Cubs get clobbered by Brewers, 16-2

Nothing went the Cubs' way today. Their pitching stinked, not even giving the offense a slim chance to get back in the game. Carlos Zambrano was supposed to get the start though Glendon Rusch went to the mound. Even middle relief looked awful as they failed to silence the Milwakee bats. Will Ohman got touched up for 6 runs. Rain came down in the 9th, which would have helped in the early innings.

This club will have it's bad days, there is no way around it. For some reason almost every time the Cubs and Brewers hook up for a series a slugfest ensues. Sometimes the Cubs come out on top strong. Today wasn't one of those days. It still hurts not having Derek Lee in the lineup. The lineup today was ice cold and couldn't ignite a rally. Hopefully tommorrow will be different. The horizon is not too dim; the Cubs are 12-9 being lead by the veteran Greg Maddux(5-0).

Jacque Jones has come alive offensively as of late, providing the pop here and there. The younger guys like Matt Murton and Ronny Cedeno are still learning and gaining experience. They'll still have to contribute on a regular basis to maintain their spot in the lineup. I think if Lee is definitely going to be out for a while (8-10 weeks) the GM and owner must strike a deal to get a temporary replacement at first base and for crying out loud find a freaking star outfielder!

Cubs win two in a row against Marlins

In his 3rd outing of the season rookie Sean Marshall sparkled in the Cubs 3-1 win against Florida at Wrigley on Tuesday. The lefty went 7 innings, gave up only 2 hits and a walk to improve to 2-0. He yielded no earned runs. The starting rotation hasn't be set permanently yet. Sunday the club sent starter Jerome Williams to the minors, where he will be set for assignment at Triple A Iowa.

The game yesterday proved that the Cubs pitching staff is very capable of shutting down other teams' offense. Most of the scoring came from Matt Murton, who went 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Rumors are going around that the Cubs are interested in Carlos Pena. I know they're in need of a first basemen now, however this guy may not be the right component to fill the position. Pena has shown power and provides another left-handed bat in the lineup. On the other hand, he isn't versatile like Lee or other potential candidates.

Today the Cubs finish the series at home with the Marlins before the Pirates come to town for another 3-game affair. Much of the offense with Lee out of the lineup, will have to be generated from Ramirez, Jones, and Barrett. Their roles will be key until the big stars return to the squad. Who knows how long that will be down the road. At 12-7 the Cubs look to be handling their injury situation well at the time being. Just keep it up, go Cubs!

A face of intensity.

Maddux climbs to 4-0 as Cubs roll to victory against Cards

The Cubs better thank God they still have Greg Maddux. The 40-year-old veteran pitched so magnificently Sunday afternoon at the new Busch Stadium that Cardinals hitters were asking the home umpire to check the ball for scuff marks. Don't they know Maddux is too smart to cheat. He's been around long enough to know to how to get hitters out by making calculated pitches. The Cubs bats came alive, providing more than enough run support.

Hitting in the no. 4 spot in the lineup (No, Dusty put in the no. 3 hole), Aramis Ramirez cranked a two-run shot out over the left-field wall. Jacque Jones also homered later in the game. Todd Walker hit a 2-run single for additional insurance. Juan Pierre slapped a double down the third base line and got on base 3 times. He's the key man in the lead off spot. Whether they have Derek Lee for a while in the starting lineup or not the Cubs can still score around 5 runs a game.

Maddux once again was superb, pitching 7 shutout innings only allowing 5 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 4 in the 7-3 victory. He continues to be impressive, showing no signs of slowing at his age. It must be a credit to work ethic. Now if the Cubs can get Zambrano going they'll be in business. The Cubs are set to meet the Marlins, Brewers, and Pirates in the upcoming two weeks.

