Cubs offense returns, but it's not enough to rally past Brewers

Okay, the Cubs lineup took a good approach last night against the Brewers. They scored early, executing the fundamentals yet lacked the run production the rest of the game. The Mike Fontenot 3-run double in the 7th put the Cubs within 2. After that the bats went cold again. Any time Derek Lee hits a homerun (8th) it helps. The Cubs had experienced offensive shortage as of late with runners on base. Stranding 24 runners will result in a loss for most teams. Still the Cubs had chances to make a comeback in the 10-7 outcome. The travel and day/night schedule tired out the team. They'll adapt to the conditions on the road, it will take a little while.

Soriano is expected to be back on Thursday, resetting the tone at the top of the order. They his power and ability to get aboard. I don't think Reed Johnson got comfortable in the lead off spot and better suited near the bottom of the lineup. Since Lou is always experimenting why not let Soriano hit in the no. 2 hole and have either Theriot or Pie bat lead off? They both have good speed. It may be the solution to eliminating all these extra runners left on base. The top of the order will have to be productive for them to win close games.

The short road trip wasn't pleasant for the Cubs. At least they're back at home for the Brewers series. I just realized how messed up the schedule is this year. Makes no sense to play 5 games away then come back to Wrigley for only a 3-game series...what team wouldn't be weary with such crappy scheduling? With Dempster and Zambrano set to go for Game 2 and 3 the Cubs can take the series, leaving the Cub fans happy at the Friendly Confines. Then with a head of steam they can roll into St. Louis and open up a can of whoop ass! Go Cubs Go!!

Rude welcome for Cubs so far on road trip

The series with the Nationals wasn't the best showing for the Cubs offense. They dropped 2-of-3, getting shutout 2-0 on Sunday. Ted Lilly had bad luck as he hung around until the 6th inning as the lineup wasn't able to drive in runners. Too many scoring opportunities were wasted as the Cubs stranded 18 runners. As a result, Lilly falls to 1-4 hoping for run support in his next outing. Both teams had 4 hits a piece and things went the Nationals way. The Cubs did win 7-0 Saturday which put a dent in the series as Zambrano went to 4-1. Derek Lee ripped 2 hits and drove in 3 runs in that game. Going 2-3 on this road trip hasn't hurt the Cubs much in the standings.

A day off today will give the fellas time to rest and recharge their offense. The weekend may have not have been kind to the Cubs, but the good news of recent is the Cubs gaining their 10,000th win, placing 2nd all-time behind the Giants. Quite a historic accomplishment for any franchise. So many famous Cub names come to mind as relation to those victories, but most memorable in my lifetime are Ryne Sandberg, Mark Grace, Sammy Sosa, Andre Dawson, Kerry Wood, Lee Smith, and Carlos Zambrano. Of course the old Greats: Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Hack Wilson, Milt Pappas, and Dave Kingman to name a few.

Resuming the road trip the Cubs have a 3-game bill with the Brewers where in the first game they face Ben Sheets. Definitely not the guy the Cub bats want to see after going scoreless. Sheets is off to another good start, owning a 3-0 record and 0.96 ERA. I wanted him on the Cubs like two years ago because he's just so dominating in games. The Cubs will have to fend him off the best they can on Tuesday. The other 2 games may be coin tosses if a ton of runs are scored by both clubs. Keeping a slight lead in first place before the Cardinals series may do wonders to boost clubhouse morale as the Cubs work to claim stake to the NL Central.

Streak ends at 6, Cubs remain in first place

The 6-game winning streak was nice while it lasted. The Cubs took 1-of-2 from the Rockies at Coors Field as they aim to maintain their NL Central lead on the road trip. Chicago fell short 4-2 Thursday afternoon. Jason Marquis had another good outing, lasting 7 innings and yielding 2 earned runs on 8 hits. The lineup went cold tallying 4 hits. Felix Pie continues expand his game and progress as he had 2 hits and a RBI. Kevin Hart made a 1-inning appearance and was handed the loss, giving up a run in the 8th.

Changes in the rotation will have Rich Hill skipped for his next start since the Cubs have a day off on Monday. A few day-to-day injuries have hit two the Cub players. Ryan Theriot deals with lower back pain and Kosuke Fukudome may sit today due to a cyst above his right eye. Nothing major for Cubs fans to fret over. I think the Cubs are doing fine with 15-7 mark and coping well without Soriano. Finishing out April, taking the series against the Nationals and Brewers would give them a head of steam before meeting the Cardinals in a rivaled 3-game series.

Cubs get back-to-back sweeps, leave impression at Wrigley

The Wrigleyville faithful have witnessed a glorious transition for the Cubs in their opening homestand. Ronny Cedeno busted out with another big game in the 8-1 route of the Mets yesterday. His grand slam provided ample run support behind Ted Lilly's quality 6 innings of 4-hit 1-run ball. The veteran southpaw recorded his first win. Kosuke Fukudome went 3-for-3 with 2 runs scored. Fukudomania has hit the streets in Chicago! He already has 25 hits with 16 walks and runs scored with his batting average climbing each game. The real positive point about Tuesday's win was everyone in the lineup had at least 1 hit. From a pitching standpoint the starters haven't blown leads and have kept the Cubs in most games.

