Cubs make it 6 in a row, 5-run inning sparks comeback

Ryan Dempster went to the mound Thursday night shooting for his 16th win. Instead he got a no-decision yet pitched well through 5 innings allowing a run. It wasn't until the 6th inning before Dempster found himself in a little trouble. The Phillies put a 3-spot on the scoreboard to take a 4-1 lead. After the Cubs veteran starter departed Sean Marshall came in to pitch a scoreless 7th frame.

Cole Hamels had the Cubs reeling, quieting the lineup with an array of changeups and fastballs. He left the game after 7 innings which was a blessing for the Cubs because the next inning Mike Fontenot creamed a solo homerun to right-center. Then Soriano hit a double, another man reached base before D. Lee was walked to load the bases. Aramis Ramirez strolled to the plate and delivered with a monstrous grand slam! That makes 8 for his career.

Rallied from 4 down the Cubs scored all their runs in the inning via the long ball. This marks the 25th time this year the club has scored at least 5 runs in an inning. Wow that is outstanding! All it took was bringing in the Phillies' bullpen. The lineup tallied 5 hits off their relievers and drew 2 walks. One main strength the Cubs have over their NL opponents is their bullpen. Kerry Wood captured his 28th save pitching a scoreless 9th, yielding only a hit. Bob Howry keep the game within reason, giving the Cubs a chance late as he pitched an inning and picked up the win to improve to 6-4. Last night's outcome shows the Cubs reaching 50 wins at home with the other 34 on the road.

Aramis Ramirez is on the verge of catching fire as he closes in on 100 RBIs. He's going to blow by his numbers from last season: 26 homeruns, 99 RBIs, 35 doubles, and 72 runs. With him and Lee making solid contact in the middle of the order the Cubs will become even tougher to handle in late game situations. The clutch hits are there as a hot streak has developed. I'd like to see it resume uninterrupted for the rest of the series at Wrigley. Cubs' fans have to feel confident about the outlook for Game 3 with Rich Harden (4-1, 2.00) vs. Joe Blanton (1-0). This contest could result in another close one down to the wire in Chi town. Keep those bats cracking Cubbies!

Slugfest ensues in Pittsburgh, Cubs come out on top

I'm satisfied with the outcome last night and sure glad to have caught most of the action. What a game for Geovany Soto! He plated half of the Cubs runs in a 14-9 wallop over the Pirates. This was definitely a career game for the prodigy rookie catcher who smashed two doubles, clearing the bases both times and hit his 20th homerun. I was wondering when he was going to break out of a cold spell at the plate. With his dazzling performance he saved the day for Carlos Zambrano who scuffled a bit and lasted 4.1 innings on the mound and yielded 6 earned runs on 8 hits and 4 walks. Fortunately for him the Cubs lineup showed patience and diligence, combining for 14 hits and 9 walks.

More hitting from the top of the order as Soriano went 3-for-6 with 2 runs scored. D. Lee accounted for 2 RBIs while DeRosa continues to stay hot with a 2-hit performance. After Zambrano departed the bullpen slowly took the zip out of Pirates' offense. Sean Marshall took over in the 6th and got the decision to improve to 3-3. I like the young lefty's contribution. He's quietly taking care of business and helping the club out of the pen. Since Lou had to go his relievers earlier than usual and had to execute a few switches here and there the bullpen will probably need a little rest today.

The Cubs have won 4 straight games, moving towards a big series against the Phillies after wrapping up Game 3 in Pittsburgh today. With a Brewers win Tuesday night no ground has be gained by either team. The series in Chicago against Milwaukee later in September may loom larger than expected. As long as the Cubs hit with regularity like they did yesterday they'll stay ahead in the Central. It's up to Jason Marquis (8-7) to help extend the streak as he takes on Zack Duke (4-12) today for the finale. A good 5 innings from the Cubs starter ought to be enough for the Cubs to set up the sweep. If all else fails, GEO POWER to the rescue!!