Cubs falter in back-to-back games, cope with another injury

Once again the season looks to be on the brink for the Cubbies. Not only are they without the services of their two star pitchers, but now Derek Lee. Earlier this week he broke a bone in his hand during a collision with a base runner against the Dodgers. This is another crushing blow. Lee is expected to be out 8-10 weeks. This is too long for a team that receives most of their run production from homeruns, which typically comes from the middle of the batting order. Injuries have plagued the Cubs the last 2 or 3 years.

The second series meeting between the Cubs and Cardinals have ended twice in favor of St. Louis. Even with Lee in the lineup there is no easy route to winning because Albert Pujols is red hot of late. Glendon Rusch faired okay today, pitching 4.1 innings while giving up 3 ER on 2 hits and 4 walks. The Cubs lineup stranded 12 runners on base. Rusch or any other starter can't be at fault for missed scoring opportunities. There is a performance gap now within pitching and offense. The organization management needs to face facts. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior may not return until June if not later. I know Chicago won't survive in the division without at least another bonafide starter in the rotation.

Coping without the Chicago slugging first basemen who was last year's NL batting champion isn't going to be easy. Run production from middle of the order is essential. If they don't receive much they simply won't win. They should work towards averaging 4 to 5 runs a game. I don't know at the moment who will be Lee's stationery replacement, although I do know they shouldn't be hitting in the 3rd or 4th spot in the lineup. So far from statistics and performance wise Aramis Ramirez should be in no. 3 hole, followed by Michael Barrett, then Jacque Jones hitting 5th. Dusty will have to experiment more with the lineup until he sees good consistent results.

Things are not going the Cubs way in April; the clubhouse may be glum. Any team could exhibit lackluster effort on the field in this situation because they feel like giving up. Cubs fans know all to well the struggles each season and that the odds are always stacked against their adored team. No matter how bad things get the Cubs try hard to pull through until the end. This year is no different. If there is ever a time to persevere and don't lose sight of the ultimate goal it's now.

Lack of run support hurts Zambrano

Tuesday night Derek Lowe and Carlos Zambrano squared off in a pitcher's duel. Unfortunately, Zambrano came up with the short end of the stick, searching for his first win of the season. All the Cubs could manage was a sacrifice fly to bring in their only run. Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez were unable to drive in Juan Pierre in the 7th inning after he stole second. The starting lineup went to against Lowe and the Dodgers' relief staff.

Sean Marshall (1-0) will pitch against Brad Penny (2-0 1.50 ERA) tonight at Dodger Stadium for the final game of the series. The bats must come alive if Marshall is to garner his second win. He may need all the run support he can get because the
Dodgers will knock him around a bit. Angel Pagan is on the disabled list so Jacque Jones better not get injured. The availability of outfielders is still a lingering issue.

I don't when the GM is going to get off his butt and seriously scout proven candidates for this position. Let's go after real high caliber guys like a Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman, or Jose Guillen. That will solve one major problem. Having an additional power source in the lineup to add a 1-2-3 punch in the middle of the order wouldn't hurt either. Dusty should even consider putting Michael Barrett in the 5th spot in the lineup. I say try anything if it will help the team average more runs per game.

Cubs dust off Pirates with the long ball

It was a pleasant Easter Sunday for the Cubs as they beat the Bucs on the road 7-3. Aramis Ramirez and Todd Walker hit 2-run homers to help the cause on a cloudy,cool at PNC ballpark. Glendon Rusch picked up his first win, going 6 innings with 5 strikeouts while yielding 3 earned runs. The Cubs take 2-of-3 in the series and will travel to Los Angeles for another 3 game series with the Dodgers starting Monday.

I knew the chances of scoring runs were highly in the Cub's favor when Juan Pierre gets on base hitting in the lead-off spot. He doesn't even have to get hits for this to happen. Sunday Pierre reached base 3 times, all coming off base hits. Being consistent with getting on base is the real test. Somehow Todd Walker looks to be a changed player from last year. If he and Pierre can get on base at the top of the lineup Lee and Ramirez will have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.