Sweeping the Pirates then the Mets is a great way to start off the season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have won 8 of their last 9 games. Aramis Ramirez cranked two homeruns in the last series to break him out of the slump. His power in the middle of the order will be needed along side Derek Lee until Soriano returns. Cedeno sure is making the most of his time at shortstop, producing 7 RBIs in 2 days. Lou may have to pencil him in as a regular starter if he keeps hitting like this. I understand why Lou was flipping the lineup and rotation around so much. He wants to find the right fit for all the talent on this club.

The schedule has definitely been favorable to the Cubs in April. With their streaky play and high confidence I don't think it matters who they play at this time. Everyone is contributing, able to execute in given game situations while showing good consistency. Chicago heads on the road to start a 2-game series at Coors Field. Rich Hill (1-0) gets start vs. the Rockies' Franklin Morales (1-1). Oh, how sweet it would be in that thin air in the mountain for the ball to sail into the bleachers again and again for the Cubs! Then again I'd settle for just a win to keep the streak alive.

Cubs grab first sweep at home, Ramirez smashes 2-run shot

Sunday the Cub bats ripped Pirates' pitching again. Ryan Dempster looked crisp, going 5 innings to earn his 3rd win. The 13-6 romp by the Cubs included a 4-hit showing by Aramis Ramirez who hit an RBI double and followed it up in the 5th with a 2-run homer. The lineup compiled 18 hits in the game and forced Pirates starter Zack Duke out of the game after the 4th inning. The Cubs have won 5-of-6 in the homestand, a complete turnaround from last season's slow start and record at Wrigley.

I have to give it up for Ryan Theriot, who's batting .338. He's been so consistent at the plate, banging out 15-of-his 23 hits at Wrigley Field. The passionate infielder will be underestimated on the road, but cherished at home this season. Derek Lee is getting hot, serving up 2 hits and 2 RBIs against the Pirates while leading the majors with 7 homeruns. Seeing this kind of solid production on the road from the middle of the order would be awesome.

I wouldn't even have imagined Ryan Dempster being in the rotation let alone be the first Cubs pitcher to go 3-0. He seems to be settling back in as a starter. These role reversals are working magic in the early season. I think the extra at-bats pinching hitting for the young guys off the bench is great because they're getting the exposure they lacked last year. Ronny Cedeno is looking sharper at the plate and getting to start at shortstop sometimes will only enable him to grow as a player. The bench will be an influential factor to the Cubs' success.

Kerry Wood received a day to rest Sunday and watched his team improve to 12-6. The weekend sweep at home came on a day where WGN celebrated 60 years of Cubs baseball with a documentary entitled Cubs Forever. A look back on franchise history with interviews and highlights were aired. Great feature on the 1984 and '89 playoff clinching series! Cubs square off against the Mets today. The starters will be Carlos Zambrano (2-1) vs. John Maine (1-1). Do your thing Big Z!

Griffey long ball and Reds offense cannot be contained

Aiming to sweep the series the Cubs came up short yesterday and lost 9-2. Ted Lilly's struggles continue as he pitched 6 innings and allowed 5 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. He caught a bad break as the Cub bats were silent for the most part. Reed Johnson slipped in 4 hits as the rest of the lineup produced just 5. Ken Griffey Jr. launched a 3-run homer in the 7th inning off Jon Lieber, who performs better as a starter. He has 2-1 record and 1.74 ERA which seems unusual for him to enter the game in relief. Unless the Cubs lacked arms in the bullpen I'd leave Lieber in the rotation and let him get his rest on off-days.

I like how the Cubs are kicking off the homestand. Winning 2-of-3 against Cincinnati showed that the offense is coming around. Derek Lee delivered with clutch hits in the last 2 series. His 6 homeruns and 13 RBIs fill the void a little with the Alfonso Soriano's absence. With a new temporary lead-off man in Mike Fontenont the Cubs must find ways to score runs early in games and cut down on stranded runners. Today they start a 3-game series with the Pirates at home. I'm looking for Ramirez to snap out of his slump soon. With the injury to Soriano the Cubs called up Eric Patterson to platoon in the outfield. The main thing now is building team chemistry and having players adapting to different roles.

Favorable home opener for Cubs, Soriano takes early exit

Several things are working in the Cubs favor in April. Still they're trying to define themselves as a ball club in 2008. Tuesday night in Wrigley was a bittersweet game. The Cubs captured a 9-5 win behind 14 hits. As usual though a freak incident occurred. Alfonso Soriano appeared to have a routine fly ball caught without a problem yet came up hopping after the play with a strained right calf. Leaving the game in the first inning really caused a scare for Cubs fans.

