Week 21 awards: Mike Quade for Manager of the Year!

Right? Am I right? The new guy comes in and all of a sudden the Cubs pull off their first sweep since early July? And a winning road trip? Just give the guy a three-year deal right now.

I'm kidding, of course. I'm not sure if he'll actually get a real shot at the job next year, but he's not anywhere near the top of my list at the moment. If the Cubs were to play out of their minds for the final month, I suppose it's possible that could change.

It was a solid first week for the former third base coach, though. The Cubs got strong pitching for the most part and some timely hitting, gave the first-place Reds a run for their money but still managed to allow them to gain ground on the struggling Cardinals, which I'm totally okay with. Good stuff.

Ryno of the Week: We've actually got a few to choose from this week. Casey Coleman earned his first major league victory on Monday; Ryan Dempster had a phenomenal start against the Nationals; Xavier Nady hit his first home run since early June and had nine hits over the course of the week; and Andrew Cashner had four scoreless appearances. But even though he started just four of the six games, Kosuke Fukudome wins the award after hitting a game-winning home run and a game-tying home run in back-to-back games. He drove in five runs overall and batted .461. I had to check the calendar make sure it wasn't April.

Goat of the Week: Justin Berg would certainly argue that he had the worst week given that he now resides in Iowa. But fresh off the DL, Geovany Soto looked stale, going 4-for-16 with four strikeouts.

Rally caps a great day at Wrigley

AP Photo/Charles Cherney

While I'm stuck in "high of 65 degrees" Maryland, everyone back in Illinois has enjoyed unseasonably warm days in the 80s this week. And while it was slightly cooler at Wrigley--the game-time temp was a perfect 73--it must have been about as beautiful as it will ever be for a Cubs game in April. I've been to Opening Day games where the most popular vendors were selling hot chocolate and you could see more blankets in the stands than jerseys.

But the sun-splashed field wasn't the only sight for sore eyes; the action on said field was quite enjoyable as well. In the middle of the 8th, I thought to myself: "Many other teams could stage a rally in this situation. Why is it that it seems so impossible for the Cubs to do so?" The 2009 season conditioned me to expect pretty much any deficit to remain a deficit. But instead, the Cubs surprised me with a 2008-like rally, scoring four runs after the first two batters were retired. And I'll admit that I took some enjoyment from the fact that it all happened against LaTroy Hawkins.

Other positives of note:

• Ryan Theriot banged out four hits including a two-run single in the 8th inning. He also stole two bases for the second consecutive game.
• Tyler Colvin has now walked three times in the regular season after walking zero times this spring. Batting with two outs and runners at first and second in the 8th--a situation that could have easily brought out some over-aggression--Colvin drew a walk and eventually scored in the four-run inning.
• Kosuke Fukudome is off to another fast start: he knocked in the winning run and now has an OPS of 1.048 (.900+ is very good). Of course, we've seen this movie before. Will Fukudome be able to avoid the mid-season slump we've become accustomed to?
  
• Marlon Byrd made a great throw to nail a runner trying to go from first to third. (In contrast was Soriano's outfield play--he bobbled a ball to turn a double into a triple and later misplayed a ball off the wall.)
• Carlos Marmol has so far proved me wrong. His last two save opportunities have produced the following combined line: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 6 K. Six batters faced, six strikeouts. That'll do, Carlos, that'll do.

Randy Wells was cruising early in the game but lost his mojo when he walked pitcher Dave Bush with two down in the 5th. Newly recalled Jeff Gray had a rough 2010 debut, but got the win due to the Cubs' rally (Reason No. 64,507 that wins and losses are absurd statistics).

So the Cubs have their first series victory in the books. How about adding their first sweep with a win today?

2010 Cubs preview: Right field

Stop with the crazy spinning! Stop it! Shuushi!

In Kosuke Fukudome's first at-bat as a Cub, he lasered a double off the center field wall against Ben Sheets. In the ninth inning of that game, as you likely recall, he hit a three-run home run to tie it up. Only $12 million for this guy? What a bargain!

Or not. Fukudome batted .257 in 2008 and .259 last season. That Opening Day display of power and production was misleading: Fukudome has a total of 21 home runs and 102 RBI in his two seasons in the majors. (By the way, the similarity between Fukudome's 2008 and 2009 numbers is freaky: 150 games, 146 games; 501 AB, 499 AB; 79 runs, 79 runs; 129 hits, 129 hits. Weird.)

I have two pieces of very good news, however:

1) His OBP in 2008 was .359, and it improved to .375 last year (ahead of Theriot, Johnson, Soto and Soriano, among others). Last year, when batting first or second in the lineup, his OBP was .379.

2) He is expected to bat near the top of the order this season. He'll start in the two-hole, though that could change.

My point is, Fukudome has something to bring to the table, and it's his ability to get on base. That ability should be better-exploited this season with him expected to bat first or second rather than being expected to be a run-producer near the middle of the order.

Still, Fukudome's performance has been rather disappointing given that he batted .351 and .294 in his last two seasons in Japan. While he was credited (wrongly, one would think) with the Cubs' dramatic shift in philosophy in 2008 (taking pitches, drawing walks), it'd be great to see him put up his own solid numbers this season, rather than simply being credited with those of his teammates. After two seasons of watching him struggle to catch up with above average fastballs, I have a hard time believing that will happen.

Prediction: .264 avg, 9 HR, 51 RBI, .380 OBP, 13 stolen bases

But what do you think?

And the winner is ...

Well, the season's over. Let's see, something positive to say ...

Ah, I got it: It wasn't a June swoon that cost the Cubs!

Unfortunately, it was an August one that did them in. While the Cardinals got as hot as the color of their jerseys, the Cubs struggled and stumbled and sank to second place on their way to a disappointing 83-78 season.

Given the expectations, the injuries, the horrific fundamentals, the apparent lack of passion, and the fact that the Cubs never really put together any real good stretches save when they beat up on the Nationals and Reds right after the All-Star break, this was one of the least enjoyable Cubs seasons I can recall. Again, I factor expectations into the equation here. Sure, Cubs fans always look forward to each season with rose-colored glasses, but deep down, we often know it ain't gonna happen. This year, everyone just knew it was going to happen. So, wha' happened?

What happened is that Soriano batted 37 points below his career average and had just 55 RBI. What happened is that Geovany Soto had a sophomore slump that Van Wilder would be proud of. What happened was that Zambrano and Dempster combined to win 11 fewer games than they did in 2008. What happened was that Aaron Miles was one of Lou's first options off the bench.

But you know all this already. What you don't know is how Trevor Sierra, Andrew Kapral and I did in our annual prediction challenge. And I know you're on the edge of your seat with anticipation.

But first, one more note about the 2009 season: Last Thursday's rainout resulted in the Cubs playing fewer than 162 games for the second straight season. The last time the Cubs went back-to-back seasons without playing 162 games was from 1984-87, when they played 161, 161, 160, and 161 games, respectively. The Cubs also played just 160 games in 1991, and played an extra game in 1998 due to the play-in game versus the Giants.