Cubs make mince meat out of Nationals, win series

Wrigleyville is filled with glee, continuing to be the historic venue where the Cubs play their best baseball. This weekend was no different. I have to admit Friday's game was the pits yet the Cubs shrugged the aftermath off like it never happened. They didn't let it effect the series' finale as Rich Harden brought out the cheese and gave the Nationals the whiff! Really the young starter is incredible!

With the players coming back from injuries, the trades made this year, and prospects coming up from Triple-A I truly believe Harden has made the biggest impact on the Cubs' success in the second half. Plus so many guys have made solid contributions to lead the Cubs to victories. Although this sounds superstitious, but Sunday having actor John Cusack ( a big Cubs fan) sing the 7th-inning stretch emitting positive energy kinda rubbed off on the Cubs' lineup. They scored 3 runs in the inning.
Another great sign was in that 7th inning as a pinch-hitter Kosuke Fukudome cranked a 2-run homer into the right-field bleachers. The hottest player right now is Mark DeRosa who has hit a homerun in 4 consecutive games with 7 total hits. Geovany Soto is beginning to break out of a drought at the plate as he lifted a 2-run shot into the seats in the 2nd inning. That makes 19 homeruns for him. The Cubs will need his bat down the stretch. After receiving a few runs Rich Harden was lights out. He moves his record to 4-1. Here is his stat line:

7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K's, 1 HR

With the win yesterday at Wrigley the Cubs are the first team in the Majors to reach 80 wins. With reaching that mark too many people already think the Cubs are locked in for the postseason and will capture the division title. This is too early still to make such a prediction. The Brewers also keep winning and won't relinquish much ground in the NL Central. As a result Chicago can't get comfortable yet until they get about 15 more wins under their belt. Starting this week the Cubs face the Pirates and Phillies for 7 games. Ted Lilly (12-7) will work to refine another start against Jeff Karstens (2-2). The Cubs want to enact retribution from their last meeting with Pittsburgh. Go Cubs!

Cubs grab series from Reds with 3-2 win, Zambrano goes yard

Luckily for the Cubs their ace can provide quite the pick-me up offensively on occasion. Last night was one of those times. Already with a 2-0 advantage in the 3rd inning Carlos Zambrano steps up to the plate and crushes a fastball off Josh Fogg into the right field bleachers. What a power display, serving as the game-winning hit! It's his 4th homerun of the season as Big Z leads in that category among active pitchers with 16 career dingers. The 3 runs proved to be all Zambrano needed as he went 7 innings to give up 6 hits, 1 earned run with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. Mark DeRosa spanked his 15th homerun to aid the offense. The defense also came through in the game and took care of a few pesky ground balls.

I'm content with the Game 3 outcome, but not so much with the middle game of this series. Ted Lilly had that game wrapped up and deserved to get the win. It just didn't happen which robbed him out of his 13th win. Right now Dempster leads the rotation with an impressive 14-5 record with a 2.92 ERA followed by Zambrano who's now 13-5 (3.29) and doing everything possible to help the Cubs win. Kerry Wood has come back with a little flourish, sealing up his 26th save yesterday. Many people feel the weekend series with the Nationals at Wrigley Field will be a piece of cake. The Cubs lineup still needs to work on scoring early and being consistent with runners in scoring position. That is one area being overlooked, but not by Lou Piniella I know.

Taking a glance at the standings since the Brewers and Cardinals had a day off the Cubs have stretched their lead to 5 and a half games. They have an opportunity to extend it to 7 or 8 with a sweep. I'm sure the Chicago faithful when be ready to bring out the brooms. I think their presence on the road has irritated too many other NL teams especially with the premature rendition of "Go Cubs Go." That's cool and all, but the Cubs just want to play it low-key and concentrate one game at a time. With Jason Marquis (8-7) starting the series today with Dempster probable for Game 2 the fans will be amped up for a exciting weekend at Wrigley.

