boys in Wrigleyville will see if they can handle the young right hander's heat. Closing out the month of July with a sense of renewed confidence and a decent record bodes well for the Cubs. I'm glad that the owner didn't decide to trade for Preston Wilson, who went to the Nationals last week. The guy wasn't right for the club nor would he have been the kind of player that produces big in the clutch. For once in the team's history, the owner and GM need to stop being so cheap and pick up a real quality budding star who could reap major dividends. It's time for these guys in the front office to get jerked or smacked around until they come to their senses. Enough is enough, it's time to create a successful winning team that can win a World Series. There is a valid, dispensable source of revenue constantly growing because the fans contribute to rising attendances each summer, not to mention the profit made from merchandise and food at the ballpark. So there better not be any damn excuses about lack of money. The 2005 season is a good 2 and a half months from being over and with the right changes the Cubs can still be in the race and clinch the playoffs. First they'll have to get through this month avoiding a losing skid.

Derek Lee cranks his 27th homer of the year. 

Lee, A True Bright Spot in '05

The sensational performances of Derek Lee for the first half of the season have positioned the first basemen as one of the top players in all of baseball thus far. If there is a sliver lining for every unfortunate series of events, he is that for the Chicago Cubs. It's hard to disagree that he doesn't have the best chance of any major leaguer to win the Triple Crown. Batting .378 with 27 homeruns (tied with Andruw Jones) and 72 RBIs speaks for itself. This is a good full season for most everyday players. Without him, the Cubs would be up a creek without a paddle and not be anywhere close to their current record of 43-44 heading into the All-Star break. This team experiences it's share of problems every year, what's new? At least they have a leader on the team with a positive image that can motivate his teammates, picking up their level of play. He belongs in the All-Star Game, getting the start at first base over Albert Puljos. (It's such a crying shame, boo-who Cardinal fans).

Glancing at the Central division standings doesn't reflect a good season prediction for the Cubs, however their final outcome up to September rests on their shoulders. Their season is far from over unless they quit or say the "hell with it." The All-Star break should give the team time to think about taking a stand and vowing to turn their season around. Manager, Dusty Baker may have to get the whip out and crack some skulls. Obviously, his "special" water medicine was a some form of mental/psychology scheme in attempt to rid players' of slight injuries. That was a waste of time. Drilling information on how to play intelligent baseball into their heads then practicing it on a regular basis will prove to be most effective. Corey Patterson and Jason Dubois learned that their lack of productivity was hurting the team so they were shipped on assignment to the minors. There they can figure out how to hit consistently again then be able to return to the roster if ready. Coming off the sweep against the Marlins, the Cubs have the free time to do some serious soul searching and reflection. Doing so by drinking liquor at all-night bars though wouldn't be a good idea. Before having to get serious in the second half they can enjoy the moments of the Mid-Season Classic along with the fans.

Aramis Ramirez cracks a 2-run homer. 

Cubs Roll Into Atlanta With A Purpose

Last week was tough for the Cubbies. They've slipped back further behind the Cardinals in the division, now stationed at .500. Sunday was another heart breaking game as Cubs fans watched the gutsy Washington Nationals get a lead and maintain it until the 9th. The heroics of Aramis Ramirez wasn't enough as he blasted a fastball out in left center for a homerun in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs. Then the game reached extra innings. There the Nats scored two more runs as the Cubs reacted by tying the game again with a single off the bat of Todd Hollandsworth. However, Nationals catcher Brian Schneider homered in the 12th to seal the game. Why did the Cubs have to run into the Nats when they were on a hot streak? How is this team doing so well? (Already with 50 wins and over a .600 winning percentage, this is a ridicilously impressive for a expansion team).

Well, all that ended with misfortune in the last week needs to be forgotten. The team has to focus on the task at hand: catching up with those damn Cardinals. Why can't a player besides Larry Walker get injured? I normally wouldn't wish this on anyone, but they've got way too much depth. Someone needs to be put on the shelf. Now it's on to Atlanta to face the likes of Andruw Jones who has been hitting the daylights out of the baseball. His 25 homeruns leads the National League and he's not going to stop there. Taking 2 at the least from the Braves can give Chicago new life just before the All-Star break. The lack of production from Todd Walker, Corey Patterson, and Neifi Perez is really killing the Cubs. Starters are losing games or not getting decisions because these guys are not scoring enough runs for them. This has to change soon. It's definitely time to work with the hitting coach to correct swings and timing. Showing some patience at the plate wouldn't hurt either. Come up guys, let's turn this season around and start scoring some runs!