And now, the results you've been waiting for ever since 12 seconds ago when you read the paragraph that indicated I was about to share with you the results of our annual prediction challenge:

Cubs wins
Brandon 92
Trevor 89
Andrew 90

Actual: 83

All three of us correctly assumed that the Cubs wouldn't be able to match their gaudy win total from 2008. We did not assume, however, that they would tread water most of the season and finish just a touch above .500. Andrew is notorious for being pessimistic in our challenge, but this year it was Trevor's dire outlook on life and general hatred of all things Cubs that got him a win in the biggest category of all. I hope you're happy, Trevor. By the way, all three of us picked the Cubs to win the Central, but with the Cardinals having won 91 games, only my predicted total would have resulted in a division title. So I have no choice but to assign additional blame to Andrew for the Cubs' disappointing season. I don't know how you guys sleep at night.

Zambrano wins
Brandon 17
Trevor 17
Andrew 19

Actual: 9

It's almost as if Andrew underwent some sort of significant, life-changing experience that made him more optimistic. Perhaps around, say, April 4 of this year? Well, that optimism is admirable and should generally be applauded, but for the purposes of this prediction challenge, it's really biting him in the ass. Trevor and I split this one despite our stunningly inaccurate prediction of 17 wins.

Fukudome average
Brandon .274
Trevor .271
Andrew .280

Actual: .259

Remember how at the end of last year we all said the Cubs had overpaid for Fukudome? That he was just an average player despite his $12 million salary? Well, we're all eating our words now--Fukudome raised his average two whole points this year! And ... wait for it ... he hit one more home run! Way to go, Kosuke! Trevor wins again on account of his xenophobia and attendant hatred of Asian people.

Gregg saves
Brandon 31
Trevor 29
Andrew 23

Actual: 23

Gotta hand it to Andrew on this one. We'll never know if he thought the Cubs would win a lot of blowouts and therefore deflate Gregg's save total, or if he looked into his crystal ball and saw a glimpse of Gregg being demoted in favor of Carlos Marmol. Either way, he nailed it.

Soto home runs
Brandon 29
Trevor 27
Andrew 24

Actual: 11

Um, what the hell? We all predicted Soto would hit at least twice the number of home runs that he did. Eleven? Seriously? You know who hit more than 11 home runs? Will Venable. Sorry, not familiar? How about Laynce Nix? That guy doesn't even know how to spell his name! Neither does Jonny Gomes, but he outhomered Soto too. Did you have the legendary Miguel Montero on your fantasy team? More home runs than Soto. You get the point. Andrew takes this sorry excuse for a category.

Marshall wins
Brandon 12
Trevor 12
Andrew 10

Actual: 3

If the last one was a sorry excuse for a category, what does that make this one? We all had Marshall ticketed for a strong season as the fifth starter, but he went to the 'pen and Randy Wells put the fifth starter spot on lockdown. Of pitchers who threw at least 60 innings for the Cubs, only Carlos Marmol had fewer wins (2) than Marshall. What was I saying about Andrew and his newfound optimism? The optimism tank was apparently emptied right about halfway through his 2009 predictions.

Team double plays turned
Brandon 149
Trevor 128
Andrew 128

Actual: 144

With a few games to go, I thought I might actually nail this prediction exactly. But the Cubs didn't turn any twin killings in their last two games, and the rainout took away another game. This could have gone down as the greatest prediction in the history of sports ... but no. Still, thank God for this category; it stands as my only solo victory on the year.

Final tally:

Trevor: 3
Andrew: 3
Brandon: 2

We also predicted the final NL Central standings, but that doesn't solve matters as all three of us flipped the Cubs and Cardinals and then accurately predicted two other teams while flip-flopping two others. Oh well, a tie it is!

Congratulations to Trevor and Andrew on their Debbie Downer, tag team effort as they double-handedly ruined the Cubs season for reasons that are not readily apparent to me. Congratulations to all others who participated (me), and best of luck next year!

Let's Go, Bears

Four days and counting

The Bears are all set to play a real football game in just four days. And it's not just real cuz it counts in the standings; we're talking Bears/Packers on Sunday Night Football. The blue and orange against the green and gold kicking off the 2009-2010 version of the black and blue division. Cutler vs. Rodgers, Forte vs. Grant, Urlacher and the 4-3 vs. A.J. Hawk and the Packers' new 3-4.

Will the Bears still get off the bus running despite having a gunslinger behind center? Will the secondary get their doors blown off? Will Urlacher rebound from a poor 2008 season and be the dominant force he once was? Do the Bears have anyone who can get open and subsequently catch the ball?

I don't know the answers to all these questions, but I absolutely cannot wait to find out. Hank Williams, Jr., you don't even need to ask: I am indeed ready for some football.

***Don't forget that the football fun begins tomorrow night with a matchup of the Super Bowl Champion Steelers against the AFC South Champion Titans.

One of the best things about baseball ...

is that very time you turn on a game, you might just see something you've never seen before.

That was the case last night when the Cubs banged out eight consecutive hits to begin the game, tying the major league record. And the reason I had never seen it before is because the last time it happened was in 1973 ... when the Cubs did the same thing against the Pirates. That game was at Wrigley.

The first few hits were of the "hit 'em where they ain't" variety, but then the Cubs started hitting Zach Duke around pretty hard. The first out only came when Dempster gave them an out with a sacrifice bunt.

The need for speed

The Trib suggests that the Cubs may go after speedy Angels leadoff man Chone (pronounced Shawn) Figgins this offseason. The Cubs are last in the league with 45 stolen bases, while Figgins has 39 all by himself. He has averaged 49 stolen bases in his six-year career.

He has played six positions in his career (all but pitcher, catcher and first base), but is primarily a third baseman. He has played 244 career games in center field.

My question is: Where would he play? Barring a trade, the Cubs are committed to Soriano in left, Fukudome in center, and Bradley in right. Ramirez will obviously man the hot corner, leaving only second base as a legitimate option. While Figgins has started 86 games at second in his career, he's played there just twice in 2009 and I wonder if he would sign with the Cubs knowing that's where he'd spend the majority of his time.

Also starting at second base in 2010 ...

Jeff Baker? The Daily Herald's Inside Pitch blog did an interesting comparison between Jeff Baker in his time with the Cubs vs. Mark DeRosa in his time with the Cardinals. Since they have played 46 and 47 games, respectively, it makes for a pretty good comparison.

There has obviously been a great deal of hand-wringing over DeRosa's departure this past offseason, so it's interesting to see that Baker has hit .341 with 3 HR and 13 RBI while DeRosa has hit .244 with 8 HR and 19 RBI with the Cardinals. Baker's OBP is .399 compared to DeRosa's .313.

In fact, if you add the Wins Above Replacement (WAR, a statistic I partially understand and won't delve into too deeply at the moment) values of Fontenot and Baker, you end up with a higher value than that of DeRosa. Obviously DeRosa could have also filled in for an injured Aramis Ramirez and provided some other flexibility, but claiming that DeRosa would have saved this team is not accurate.

Baker, 28, will be arbitration-eligible this offseason, and may be back for another stint with the Cubs next year, perhaps as a platoon with Fontenot.

Shark!

Jeff Samardzija was recalled yesterday, and will likely get a start before the season is through. Samardzija struggled in his final AAA start, going just 4.2 innings and allowing five runs.

Tellin' it like it is

I'm sick of talking about potential.