Harden adds to breeze at Wrigley, shuts out Reds 5-0

When the Cubs are on a roll no team in the NL can stop them especially not the low-tier, bottom of the division Cincinnati Reds. That team is now a floor mat (since Griffey Jr. is gone, it's true which makes me feel better about making such a statement) and is sure to take a few beatings before the season ends. Last night in Wrigleyville it was smooth sailing for the Cubs. Rich Harden dominated the game! His 7 inning outing showcased a 10-strikeout performance with only 2 hits allowed including his first RBI as a Cub. Way to go Rich, you the man! Not to be overlooked due to such a brilliant pitching gem Derek Lee went 2-for-4 with a RBI. The lineup reached that magic number 5 which was more than enough for their splendid starting pitcher.

After bringing home a run in the 5th the Cubs pounded out 4 runs in the 8th. Kosuke Fukudome, displaying his hitting ability again drilled a 2-run single while Ramirez pounced on a pitch in the zone for a RBI double. Lee drove in another run as well. With the determination and focus this Cubs squad is playing with in recent weeks if other NL opponents can't recognize they're serious just wait until they face them. From the outcomes in the past 2 weeks Chicago is doing all the intangibles to win: defense, hitting, pitching, and executing. Though it isn't of utmost importance, at the moment the Cubs are tied with the Rays for the best record in baseball.

I applaud Lou Piniella for his efforts to keep his arms in the rotation fresh by not letting them go too deep in games and mixing in the bench to give guys extended at-bats. I especially liked his decision to start Sean Marshall the other day. Unfortunately, the young lefty didn't get the decision in such a tight game. That's okay he'll hopefully get a few more chances as a starter. Replacing Marquis with him as the no. 5 starter would be fine by me. Another southpaw in the rotation can only add more strength to this club.

To finish out the series with the Reds, Ted Lilly (12-6) and Carlos Zambrano (12-5) make starts in Game 2 and 3. Both will apsire to put the whiff on the Reds while lowering their ERAs. Then up next are the Nationals to close out the short homestand before the team travels to Pittsburgh for another 3-game series with the Pirates. Looking good Cubs, just continue to bring it!

8-run inning sparks comeback, Cubs take series

Traveling to Florida the Cubs had a few concerns: being blown away by a tropical storm, avoiding any player getting beaned in the head, and losing the series to the Marlins. Fortunately, none of those things transpired as the Cubs sprung back after dropping the second game 2-1 and brought out the lumber in the finale for a 9-2 win. Knowing that Ryan Dempster pitched a heck of a game the Cubs lineup came around finally by the 7th inning, cranking 3 doubles into the outfield gap with the bases loaded. Kosuke Fukudome hit a sac fly for good measure in an 8-run inning. Another tremendous game was credited to Reed Johnson, who went 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs.

With an anticipated delay for rain Sunday this didn't shake Ryan Dempster out of his game. In fact, the extra 20-something minutes or so probably gave him extra strength and time to prepare. There is no doubt the veteran right-hander has been the Cubs' best pitcher since the All-Star break commanding a 4-1 record with a 1.86 ERA. Plus he hasn't allowed a homerun in over 38 straight innings! Yesterday he was in full control pitching 6 innings and giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks while fanning 10 batters. He bumps up his record to 14-5 overall. Coming out of the pen Neal Cotts and Jeff Samardzija looked sharp. Combined they pitched 2 innings and allowed no runs on a hit.

The offense was spread around throughout the lineup with Aramis Ramirez drilling a 2-run double down the third base line, finishing the game with 2 hits. Alfonso Soriano also delivered late with 2 RBIs while Mike Fontenot went 2-for-3 with a run scored. I guess opposing teams will learn the hard way: if they walk Lee they're going to pay. The guys are hitting behind him and soon teams will have to pitch to the slugger. All the Cubs need now is for Lee and Fukudome to heat up and start driving in more runs. When that happens few teams will be able to compete with the Cubs. Luckily the guys in blue get a day off Monday and will return home to kick off series with the Reds then the Nationals. Wrigley Field has been very kind this year to the Cubs and I expect their success there to continue.