Jerome Williams could've used a little more run support on Saturday as he showcased a terrific pitching performance, but came up short of a victory. The good news for the starting rotation is that Kerry Wood is making progress in his rehabitation. He's expected to pitch in another simulated game then make a minor league start soon. The Cubs still have a decent roation right now. The bullpen has shown traces of promise thus far with the likes of Scott Williamson, Will Ohman, and Ryan Dempster. I still feel the club's GM should keep an eye on the market for any potential starting pitchers and strike a deal if Wood or Prior don't make a full recovery in the time frame expected.

So far as a Cubs fan you've got to like what you see. The capability of run production is apparent as well as having several offensive weapons to throw at opponents. Neifi Perez and Ronnie Cedeno look to fill quality starts and bench hitting assignments. I still want to see some of the prospects from Double A and from Triple A Iowa. If Felix Pie is as good as scouts say he is the Cubs could benefit by calling him up before mid-way through the season and use him as a reserve to rotate days in the outfield and serve as a pinch hitter. Nic Jackson is supposed to be another hot prospect in the farm system. It could be a while before he moves up the ranks. Until such a possibility becomes open the Cubs will have take care of business on their short West Coast road trip.

Maddux obtains 320th career win

It was seemed like another day at the ballpark for Greg Maddux, who handled the Reds without much trouble in the Cubs 4-1 win Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The win marked the 320th of crafty veteran's career. The stat line on Maddux: 3 H, 1 ER, 7 SO. In two days Maddux will turn 40, ranked near the top among active pitchers in games started and wins. As of late the Cubs have hit the long ball as a means for run production, though yesterday it wasn't necessary.

Michael Barret is having a good first month of the season. In Wednesday's game he had a hit and 3 RBIs. So far he's got 3 homers and 13 RBIs. This kind of support on offense is going to help the Cubs win more games this year. He could turn out to be a clutch hitter down the stretch. The team is going to need his bat especially now in the next couple of days since Aramis Ramirez and Jacque Jones will sit out due to soreness.

The Cubs will try to take 2-of-3 from the Reds as Carlos Zambrano (0-0) comes to mound against Eric Milton (1-0). Zambrano looks for his first win. The lineup should be able to give him enough run support if he gets in a groove. Up ahead in the schedule are the Pirates, Dodgers, and Cardinals. There is no actual timetable of Mark Prior's return, but he is making progress. If Chicago can just hang in there until then they should be okay in the Central division. So get well soon Mark and you too Kerry.

Starting the home series off right by getting a sweep

The Cardinals got caught by surprise in Wrigley as the Cubs rolled over them for the sweep. Sunday night, the game looked to go either way until the 8th inning when Michael Barrett cranked a grand slam out of the park, his second homer of the season. Rookie, Sean Marshall pitched a decent game in his debut, going 5 innings and 4 earned runs. The Cubs were finally able to get to starter Sidney Ponson (making his debut as a Cardinal)in the middle innings. It was a good sign to see Jacque Jones get his first hit of the year, snapping an 0-for-12 start. It was his 3-run dinger which put Chicago on top before St. Louis regained the lead in the 7th. Todd Walker even collected 3 hits which surprised me.

It's a confidence builder for the Cubs to climb to 4-1 in the first week. Right now critics don't think this team can manage without Wood and Prior. They think it's only a matter of time before diaster unfoils. This is just a forgone conclusion based on personal opinion. Chicago has already shown that they can provide efficient run production. If Lee and Ramirez get hot, no pitcher in the National League will want to face them. When this happens, they'll probably get walked often and the rest of the lineup will be expected to drive home the runs.

The home stand will resume Tuesday as the Reds come to town for a 3 game series. Ken Griffey Jr. will be looking to pass Mickey Mantle on the all-time homerun list. Depending on the game conditions and how well pitching holds up it could be a high scoring affair. Glendon Rusch (0-1) gets the start in Game 1 vs. Bronson Arroyo (1-0). They'll be okay if Rusch can keep Dunn, Griffey, and Kearns in check. Keep the streak alive Cubbies!