I'm tired of doubles that turn into singles.

I'm sick of being the worst fielding team in the league, or damn close.

I'm tired of hits that come only when no one is on base.

I'm sick of a bullpen that can't hold a lead.

I'm tired of the wrong players being kept on the major league roster while better options rot in the minors.

I'm sick of runners at second with nobody out staying at second with one out.

I'm tired of runners at third with less than two outs still standing at third when the inning ends.

I'm sick of a team that turns any park not called "Wrigley Field" into a house of horrors.

I'm sick of a $40 million outfield trio that has been outperformed by Josh Willingham ($3 mil; .304, 18, 46), Shane Victorino ($3 mil; .310, 9, 52), and Hunter Pence ($439,000; .291, 16, 52).

I'm tired of watching Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker and Aaron Miles try to replace Mark DeRosa.

I'm sick of watching Geovany Soto flail away at the plate as if he's never heard the words "Rookie of the Year."

I'm tired of Carlos Zambrano's antics and inability to transform from a joker into an ace.

I'm even sick of fans throwing things at opposing players (by the way, did they eject the right person after that bleacher fan threw his beer on Shane Victorino?)

But mostly, I'm sick of rooting for a team that's so damned hard to root for. Remember how the Cubs just found ways to win in 2008? Clutch hitting, no excuses, a manager on his toes, consistency, fundamentals, hustle. How many of those descriptors fit the 2009 version of the Cubs?

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm a Cubs fan. Always have been, always will be. But it sure takes a lot of the fun out of it when you watch them play and feel like they don't deserve to win.

Last year, casual baseball fans would say, "Wow, you gotta hand it to the Cubs. They're never out of a game, and they come to play."

This year, they say, "How are they only a few games out of first?" or "How did they not lose that game last night? They sure tried."

I don't have any answers. I honestly have no idea how a team can go from all out effort and 97 wins one year to lazy and overpaid and .500 the next, with much the same roster and the same man at the helm. What I do know is that the Cubs must have read a few too many preseason predictions this year, and thought they'd coast to the playoffs. This version of Cubs baseball is not what I signed up for when the season started.

I write all this knowing the season isn't over. There are exactly 50 games left, nearly a third of the season. The Cubs could sneak their way into the playoffs on the back of the Cardinals struggling. Or better yet, the Cubs could still turn it around. We've seen teams like the Astros, Marlins and Rockies put it together late and earn a postseason berth, and the Cubs could do it too.

And I'll certainly be rooting for that to happen.

But until and unless something changes, count me as one of the weary. I'm sick of the lack of leadership on this team, and I'm tired of the lack of effort. Play ball, dammit.

Dusty can't be having much fun this year; Gorzelanny and Cubs defeat punchless Reds to reach new high-water mark

Tuesday: Cubs 6, Reds 3

Tom Gorzelanny sneaking a peak at his name being back on a major league scoreboard. Or looking at something else. Yeah, he's probably looking at something else.

The Tom Gorzelanny Experiment is a success!

Well, maybe it's too early to report that. But it's off to a helluva start: 7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. How sweet is that? It was his first start since September 10, 2008.

And he can hit! Well, not really. He was an almost impossibly bad 7-for-113 in his career entering Tuesday, but he had a nice little bloop RBI single to raise his career average to .069. That's right, .069.

Gorzelanny will likely get three starts before Lilly returns, and almost certainly be replaced at that point even if he pitches well. But he could become a bullpen option if he pitches well enough to warrant it.

Fukudome provided some instant offense for Gorzelanny, doing his best impression of Alfonso Soriano with a home run to begin the game. It was his first since July 8 off the Braves' Kenshin Kawakami. He reached base twice in the game, and has a .440 OBP when batting leadoff.

The Cubs could have a 12 percent roster turnover from Tuesday to Wednesday:

• Andres Blanco was placed on the DL with a left calf strain to make room for Tom Gorzelanny. If Blanco's really injured, then so be it. But if not, I strongly prefer him over ...
• Aaron Miles, who will be activated today (are we sure he's healthy? Maybe he needs a little more time ...). Presumably, a Jeff will be sent to the minors to accommodate Miles--either Stevens or Samardzija. As I said Sunday, I put both hands up to vote for Samardzija.
  
• Geovany Soto could be activated as early as today, requiring yet another roster move. Fox and Baker are almost surely safe, leaving Hoffpauir and Fuld as the options. I opt for Hoffpauir, who is rotting on the bench and is batting just .179 since June 1.

Rich Harden has been hot lately, while Justin Lehr will be making just his second career start. Can anyone say "sweep"?

Triple Crown?

I was going to write here about how Albert Pujols' triple crown chances were slipping away. Mark Reynolds had pulled to within two home runs of the league lead, while Prince Fielder had passed Pujols by one in RBI. But then Pujols hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and recorded five RBI as the Cardinals beat the Mets 12-7 in 10 innings. Pujols is fifth in the league in batting average, however, 19 points behind Hanley Ramirez.

You can't make ...

this up.

We Hart-ly knew ye

Thursday: Cubs 12, Astros 3


Kevin Hart had a good start and a strange finish. His start (6 IP, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) netted him his third straight victory, but his Cubs career was finished shortly thereafter, as he was traded to the Pirates after the game. Hart, along with Jose Ascanio and Single-A third baseman Josh Harrison, were shipped to one of Hendry's favorite trading partners for lefty reliever John Grabow and lefty starter Tom Gorzelanny.

It was a good pick-up for the Cubs, who will now have two lefties in the pen once Lilly returns from the DL. Marshall will presumably return to the rotation for now given that Hart was involved in the trade.

Grabow had the third-lowest ERA among NL left-handed relievers last year, and was the Jewish Pitcher of the Year (seriously). 2008 and 2009 have been the best years of his career. He has control issues at times, as he's walked 28 men in 47.1 innings, and he's actually better against righties (.234 average against) than lefties (.275).

Gorzelanny, 27, was 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA in 2007, but has struggled since and finds himself in the minors this year.

The trade seems pretty fair on paper: Hart could turn into a back-end starter, Gorzelanny already proved he has the potential to contribute at the major league level, but hasn't harnessed his talent consistently; the Cubs get the lefty they need and give up a serviceable arm in Ascanio; and the Pirates get a Single-A OBP guy.

The trade makes the Cubs bullpen--which has been very strong of late--even stronger, improves the rotation slightly while Lilly is out, and gives them a lefty with the potential to be a mid-rotation starter in a year or two.

The Cubs' second consecutive pounding of the Astros puts them a season-high eight games over .500. The offense feasted on Houston pitching once again, putting up double-digit runs in back-to-back games for the first time since ... well, not that long ago, actually: August 25-26 of last year in Pittsburgh, when they won 12-3 and 14-9. The bats looked so good Thursday, they knocked Russ Ortiz right out of the Astros organization--he was released after the game.

The lineup seems to have a different hero every day, and Thursday it was Fukudome: a single, a double, a triple and two walks, along with four RBI and two runs. Theriot also drove in four runs, and Derrek Lee was the only starter (including Kevin Hart) who didn't record at least one hit. Fox and Bradley added long balls, and the Cubs are now up to 10th in the NL in runs scored (not great, but up from 15th).