Hitting cycle no obstacle for Cubs, sweep Braves

After missing the first game of the series in Atlanta as it was postponed I was a little peeved. Figuring this game may lead to something special with Harden as the probable starter it was a total shaft for me. It turned out to be an awesome series for the Cubs as they got the sweep, winning a doubleheader on Wednesday then unleashing a flurry of runs yesterday for a 11-7 victory. The Braves' Mark Kotsay hit for the cycle yet they didn't stand in the Cubs' way. Alfonso Soriano (22) and Aramis Ramirez (20) both went deep to provide 5 runs. Derek Lee also aided the cause with 2 hits and 2 runs scored to boost his average to .291. The lineup combined for 14 hits while drawing 8 walks (3 by Soto). Way to show the patience at the plate!

The win to close out the series marked the longest streak on the road since 1945 when Chicago prevailed in 12 consecutive games. Sure this may be a coincidence with the historic year this happened in the past...seems like a good indication to me what's in store coming up. Records are on the verge of being broken for the franchise, it's only a matter of time. I suppose, even though it's somewhat bothersome to me, since the Cubs have less national coverage with televised games this year the players can keep a low profile without worrying about winning or losing now. Come playoff time the pressure will definitely be a factor. They're playing like a modest team, doing what is necessary to win without being boastful.

How about the job Ted Lilly has be doing this month? He's notched a 12-6 record after last night's victory at Turner Field. Having him at the top of the rotation appeared to be mistake at first, but hell it certainly has paid off since Zambrano went on the shelf earlier this year. While lowering his walk ratio Lilly has gone 3-0 in August and won his last 6 starts. The southpaw must be getting plenty of iron in his diet.... or PUMPING serious iron! This is his stat line in yesterday's decision:

6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 1 HR

If the Cubs manage to keep up this tenacious streak when they return to Wrigley a slugfest epidemic could erupt. They're looking fine in the NL Central, up 7.5 games on the Cardinals and 4.5 on Milwaukee. Yes, the outlook sure is sweet! However, that could easily change with either rival starting a run. The Cubs aim to extend their streak on the road today as Carlos Zambrano (12-5) starts, wanting to make up for his last appearance as he squares off with the Marlins' Josh Johnson (3-0). Another series win can signify other great things to come because for reasons unknown the Marlins always give the Cubs trouble. All Cubs fans look for that to change. Bring the power and the speed Cubs and continue to keep serious ass in the National League!

A true Cubs Great: Tribute to Ryne Sandberg

With two straight days of Cub-less baseball I thought it way past due to honor a Cubs Legend and one of the best second baseman of all-time. That's right Ryno was a one of kind. I miss the days when Harry Caray used to call his shots onto Waveland Avenue, followed later by the infamous, "Cubs Win! Cubs Win!" To highlight a sensational career Ryne Dee Sandberg (born in 1959) once held a record for 123 consecutive games without committing an error. His 282 career homeruns and 1,061 RBIs are near the top among all-time second basemen. His extraordinarily flair on defense and power at the plate made him a fan favorite in Chicago and an 10-time All-Star. He won the NL MVP in 1984 and 1990. The slugger's best year is considered to be 1990 as he hit 40 homeruns and drove in 100 RBIs.

Most Cub fans know Sandberg started his baseball career with the Phillies in 1981 and was traded with Larry Bowa in 1982 for Ivan DeJesus. He played only 13 games as a Phillie and converted from third to second base after joining the Cubs. While there Ryno won 9 gold gloves and maintained a .989 fielding percentage. He lead the Cubs to the playoffs in 1984 and 1989 against the Padres and Giants in the League Championship series. In these two playoff appearances Sandberg batted .385 while posting 15 hits and 6 RBIs. Since both series ended with defeat The Cubs living legend never got to play in the World Series. Yes, it's a damn shame. Such a world-class athlete definitely deserved the chance.