This sucks, but the Cubs will cope without his bat in the lineup as they've done in the past. I want to see Soriano have a full recovery and come back strong. Derek Lee and Mark DeRosa socked homers and accounted for 6 runs. Dusty Baker had to watch his new team fall to 6-8 and struggle to drive in runs. The wind played a factor as usual and worked to the Cubs advantage this time. A sweep to kick off the opening home series would be great!

Ryan Dempster came the bullpen a break pitching 6 innings and earning a 2-0 mark. I didn't see him as a regular starter, though he's adjusting well in the new role. Kerry Wood pitched the 9th in a non-save opportunity and was flawless while striking out a batter. I know this will one of the wackiest seasons in Cubs history and maybe even in MLB history. Ken Griffey Jr. added to baseball history with his 595th career homerun in the 3rd inning. Coaches want to utilize as much as their roster as possible in games. Lou Piniella's experience as coach with the Mariners, Devil Rays, and Reds will enlighten him as to what works or what doesn't in games for the Cubs. I like the idea of using the bench with Cedeno, Ward, and Fontenot coming in as pinch hitters or sometimes defensive replacements. Lou will determine when this strategy becomes too excessive.

The 8-5 record is a good start for the Cubs. Derek Lee right now, the hottest hitter on the club at .368 will be expected to lead the offense. Fukudome has much unraveled talent and is on the verge having breakout performances. The talent is so widespread now the managerial staff is working to effectively disperse players in given key situations. The starting pitching for the Reds and Cubs will be tested again. Tonight Carlos Zambrano (1-1) takes the mound against Josh Fogg (1-1). Both are known for going long innings as the right-handers push for their 2nd win.

Cubs sweep Pirates, Fontenot and Soto deliver with big bats

Seeing last night's game on TV was kind of different than usual. The Cubs did go through rough patches in the game, but went on to win 7-3 at PNC Park. Sweeping the Pirates early in the season showed how strong they are as a club. To experiment with the bench players was risky yet it paid off. I'm not advocating that all the players on the bench and bullpen will always make the difference though will be valuable in their normal reserve roles. Sure Rich Hill struggled with his control and Jon Lieber replaced him in the 4th inning. He's proven to be a strikeout pitcher at such a young age. I felt he got cheated out of wins last season, but that's in the past. Lou will put together a set rotation when he decides how who are the 5 best starters.

The 11 hits were spread out in the lineup which is good because there is no team nucleus that can save the Cubs this season. I know it's going to take a team effort, not every game though when the sluggers like Lee, Ramirez, and Soriano have off games. Going through slumps is just part of the game and players break out with big games. I root for the Cubs because I truly feel a connection, understanding their struggles and frustration. If I didn't care about this awesome team why would I still be honoring and supporting them on my blog? All these years of torture for the Cubs and their fans has to end.

Soto and Fontenot had breakout performances and there is a reason for their unexpected offensive production. Of course they want to play as much as they're allowed. These guys are willing to do whatever it takes to contribute. Therefore, the Cubs have the pool of talent to be successful in 2008 and years to come. Having starters jerked from the mound early too often, seeing the wrong guys laying down bunts, taking chances stealing bases, and appearing to be loafing in the outfield seems crazy yet will work itself out somehow. It's part of the plan of the season until things are clearer and make sense. The Phillies and Cubs hook up Saturday. Zambrano (1-0) and Bret Myers (0-1) are the probable starters. The game may be a real corker.

Cubs start off season with 4-3 mark

I've been away for a while and have yet to post any comments on the new season until now. I never give up on the Chicago Cubs. In my eyes this team is the greatest! Die-heart fans truly believe this because they won't ever give up on the Cubbies either. From what I've seen already the roster is packed with talent, more diverse than ever. That's right bench players will get the true recognition they deserve and fill bigger roles than in the past. Things will have to work themselves out with the rotation and bullpen. Even though everything seems crazy that the players and Sweet Lou does such unorthodox fundamentals actually can work for the Cubs.

Hear other notes and quips about the Cubs at: http://vineline.mlblogs.com/

Pittsburgh and the Cubs duked it out today as the game went into extra innings. Since I wasn't able to see the game I know this team has the heart and spirit to win the close games and pull off miracles. Sure no one in the lineup hit exceptionally well today, but Fukudome is a great piece to the puzzle for this long struggling team. The newcomer went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Ronnie Cedeno and Geovanny Soto came out swinging and accounted for part of 13 hits. The rest of lineup, the veterans especially will regain their strokes at the plate. Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez still will deliver with their power hitting. Alfonso Soriano's versatility will be a great strength for the Cubs. He had a great season in 2007 and is truly a clutch hitter.

The franchise has experienced so many highs and lows in their history they know how to endure every obstacle in their path. Every Cub fan believes in them. Lou likes to shake things up in the lineup and eventually he will have a set order. Everyone heard Lou Piniella said he'd retire after the season...he's the right coach to lead the franchise to the World Series and win it!! All the players believe in their hearts and that's all that matters for now. Keep on fighting in the NL because you Cubbies can do it!