A 6-1 homestand on the heels of a 5-2 road trip is just what the doctor ordered out of the break, and it's nice to have momentum heading into a nine-game road trip to Florida, Cincinnati and Colorado. The Cardinals used a 15-for-29 start from Matt Holliday to take three of four from the best team in the majors, but lost to the Dodgers in 10 innings Thursday, 5-3. So the Cubs regain possession of first place, 1/2 game up on the Cardinals, with the Astros and Brewers four games back at .500 exactly.

***UPDATE***I stand corrected. According to the Trib, Gorzelanny will take over the fifth starter role, and Marshall will remain in the bullpen. Gorzelanny has a 0.96 ERA in his last six minor league starts.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Friday: Cubs 8, Reds 5


It was a good day on the field for the Cubs as Aramis Ramirez reminded us why his parents bestowed upon him the middle name "Clutch." Ramirez came through in the 1st with a two-out double to give the Cubs the lead, followed that with a two-out single his next time up to tie the game, and one-upped himself with a solo home run to put the Cubs in the lead later in the game. He added a double in the 9th for good measure.

And this is all on the heels of what he did in the series finale against Philadelphia. Just as the Phillies were gaining some momentum, Ramirez deposited a ball into the right-centerfield gap for a two-run double to help the Cubs pull away. While A-Ram may never get back to 100 percent physically this year, his clutchometer appears to be full.

It was great to see 14 hits and eight runs on the heels of their offensive outburst in Philly. And, frankly, the Cubs have to hit the Reds. Dusty Baker's bunch entered this series with a 7.73 road ERA this month, and just the 11th best ERA in the NL overall. For the record, the Cubs have now faced the 16th, 13th and 11th ranked pitching staffs consecutively out of the break.

Fukudome went 2-for-4 and is now batting .333 in the leadoff spot. And while Derrek Lee had cooled off a bit, just 5-for-24 entering Friday, he had two hits including a long home run in the 9th.

And Randy Wells just continues to impress. He tallied his sixth win in his last seven starts, matching Harden's win total and giving him more wins than Ryan Dempster despite the fact that he didn't make a start until May 8. It was another quality start, a category in which the Cubs are tied for the league lead with Colorado. And Wells could have gone past the 6th (he had just 88 pitches), but he was taken down for a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded and one out.

But as good as things went on the field Friday, they went just as badly off the field. First, the DL musical chairs game continued as it was announced that Lilly will miss today's start and is likely headed to the DL. With Dempster set to return Tuesday, the Cubs just had to suffer another injury as they seem destined to never have everyone on board at the same time this season. Kevin Hart will pitch today and will presumably go from being Dempster's fill-in to Lilly's.

And earlier in the day, the Cardinals acquired Matt Holliday from the A's to support Albert Pujols in the lineup. Not surprisingly, La Russa put him in the cleanup spot so that pitchers have to think twice before pitching around Albert. Holliday went 4-for-5 to help the Cards upend the Phillies and stay 1 1/2 games up on both the Cubs and Astros.

This is a great move for the Cardinals, and helps shore up an offense (along with fellow trade pick-ups Mark DeRosa and Julio Lugo) that has kept the Cards from taking off this year. We all know that the Cubs have more potential than any team in the Central, but if Soriano and Bradley refuse to get going down the stretch, the division might not wait around at the .500 mark any more.

On the bright side, the Cardinals gave up a lot for what could be a two-month rental. Third baseman Brett Wallace was listed as the best hitter in last year's draft, and is the Cardinals only bluechip prospect. They also shipped outfielder Shane Peterson and right-hander Clayton Mortensen to the A's.

With Lilly out, today's game sets up as a tough one. Johnny Cueto is the Reds' best starter and shut down the Cubs with seven scoreless innings back on April 22. However, his last four road games have been terrible, and Kevin Hart has pitched respectably in his two starts.

Go get 'em, Cubbies.

***UPDATE***Lilly will not only be placed on the DL, but he won't even pick up a baseball for two weeks and could miss 4-5 starts. Righty Justin Berg was called up from Triple-A to take Lilly's roster spot. In 24 games at Triple-A, Berg is 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 36 innings.

Cubs on pace to go 76-0 in second half

Maybe I should stop watching Cubs games. I was out of town and away from the TV all weekend attending the magnificent wedding of two of my wonderful friends, Van Miller and Laine Twanow. The ceremony was short (but very sweet) and the reception was a blast. Congratulations to Van and Laine.


Honestly, I can't remember the last time I missed three consecutive Cubs games. But if that's the secret recipe for a Cubs sweep by a combined score of 26-11, perhaps I'll have to avoid the Cubs altogether!

The Cubs beat a bad, bad (and I mean bad) team, but

a) they did it on the road
b) the Nationals took two of three from the Yankees in Yankee Stadium earlier this season, and also took a series from the Blue Jays
c) they absolutely destroyed them--along with outscoring them by 15, they amassed 17 more base hits

Each Cubs starter (Harden, Zambrano, Wells and Hart) got a win in the series, though perhaps the worst aspect of the sweep was that only Harden managed to go more than five innings. Samardzija saved the bullpen Sunday with three innings of work, and will probably be unavailable tonight. The Cubs' overtaxed bullpen may not get much of a reprieve against the Phillies, who lead the league in runs scored and have won eight in a row.

On the offensive side, Aramis Ramirez got back in the swing of things with his first home run since May 6; Soriano got his groove back with home runs in back-to-back games after sitting out Friday's game with a swollen pinky finger; Micah Hoffpauir and Jake Fox combined to go 6-for-10 with a HR and 4 RBI on Sunday; Fukudome had six hits in the three games he played; well, you get the picture. The Cubs moved up two spots to 13th (yay!) in the NL in runs scored with their big weekend.

The Cubs were looking to build some confidence coming out of the break, and with that goal in mind, it doesn't get much better than winning the first four on the schedule. The Cardinals lost one to the Diamondbacks while the Brewers split four with the Reds, so the Cubs sit in 2nd place alone, just two games back. The Cubs have also won six of seven overall.

The last time we could feel this good about the team was after they swept the Indians in mid-June. But two of those wins were one-run, walk-off victories, whereas the Cubs abused the Nationals like Mary Murphy abuses my eardrums every Wednesday and Thursday on So You Think You Can Dance (I've been watching this season's shows because IWU student Evan Kasprzak is in it, and is now in the final eight). All the Cubs can do is win the games on their schedule, and they did that in style this weekend. It will be interesting to see how they stack up against one of the better teams in the majors this week. The Phils have taken control of an underperforming NL East, building a 6 1/2 game lead over the Braves and a 9 game lead over the fading Mets.

Quote of the Day

"Jake can swing the bat," Piniella said. "He had a new glove at third base today, and we checked it out a little bit. He said, 'I couldn't catch the ball with my old glove.' I said, 'So far, you're not doing much better with the new one.' The guy swings the bat. He likes to hit."

(hat tip: Mandy Christol)


Rocky Mountain High


Jason Marquis matched his highest win total as a Cub when he notched his ML-leading 12th victory yesterday (he won 12 in '07). He went eight innings against the hapless Padres and allowed just one run to lower his ERA to 3.49.

And in golf ...