After 1994 Ryno declared he had no desire left to play the game and announced his retirement. In 1996 he returned to the delight of Wrigleyville, showing his old form again producing 25 homeruns and 92 RBIs. The next season he batted .264 compiling just 12 homeruns and driving in 64 runs. His records and achievements as a Cub speak volumes for the franchise. I think he will be remembered by many for his highlight game in 1984 against the Cardinals when he slugged two long balls, one in the 9th and 10th against Bruce Sutter which lead to a Cubs' victory. Now that his playing days are over Ryno has found a new calling as manager of the Cubs Single-A affiliate, the Peroria Chiefs.

The Cubs former dazzling second baseman was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. His acceptance speech showed what type of person he is and how much respect he has for the game. His 16-year tenure was filled with many great moments and heartbreaks. Nonetheless, Ryno's legacy will live on for decades to come. He was my favorite baseball player growing up in the early 90's and will always be my most coveted Cub. If only the Hall of Fame Great could have played one more year! Cheers to a magnificent career and successful run with the Chiefs. Ryno rocks FOREVER! Cubs rule, WOOOOOOOOOO!

Cubs get the best of the Red birds, take series at Wrigley

Once again the Cubs responded to the challenge against a division rival. Over the weekend the Cubs played a little long ball, fundamentally sound small ball, drove in runners within scoring position (a big plus) while demonstrating superior defense. The series would've been sweeter if not for the devastating outing Carlos Zambrano endured. That game was so unlike him as he pitched just 4 innings and served up a couple homeruns. Yet that didn't break the Cubs' stride as they went on to win the series 2 games to 3 after Sunday night's 6-2 triumph. Behind Ryan Dempster it was all about the defense. Hanging around for 6.2 innings Dempster proved to be effective again, yielding two earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks.

Thanks in part to a few highlight web gems by Jim Edmonds and a great catch by Fukudome in right the Cubs' defense had Dempster's back all night. Exceeding their average run production the lineup got to Chris Carpenter early to take a 2-0 lead and tacted on extra runs later. Alfonso Soriano pushed his batting average past .300 with 2 hits and run scored. Getting the start at shortstop in place of Theriot and making the most of it, Ronny Cedeno came through in the 6th inning with a 2-run double to right-center. Good to see Lou giving the youngster playing time. Also, Mark DeRosa served as a big part of the offense adding a sac fly and an RBI single off the Cardinals' bullpen.

The homestand had to boost spirits as the Cubs go 6-3. The club will have to contend with a grueling road schedule in September where they'll play 16 of their last 25 games away from Wrigley Field. I still think 24 more wins probably will wrap it up for the Cubs. Depending on what kind of run the Brewers make down the stretch and how the two remaining series go with the two teams that number may be altered. With another off day the Cubs can rejuvenate and if good luck falls in his path Fukudome will rediscover his swing in the batting cages. I'm sure hitting coach Alan Trammel has a few suggestions to help with the right-fielder's approach at the plate to break the slump. Be patient Fukudome...the hits will come eventually. In the mean time continue to kick butt in the NL! Go Cubs Go!

Soriano, DeRosa bust out whooping stick in 11-4 romp

My goodness gracious, Alfonso Soriano is hot as a firecracker! He sure has ignited the Cubs' offense. Since his return the ball club is 9-2 with a encouraging resurgence in the lineup. As a leadoff hitter the star outfielder has tallied 55 RBIs. In Wednesday afternoon's series finale at Wrigley Alfonso Soriano delivered big again with a 3-run homer in the 3rd inning. The sizzling pop was apart of a 8-run inning. This included a grand slam by Mark DeRosa and an RBI double by Jason Marquis. Boy, did the Cubs cream Brandon Backe in this contest! He never made it out of the 4th inning. The 11-4 victory to finish the series with Houston showed the Cubs have almost all the cylinders clicking.