Lee clubs his 3rd homer in 4 days.

Cubs have upper hand in early season rivalry

Thanks to Derek Lee's solo homerun (3rd of the year) in the 8th inning, the Cubs took the lead and held on to win 3-2 against the Cardinals Saturday afternoon at Wrigley. Michael Barret provided some pop also with a 2-run homer in the 7th. This was on a day where the club signed GM Jim Hendry to a contract extension while trying to work out career negotiations with Derek Lee. Carlos Zambrano pitched 6 innings, credited with 2 unearned runs on 4 hits and 4 walks. He struck out 5 and received another no-decision in his second start of the season.

The Cubs received a good pitching performance from Greg Maddux yesterday. He picked up the win on a 5-1 victory. This team is on their way to sweeping St. Louis in their first series meeting. It's a joy for Cubs fans to see them get off to a good start, plus it's always better when they beat a division rival. Proving they can hang around and survive without their injured flame throwers is going to be tough. One improvement that's been made is adding speed to their offensive attack. Juan Pierre might turn out to be a good bargain made in the off-season. Plus Jacque Jones and Ronnie Cedeno are weapons to use in hit-and-runs and suicide squeeze plays.

I don't like the idea of having Todd Walker as the regular starter at second base. His lack of production and inability to reach base enough last season hurt the club. He stranded too many runners on base. Really when it comes down who deserves the starting job it should go to Neifi Perez. He also had failed to drive in runs at times, but being a consistent contributor while making contact on a regular basis wasn't a problem. He makes a decent no. 2 hitter in the lineup, providing a little speed when needed. I still think the outfield situation isn't in tune yet. The Cubs need another guy in right field to rotate playing time with Jones or even with Murton in left. Too much can't be expected of them.

Back to the deal with Hendry: Yeah, he has made a few smart moves in the past 3 years, acquiring Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, and Juan Pierre. The real issue here is, what took him so long to retrieve players like this? The organization wasn't paying Nomar much before they sent him to the Dodgers nor was Mark Prior receiving a whooping contract back then. So rewarding Hendry with a new 2-year contract expansion this soon in the season without producing upscale results is poor decision making. This is assuming the Cubs are already predetermined to win the division or clinch the playoffs. Club management better start using good judgment and not resort on the company buddy system to keep people around or else the organization will slip up again, heading back in the wrong direction.

Cubs cruise to victory on Opening Day

With the pesty injuries to Prior and Wood the Cubs still start the season off right. They slapped the Reds around at Great American Ballpark Monday, winning 16-9. Outfielder Matt Murton went 3-for-4 with a single, double, and 3-run homer. Hopefully this kid will get the everyday starting job in left field. Derek Lee collected a hit and two RBIs. Though, it was a windy day in Cincy with Adam Dunn struggling to handle fly balls, this Cubs team definitely appears to show signs of scoring plenty of runs. Juan Pierre reached base 3 times. If he can do this all season the Cubs should be in good shape with run production output.

The one thing I didn't like is that Dusty Baker yanked Zambrano out of the game with 2 outs in the fifth inning. Sure, he had a high pitch count and the game was tied 5-5, but he could have picked up the win with one more out. I guess the coaching staff was worried about Zambrano overthrowing, running a risk of straining his arm. Oh well, maybe Carlos will have better luck in his next outing. It's a shame it looks like Zambrano will have to carry the load once again in the starting rotation. It's not a bad idea for the Cubs to keep their eye out for another bonafide right-hander or lefty. (Ben Sheets would make a nice catch if he wasn't already injured)

Wednesday the Cubs will start Glendon Rusch in the second game of the series. I'm not sure if this is Dusty's way of experimenting, but I'd go with Jerome Williams. He's seen more action as a starter plus he's got better command of his pitch selection. Griffey and Dunn may be left-handed hitters, but that won't stop them from teeing off on Rusch. If it's another strong breezy day in Cincy expect another high-scoring affair from both sides. Let's just hope Chicago does most of the damage.