On Sunday, the PGA proved it can have an exciting, nail-biting tournament without Tiger Woods even making the cut.

Tom Watson, 59, would have become the oldest golfer to win a major and would have tied for the most British Open wins, but he bogeyed the 18th hole to set up a playoff with Stewart Cink, who had never had even a share of the lead until then. Watson fell apart in the four-hole playoff and lost by six strokes.

Usually if Tiger's not near the top of the leaderboard at the end, many viewers aren't near that channel. But I was definitely not happy when I had to stop watching the re-broadcast with about three holes to go. It turned out to be a great finish, and the PGA has to be thrilled that Sunday's action reminded golf fans that there are indeed other compelling story lines out there--it's just that Tiger usually doesn't let us find them.

On a separate note ...

This is weird.

Predictive analysis

The All-Star break is not only a time to look back at how the Cubs have done--it's also a time to see how me and my fellow predictors have done. With 53 percent of the games in the books, it's time to see how Trevor, Andrew and I are doing in our annual prediction challenge, originally posted here.

Cubs wins
Brandon 92
Trevor 89
Andrew 90

The Cubs are on pace for 81 wins. Obviously, we all hope the Cubs find a groove at some point in the second half, something they never really got around to in the first half. That said, the Cubs would need to go 48-28 in their remaining games for me to even tie this one, 47-29 in Andrew's case. Trevor's sitting pretty.

Zambrano wins
Brandon 17
Trevor 17
Andrew 19

Historically, Trevor and I always predict about 19, 20, or even 22 wins for Big Z. Andrew, always the realist, goes lower. But something went terribly awry this year and Trevor and I dipped below Andrew with our predictions. Zambrano is sitting on just five wins, however, so Andrew might have to hand over his Zambrano Wins Prediction Trophy in a few months. (Note: that trophy does not really exist, though it'd be pretty sweet if it did.)

Fukudome average
Brandon .274
Trevor .271
Andrew .280

Fukudome was batting .338 at the end of April. He was down to .309 at the end of May. Two months into the season, none of us were even close. But who knew that the player who's probably least in tune to the history of June swoons at Wrigley Field would be the biggest June swooner of them all. Fukudome hit .169 in June to drop his average below all of our predictions, to .256. He's dropped even more since then, and stands at .251 at the break. I'm completely Fuked on this one, as Trevor and Andrew sandwiched me, and Trevor's pessimism looks like it might once again take the day.

Gregg saves
Brandon 31
Trevor 29
Andrew 23

Oooh, this is a good one. Gregg is on pace for 30 saves (16 currently). If the Cubs do indeed improve in the second half, and Gregg stays healthy, I've got a chance to take it. Andrew needs a Gregg implosion to have a shot, but he's allowed just 2 ER in his last 18 appearances (Gregg, not Andrew).

Soto home runs
Brandon 29
Trevor 27
Andrew 24

Uh-oh. Perhaps this should be our collective mulligan. Soto has just eight dingers, and Andrew's looking good on the low end. You would have THOUGHT that Soto might IMPROVE upon last year's 23 HR, but nooooooo, he had to go and suck it up in the first half, and now he's out for 3-4 weeks meaning 29 HR is pretty much completely out of the picture. Stupid Soto.

Marshall wins
Brandon 12
Trevor 12
Andrew 10

Dammit. Marshall has just three wins, and he appears to be in the bullpen for good with Randy Wells holding down the fifth starter job with aplomb. Andrew can take this one to the bank. Though a bank probably wouldn't assign much monetary value to a baseball prediction.

Team double plays turned
Brandon 149
Trevor 128
Andrew 128

The Cubs have been terrible in this statistic for several years, and though they're still 22nd in the majors, there has been a noticeable difference. With 77 DPs turned thus far, they're on pace to turn 145 when all's said and done. Keep those twin killings comin', Cubbies!

So here's how the final standings would look if everyone played exactly the same way in the final 76 games as they did in the first 86.

Trevor 3
Brandon 3
Andrew 2

There's an extra one in there because Trevor and I are headed for a tie in the "Zambrano wins" category.

But enough predicting, let's play the games!

A recipe for success

Clearly, the Cubs' current lineup is not getting the job done. Hendry shook things up a bit on Sunday by firing hitting coach Gerald Perry and replacing him with Triple-A hitting coach Von Joshua (Joshua was the White Sox hitting coach from 1998-2001). I can't recall offhand a team firing their hitting coach and then suddenly scoring runs in bunches, but I suppose shaking things up is worth a try. It's certainly not fair to lay all the Cubs' woes at Perry's feet; after all, he was the hitting coach last year when the Cubs consistently worked good at-bats and tore the cover off the ball. But perhaps a new personality and some fresh perspective will give the bats a lift.

What else can the Cubs do to help right the ship? Here are a few thoughts:

Get Miles out of the lineup. Why is he starting every day? He's batting .202 and slugging a pathetic .254. Bobby Scales, who was inexplicably sent down when Harden came off the DL, was hitting just .241 but was slugging .466. He's also a better defensive second baseman. The Cubs could have sent Waddell down or gotten rid of the useless (and seldom used) David Patton instead. Even Andres Blanco would be an improvement over Miles.

Start Reed Johnson, even against righties. I'm not saying Kosuke should never play again, but let's give Johnson a chance. Fukudome has done absolutely nothing at the plate in the last few weeks, and Johnson (.272/.333/.437) deserves a chance to prove himself after a great season in '08.


Bring up Jake Fox. Fox will come up and DH when the Cubs head to Detroit on June 23. If he continues to rake, give him a shot at starting every now and then and let's see how bad is defense really is. He may be able to make up for his glove with his bat.

Move Soriano down in the order. If Soriano's going to strikeout no matter where he bats, then I suppose it doesn't matter all that much. But you simply cannot have a player with a .300 OBP (.268 in June) at the top of the order.

Start Hoffpauir occasionally. I hate to compliment Tony La Russa, but I believe part of the reason the Cardinals get so much out of so little year after year is because every player knows he needs to prove himself in order to stay in the lineup. Start Hoffpauir in left and/or right field every now and then. If he produces, give him more playing time. If not, you may see the residual effect of Bradley and/or Soriano stepping up their game to prove themselves.


Well, there are my two cents. What do you think the Cubs need to do to turn their offensive fortunes around?

**UPDATE**They're listening to me! Okay, maybe not, but the Cubs recalled Jake Fox Tuesday and placed Jason Waddell on the DL.

Cubs' bats driving fans batty--another good outing wasted

Saturday: Twins 2, Cubs 0

Shall I just copy and paste from one of my previous posts? "The Cubs got a strong performance from their starting pitcher, Derrek Lee was pretty good, but the rest of the offense did nothing and the Cubs lost." Yeah, that'll work.

The Cubs were stymied once again, this time by rookie Anthony Swarzak. They had just five hits (four singles and a bloop double) and two walks, never threatening until the 9th inning. It's the fifth time the Cubs have been shut out this season.