Two good decisions right off the bat Lou Piniella made yesterday: Letting Mark DeRosa play on the infield and giving Sean Marshall an opportunity out of the pen. The young right-hander pitched over a scoreless frame with 1 hit allowed and no walks. Being effective like that in a limited role will be another contributing factor to the Cubs' success late in the season. Plus, I have to hand it to Jason Marquis in his outing yesterday. The following is his stat line:

6.1 IP, 6 H 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR

The main thing is he got the job done behind ample run support. As a result he boosts his record to 7-7. Another thing I liked is Lou using Cedeno off the bench. It's a given to me: the more at-bats the young shortstop receives the better hitter he'll become. Down the stretch the Cubs can benefit from his bat in key roles whether as a pinch-hitter or starter. It's too bad the Cubs didn't invoke sweeps in the last two series because they may have jumped a few extra games ahead of their division rivals. Oh, that doesn't really matter though since the team's been playing such high energy baseball. I look forward to see the Cubs' bats pound the ball in this weekend's showdown series against the Cardinals. Don't let up and keep on hitting! Go Cubs!

Shortened Game 1 doesn't dampen spirits as Cubs rebound

What a lousy outcome to Game 1. Mother nature interfered with the Cubs attempted comeback Monday night. With the action halted in the bottom of the 8th with 1 out the game the Cubs never got another chance to return to the field. Severe lightning and thundering with a patch of rain resulted in long delays with the game had to be called. Being shafted the Cubs dropped the opening 2-0 to the Astros. Today, with the sun out the Cubs ripped the ball. Another nice comeback victory etched together. Getting in the rest needed from a day off Derek Lee sprung into action, breaking out with a 4-hit game including an RBI. With the Cubs trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the 7th the offense took over.

With runners on the corners from a single and double, Fukudome lifts a sac fly to right to tie up the game. After an intentional walk to Daryl Ward as a pinch-hitter the magic happened.
Alfonso Soriano delivered with a clutch 3-run homer to put the Cubs ahead 10-7. Coming up big again in recent weeks Soriano connected on his 20th bomb for the season. Considering he's only played 64, producing 52 RBIs with 49 runs scored that's really good. Plus he sure is motivating the rest of the team, giving them reason to join in the fun. Mark DeRosa seems to learning from him and feeding off his energy as he went 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs in the 11-7 hit parade.

As it stands the Cubs hold a healthy lead in the NL Central at 68-46. Tomorrow will be their 20 straight game approaching a well deserved day off on Thursday. I still feel the Cubs' number to obtain is *95* or better. Getting there before the Cardinals or Brewers won't be a problem the way the bats are cracking. The best news this week for the team is Kerry Wood made his return today. He pitched in the 8th and allowed only a hit. Having Wood back in the closer spot can only make this inspiring Cubs team stronger.

I heard Lou is confident he has his 25-man roster he wants until the season's end. Knowing the cunning veteran manager likes the mix of talent and feels it's enough to lead the Cubs into the postseason I'd still feel better if Felix Pie (I know stop talking about him) came up by September. With Soriano and him in the lineup they'd be threats every night on the bases and probably increase the average runs scored per game. Okay, it's a long shot, but thought I'd throw the idea out there...one more time. Cubs rule!! Woooooooo!

Sunday's player of the game: Reed Johnson

The Cubs depth off the bench is paying dividends with clutch hits being delivered in pinch-hitting roles. With the lead vanished and the score deadlocked at 5 a piece yesterday in the 8th Reed Johnson strolled to the plate with one man aboard. He clobbered an 0-2 pitch for a 2-run homer to put the Cubs ahead 7-5. This was the difference in the game. Soriano went back-to-back with solo shot his 19th of the year to give the Cubs back their 3-run lead flushed away in the top half of the inning. Neal Cotts entered in relief to start the 6th inning, yielding 2 runs on 2 hits. Then Chad Gaudin took over to try to quiet the Pirates' lineup and allowed a homerun by Andy LaRoche. Thank goodness the Cubs offense responded quick and took back control of the game. Otherwise the series may have slipped away from them.