Perhaps more disconcerting than the lack of hits is the fact that the Cubs have walked away from last year's approach: drawing walks. After blowing away the National League in both walks and OBP in 2008, the Cubs rank just 10th in those categories this year. They have drawn a total of three walks in this series. It wouldn't be as big of a deal if the Cubs were putting the ball in play for hits, but here are the averages of Saturday's starting eight:

.233 -- Soriano
.240 -- Fontenot
.226 -- Bradley
.273 -- Lee
.209 -- Soto
.272 -- Fukudome
.278 -- Theriot
.205 -- Miles

The Cubs need to start putting together better at-bats and getting into hitters' counts. It was this recipe that resulted in a league-leading 855 runs last year.

Some good news: Rich Harden looked very good in his return from the DL: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. The bullpen (Ascanio, Marshall, Gregg) was sharp as well. But as every Cubs' starting pitcher knows all too well, you can't win if you don't score.

Is Fukudome a robot programmed to decline?

It's pretty freaky how similar Fukudome's season has been in relation to last year's. In '08, he looked awful in spring training, stormed out of the gates to the point that many people attributed the Cubs' newfound plate discipline to the "Fukudome Effect," then went downhill like he was a cast member of "Cool Runnings" as soon as June 1 hit. This year, he got benched as part of Japan's WBC team, renewed Cubs' fans hope in him when the season began, and has once again fallen apart as soon as the temperature hit 80.

Here are his monthly batting average splits over the last two seasons:

2009
April: .338
May: .277
June: .135

2008
April: .305
May: .293
June: .264

You can see that this year's decline has been much more precipitous. In 2008, his average declined each and every month, ending at .178 in September. Here's hoping he can reverse this trend, and soon. If not, Reed Johnson has to get a lot more playing time. I would be in favor of Johnson getting more playing time right now.

Central intelligence

The loss knocked the Cubs back under .500 for the first time since they fell to 21-22 on May 25. On May 26, the Cubs broke their eight-game losing streak and went on to win four of their next five.

Luckily, the Brewers lost 7-1 to the White Sox, so the Cubs remain just 3.5 games back. On the other hand, the Cubs are closer to last place than they are to first. With the Astros just five games out of first, the Cubs are jammed in the middle of a real snug divisional race. Both the AL and NL Central divisions are mediocre at this point--both are led by a 34-28 team (Brewers and Tigers), and both have a last place team within seven games of first (Astros and Indians). The baseball gods have allowed the Cubs to stay in the race despite very subpar play; it's time for them to take advantage.

MLB notes

-Jake Peavy could miss up to three months with an ankle injury. Fittingly, he suffered the injury in a game against the Cubs.

-When the Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle on May 29, they were 18-28. They started 2-4 under interim manager Jim Tracy, but then reeled off 10 straight wins. They're now just two games under .500 (though they have a lot of work to do to get back into the race--the Dodgers are 19 games over).

The streak is over: Cubs Marshall a wet win

Tuesday: Cubs 6, Pirates 1 (6 inn.)

The Cubs got an assist from Mother Nature to end their eight-game losing streak, and we'll take it. The offense scored in four of the five innings they came to the plate, and Sean Marshall was on cruise control when the rain washed the rest of the game away in the top of the sixth. It goes in the books as a complete game, and it's just the first of the season for the Cubs (they only had two all of last year).

I hate to dwell, but the two players who could have pinch-hit instead of Carlos Zambrano on Monday were Kosuke Fukudome and Mike Fontenot; Fukudome blasted a homer in his first at-bat, and Fontenot doubled to right in his. Fukudome walked as well and scored two runs, while Fontenot went 2-for-3 and is now 5-for-9 in his last three games.

Fontenot's recent string of success is nothing, though, compared to fellow shorty (he's 5'10) Freddy Sanchez. After a 6-for-6 game Monday, Sanchez went 2-for-3 Tuesday, making him 8-for-9 at the plate over the last two days.

Zambrano takes the hill today in his second start since coming off the DL, while Zach Duke (5-4, 2.77) gets the nod for the Pirates. Duke won 10 games in 2006, but struggled in '07 and '08; he's off to the best start of his career this year. Hopefully Derrek Lee will be healthy and ready to go today, because though Hoffpauir has played well of late, he's batting just .182 against lefties this season.

Cubs notes

-With the Cardinals' win over the Brewers, the Cubs are back to four games out of first.

-Marshall's win means that every Cubs starter now has at least three wins on the season.

-After their horrendous six-game offensive malaise, the Cubs have now racked up 14 runs on 18 hits and 11 walks in their last 13 innings.

MLB note

-Zack Greinke pitched a complete game six-hitter against the Tigers, allowing just one run ... and his ERA went up! It was Greinke's fifth complete game of the year, and he's now 8-1 with a 0.84 ERA.

Mayday! Mayday! I mean, May Day.

It's the first of May, May Day, also my sister Mandy's birthday. And while some Cubs fans are screaming "Mayday!" because the Cubs are in 5th place, I'm simply taking May Day as an opportunity to analyze the first month of Cubs baseball.

The Cubs were 17-10 last year in the month of April, tied for first in the Central with the Cardinals. This year, they sit at 10-11 and if you check the standings, you'll see that they're just one line above the last-place Astros. Not real good, right?

Well, no, April wasn't real good. But it's too early to panic. Some teams who weren't in first place on May 1, 2008, include the Dodgers, Phillies and Rays. And the Dodgers, White Sox and Phillies were just one, one and two games over .500, respectively (they all won their divisions). Also, keep in mind that the Cubs were 10-14 in April '07, but they of course turned it around and won the first of their back-to-back division titles.

The Cubs as a team have played 21 games, but several individual players have missed significant time, including:

Ramirez (8 games)
Bradley (7)
Soto (6)

Also, the Cubs have the payroll flexibility to make necessary changes as the season moves forward, a luxury many teams don't have. And with the apparent lack of depth on this roster, Hendry will no doubt be taking advantage of said flexibility in the coming months. The Cubs will almost certainly need another reliever, and while Gathright has gotten a bit of a raw deal in terms of opportunities to prove himself, I'd be surprised if he were on the roster come August.

Positives
Fukudome: 7th in the NL in average, 5th in OBP, 10th in slugging, 9th in OPS. Heading into the season, Fukudome was one of the biggest question marks on the roster. Through April, he's been the biggest exclamation point.

Soriano: The weirdest thing about Soriano's hot start is his consistency. He had just four games in April without a hit. He's just one behind Pujols for the league lead in runs scored, and his seven home runs represent his fourth highest monthly total as a Cub.

Ramirez: .358, three home runs and 14 RBI. And though ESPN says his middle name is Nin, I'm pretty sure it's actually Clutch.

Heilman: He leads the team in relief appearances (12), and don't be misled by his 4.91 ERA--it was 0.82 before the Marlins lit him up on Thursday.

There's not a whole lot more positive things to say about the pitching, which is why the Cubs rank 12th in the NL in ERA (starters are 10th, relievers are 12th). One good thing, though, is that Cub relievers have pitched the third fewest innings in the league.

Negatives
Carlos Zambrano didn't have a hit until Tuesday, yet he still has a higher batting average than Bradley, Fontenot, Lee, Johnson, Miles, Soto, and Gathright. And I'm referring to the .231 average Big Z had before pinch-hitting Thursday and raising it to .286.

Bradley: It's been well-documented, but thus far Bradley has lived up to all the negative hype, and none of the positive. He's been suspended (a suspension he appealed rather than serving it while he was hurt), ejected and injured, and has just four hits in 14 games. Is he going to hit .118 all year? Of course not. But he needs to pick it up and make significant contributions for this team to win.

Fontenot: He's batting just .232, and while he's shown some "pop" with four home runs, it can't be ignored that the reason Hendry felt comfortable trading Mark DeRosa was because he felt Fontenot could step in full-time at second base. For the record, DeRosa is batting .236 with five home runs and 18 RBI with the Indians.

Lee: He's batting just .189 with one home run. I'll refrain from further criticism because you've heard it here before.

Soto: Last year's NL Rookie of the Year has looked like a completely different person. In 15 games, he's batting .111 with no home runs and just two RBI. Amazingly, Koyie Hill has completely outplayed him, batting .323 with one home run and six RBI in half the at-bats.

Rotation: Apologies to Sean Marshall who has the best ERA of the bunch (3.32), but the rotation's ERA is 4.55, their record just 7-6. Harden has thrown just 21 innings in four starts; Dempster and Zambrano have ERAs over 4.50.

Relievers: I realize the negatives are really piling up here, but you can't ignore a 4.88 relief ERA. You also can't ignore that we have just three saves as a team, or that Angel Guzman is the only reliever with an ERA under 4.00.

Well, that was cathartic. So why am I not shouting "Mayday!" while jumping ship? Because with struggling starters, terrible relief pitching, and very minor contributions from Bradley, Lee and Soto, the Cubs are just one game under .500. Teams like the Angels (9-12), Indians (8-14), Rays (9-14) and Mets (9-12)--who are also expected to compete--have fared even worse.

The offense may not be as productive as we anticipated, but it isn't going to be as bad as it was in April for the entire season. Nearly all of the starting pitchers will almost assuredly improve on their April numbers, and while the relief corps remains a huge question mark, one can hope that it will improve once Marmol is healthy and Samardzija gets settled in.

My biggest concern is that the Cardinals look like a real contender, as I thought they might. Despite Chris Carpenter finding his way to the DL once again, the Cards are an ML-best 16-7. However, the Cardinals were 18-11 in April last year, but eventually faded and finished 11.5 games out of first.

It was not a very pleasant April in Wrigleyville, but it's time to take a deep breath. We're only 21 games into the season, and the calendar wants you to know something--there's no need to panic, it's May Day.

Snakebitten

I know the Cubs have been struggling to score runs lately, but I don't think Monday's loss was another example of a faltering offense--I think the Cubs just caught a good pitcher on one of his good days. Dan Haren was absolutely lights out in the 7-2 Diamondbacks victory, and I'm not sure a lineup of nine Ted Williamses would have done much against him.

But you also don't deserve to win if you allow five stolen bases and commit three errors. Lilly allowed three of the stolen bases (and a fourth that was incorrectly called an out)--he's even worse than Greg Maddux at holding runners on base. I wish he would at least make a token effort to keep the opposition from running wild on the basepaths.

Cubs notes
-Fukudome's not only hitting, he's throwing, too. He nailed Mark Reynolds at the plate with an absolute laser beam early in Monday's game. He had six assists last year, and that was his second this year.

-Geovany Soto needs to get it going a little bit. With Bradley, Lee and Ramirez out on Monday, Soriano and Soto were the real power threats in the lineup, but Soto hasn't been a threat of any kind to this point--he's batting .128 with nary a home run and just two RBI.

-Speaking of players out with injury, Bradley is expected to start Tuesday, and Ramirez, Lee and Marmol could all be back very soon.

Did you know ...
-The Phillies hit two grand slams Monday, and some guy named Omir Santos hit one for the Mets. That's 26 grand slams across baseball in just 22 days, a pace which would shatter the current record for grand slams in a season.

-Three pitchers in baseball have four wins: Roy Halladay, Joel Piniero and Zach Greinke (Royals).

NBA note
Remember all those great playoff games I was talking about? Well that does not apply to Denver's 121-63 slaughter New Orleans on Monday. By quarter, the Nuggets outscored the Hornets by 21, 1, 16 and 20. New Orleans shot 32% from the field and had 26 turnovers. The 58-point margin of victory matches the largest in NBA playoff history.


From the "You can keep screaming in the background and waving your arms around like that, but it's not going to work" category



It was an under-reported story, but Raptors guard Jose Calderon set an NBA record by shooting 98.05% from the free throw line this season. He was an amazing 151-154 from the charity stripe, breaking Calvin Murphy's record of 95.8% during the 1980-81 season.

And we mustn't ignore the fact that Calderon made 87 consecutive free throws at one point, the second longest streak of all-time behind Micheal Williams. (This brings to mind that the second longest streak in NCAA Division III history is held by Illinois Wesleyan University's own Korey Coon, who hit 70 in a row in 1999. Coon shot 96.3% from the line in the 1999-2000 season, an all-time record for Division III.)

Eighty-seven in a row! 151-154! I'm ecstatic when I go 8-10.

Still, Calderon could learn a thing or two from this guy.

(hat tip: Chris Kawakita)

Having a Ball

Is it just me, or are the NBA playoffs about 180 degrees (okay, maybe 150 degrees) different from the regular season? It's the selfishness, the lackadaisical play, the lack of teamwork that limits my interest in the sport from October through March. But the first round of the playoffs--highlighted by the Bulls-Celtics series--has nearly lived up to the not-so-great slogan, Where Amazing Happens.

The 76ers came back from an 18-point deficit in Game 1 to beat Orlando, then hit a game-winning shot with two seconds left in Game 3, and had a chance to tie Game 4 at the buzzer.

Three of the four Rockets-Blazers games have been decided by four points or less.

Deron Williams hit a game-winning shot with under five seconds left in Game 3 to keep the Jazz in their series with the Lakers.

But the best of them all has been the Bulls and Celtics. Game 4 managed to top the Game 1 thriller, as Ben Gordon grabbed the ball (pun intended) and drilled a game-tying three-pointer to send the game into double overtime. Ben Gordon must never need an ice bath after games because he's got ice-cold blood running through his veins. He's also got something in his shorts he'd like you to see:



After playing Game 3 as if they thought it was a best-of-two series, the Balls--I mean Bulls showed up in a big way Sunday, going back and forth with the defending champs and giving the United Center faithful a game to remember. Young guards Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose engaged in battle, and with one more Rose assist, they both would have finished with triple-doubles.

All seven Bulls who saw action scored in double figures, and all five Celtics starters did the same. The win guaranteed that the United Center will see more NBA playoff action, and while it's anyone's guess as to which Bulls team will take the court that day, here's hoping for some more excitement the likes of which we haven't seen since last June. Hopefully Ben Gordon will be at full strength for Game 5--he strained his left hamstring during Game 4.

Cubs salvage one
The Cubs are quickly turning into an Abbott and Costello routine. Ramirez and Marmol were unavailable Sunday, and after Lee left the game early with neck spasms, it appeared for a second after Soriano was hit in the helmet by a pitch that Lou Piniella would have to add himself to the 40-man roster and play left field (remember, Bradley's out as well). For most of Sunday's 10-3 victory, the Cubs had an atrocious defensive infield comprised of Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot, Aaron Miles and Micah Hoffpauir.