*Readers swing by http://wastingawayinwrigleyville.blogspot.com/ to check out Cubs updates and interesting polls.

I understand Lou wants to keep his starting pitchers to a certain limit on pitch counts. However, when pulling guys after the 5th inning results in them getting a no decision it kind of stinks. That's what happened to Carlos Zambrano in Sunday's outcome. This is not to say a Cubs win isn't utmost important yet Big Z pitched a good game and probably had enough left to complete another inning or so. The bullpen, unfortunately blew the lead and writhered away his chances to collect his 13th win. Still it worked out well in the end because the Cubs squeaked out the victory. Not to be forgotten, Geo aided the lineup's production with 2 hits and 2 RBIs. He's redeveloping his swing at the plate and beginning to drive in runners within scoring position.

As the trade deadline has come and gone I guess Cubs management has the faith in the talent on the roster to be enough in route to the postseason. I admit being jealousy though of the White Sox in acquiring Ken Griffey Jr. The veteran superstar would've made a great fit for the Cubs too. The surprising part was not much market value had to be exchanged for Griffey which I thought was a shame. The way the Cubs bench and starting pitching is performing they appear intent on going on a major run in the final two months of the season. Reed Johnson's batting average climbs close to .300 with the outfield rotation enabling the veterans to stay rested and maintain their stamina. Ryan Dempster (12-4) welcomes the Astros in the opening game for a 3-game series at Wrigley starting tonight. Brian Moehler (6-3) will get the start for Houston. A third consecutive win could stretch the Cubs NL Central lead to 6 over the Brewers. Go Cubs Go!

Cubs use power display to highlight offense, sweep Brewers

The offense roared this week for the Cubs and busted out ample runs against the Brewers in route to a sweep. How about that! All this trash talk I heard going around about Milwaukee taking over the lead in the NL Central and winning the series didn't accumlate to jack squat. When Jim Edmonds can blast 2 homeruns (1 a grand slam) that's a special moment by itself. Then add Kosuke turning the corner with the approach at the plate, hitting a homerun along with Soriano, and it's clear the Cubs are dead serious about their intentions. Also, much deserved to his credit Rich Harden captured his 1st win as a Cub yesterday. The way I see it he ought to be 4-0 with his 39 strikeouts and only 4 runs allowed. It's all good though because the Cubs are in first place, 5 games in front of the Brewers and Cardinals.

Rich Harden's stat line: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 1 HR

Without the sensational pitching from the Cubs the sweep wouldn't have happened. Their rotation's combined ERA for the series was 1.11! That's lights out...forget about the opposition scoring runs. As good as the starters are right now I don't see any NL team which can match them pitcher for pitcher. Jason Marquis (6-6) as the no. 5 starter is the least consistent out of the group as he starts off the homestand today against the Bay-less Pirates at Wrigley. I think they can win this series by averaging about 4-5 runs per game. Since Jim Hendry didn't make any moves by the trade deadline it would be good to see Felix Pie called up sometime this month. His hitting will come around eventually, but his defense and speed are a major bonus for this club. I'm all for the young prospect rotating time in the outfield and coming off the bench even as a pinch runner.

Getting too comfortable with the NL lead is out of the question. Staying focused and healthy is key as they play 9 games against the Pirates, Astros, and Cardinals at home. Kerry Wood is still in the process of rehabbing his blistered finger. If everything goes well he probably will be back soon. Whether the Cubs play small ball or hit dingers as long as they score runs in August no team can stop their run for the division title. If Lou has to keep getting the face of umpires and defending his team so be it. He's got enough talent to rotate around at positions and keep fresh. Mark DeRosa can play at second more regularly since Soriano and Fukudome are gamers and have hit well as of late. Cubs fans got to be pleased with Mike Fontenot's enough off the bench as well. The little guy is driving in the runs with his teammates in scoring position. The Cubs just got to keep up the balance of attack. Way to go Cubs!!