Luckily, they don't expect Lee to go on the DL, and Ramirez and Marmol could be ready as early as today. Bradley's status remains more mysterious than that polar bear on Lost.

Despite all the injuries, the Cubs offense finally exploded, scoring 10 runs behind Fukudome's five RBI (on his 32nd birthday), Micah Hoffpauir's second homer of the season, and a solid six innings from Rich Harden. Fukudome is now fourth in the league in batting and tied for eighth in RBI. Kosuke started strong last year as well, so I'm not quite ready to assume he'll do this all year. But he sure looks a lot more confident at the plate than he did post-All-Star Break last year. And it's worth pointing out that through April last year, Fukudome had one home run and 10 RBI; so far this year he has four home runs and 15 RBI.

The Cubs now head to the desert to face a struggling 7-11 Diamondbacks team with no Stephen Drew. Lilly, Zambrano and Dempster will face Dan Haren, Yusmeiro Petit and lefty Doug Davis.

Did you know ...
-Fukudome's home run Sunday was the 14th of his career, but his first off a left-hander.

-The Rays have struggled and find themselves in last place, 6.5 games out of first.

Cubs get slammed

Holy cow.

Back in the '90s, that phrase was uttered (get it? cuz cows have utters) by Harry Caray on the heels of something positive, with an exclamation point after it. But I use it today to express my dejection over yet another lackluster performance by the Cubs.

Where to begin? The Cubs lost 8-2 Saturday, with one of their runs resulting from an error on an easy grounder.

The three "power guys" in the lineup--Soriano, Lee and Soto--were a combined 0-10 with four strikeouts. The Cubs have not hit a home run since Tuesday.

Seldom used David Patton showed why he's seldom used, coming on in a 3-1 game and proceeding to give up a single, a walk, and another walk to load the bases for Albert Pujols. He then threw a giant meatball right over the plate on the first pitch, and Pujols launched a grand slam out to left to put the game out of reach. The cameras didn't show it, but I assume Patton took a tape recorder out of his back pocket and said, "Note to self: Don't walk the bases loaded to get to Albert Pujols." The grand slam gave Pujols over 1,000 RBI in his career.

I'm not out on the ledge or anything, but it's worth noting that this four-game losing streak has pushed the Cubs four games back of the Cardinals and into fourth place in the Central.

With Ramirez, Bradley and Marmol sidelined, Lou Piniella is essentially operating with a 22-man roster. Even when Bradley does step into pinch-hit (as he did Friday), he has to be replaced with a pinch-runner when he reaches base (as was the case Friday). Why on Earth did we not DL Bradley earlier? He has started once since incurring his injury April 12, and there seems to be no timetable whatsoever for his return.

Joey Gathright, who seems to have one role on this team--pinch-hit rarely and pinch-run slightly less rarely--got picked off Saturday. While it's still early, Gathright seems to be a completely pointless offseason addition.

There's no question that the Cubs' recent struggles can be partly blamed on injuries. But it's also clear that this roster has some serious question marks. Bradley seems destined to spend significant time out with injury, and that leaves us with the apparently useless Gathright and Micah Hoffpauir--who may as well not bring his glove with him to the outfield--as backups. When Ramirez gets hurt, we're forced to use either Miles or Fontenot at third, and while they're serviceable at that position, the infield defense becomes highly suspect in that scenario.

Al Yellon over at Bleed Cubbie Blue made a very interesting suggestion today: release Gathright and pick up Jim Edmonds. Despite his 19 HR and 45 RBI in 85 games with the Cubs last year, Edmonds was not picked up by anyone in the offseason. Granted, Edmonds will turn 39 this year, but if Gathright is really going to be limited (due to Piniella's preference of Gathright's own ineptitude) to such trivial duty with the Cubs, picking up Edmonds couldn't hurt.

Let's find a silver lining in this mess:

Fukudome had two more hits and is batting .345.

Sean Marshall pitched a real solid game. He had one bad inning in which he gave up three runs, but he had a quality start with six innings pitched, three runs, one walk and five strikeouts.

The Cajun Connection reconnected with a combined 4-8, and both Cubs runs were driven in by Theriot.

So, we move forward. Harden will take the ball Sunday against former Cub Todd Wellemeyer, who has had one good start sandwiched between two bad ones this season. The Cubs need a win to avoid falling under .500 for the first time.

MLB notes
We can all agree that sometimes the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is overhyped and that their games are overly ubiquitous on national broadcasts. However, you have to admit that the matchups live up to the hype more often than not.

Friday, the Yankees took a two-run lead into the bottom of the 9th at Fenway, but Mariano Rivera blew yet another save against the Sox when Jason Bay hit a two-out home run over the Monster to tie it. Kevin Youkilis later won it for Bahstin with a solo shot in the 11th.

Saturday's game featured A.J. Burnett against Josh Beckett, but you wouldn't know it by the 16-11 final score in favor of the Red Sox. Stay with me here: the Yankees went up 6-0 early, but the Sox put up five in the 4th to climb to within one. The Sox added three more in the next inning to go up 8-6, but the Yankees responded by tying it up in the 6th. Boston promptly took the lead in the bottom of the inning, but the Yankees took the lead right back in the 7th, going up 10-9. But the Sox would have none of it--Mike Lowell hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning to make it 12-10. Robinson Cano hit a home run in the 8th, but the Sox tacked on four more in the 8th to win it 16-11.

In case you weren't counting, that's five total lead changes. The game, which took 4 hr 21 min to complete, featured six home runs and 28 total hits. At least one run was scored in nine of the final eleven half innings. Already this season, the Yankees have allowed run totals of 10, 15, 16 and 22.

Did you know ...
The Red Sox have won nine straight.

The Cardinals and Dodgers are tied for the best record in baseball (13-5).

Opening Day victory, part deux

Remember all that stuff yesterday about pitchers not giving up hits? Well, Ted Lilly clearly read my blog and became jealous, because he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning Monday against the Rockies. He ultimately went 6.2 innings, allowing one hit and no runs en route to a Cubs Opening Day (for Wrigley, anyways) shutout.

It was probably a good thing the Cubs didn't need many runs to win the game, as they were without Ramirez (back), Bradley (groin) and Soto (elbow). Ramirez and Soto should be back Wednesday; the Cubs are targeting a weekend return for Bradley.

MLB notes
-Evan Longoria? Probably not a fluke: He's batting .467 with 12 RBI and an ML-leading 5 HR, putting him in the top four in all three Triple Crown categories (yes, I know--it's way too early for talk of postseason awards, but I find it enjoyable). He was named last week's AL Player of the Week. Could he possibly follow in Ryan Howard's footsteps by winning the MVP on the heels of winning Rookie of the Year (there I go again--I can't help myself)?

-Joe Morgan is an absolutely atrocious, godawful, dreadful announcer. I mean he's great, except for his one fatal flaw: he is the worst communicator in the world. Every time he talks, I feel like I'm listening to a four-year-old with a stutter try to explain the theory of relativity while eating a caramel and blowing a bubble. What kind of dirt does this guy have on ESPN's director of personnel?

-We've already had both a cycle (Orlando Hudson, Monday) and a triple play (Pirates, Sunday) in the 2009 season.

-Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko went back-to-back Monday, and it was the 300th career home run for each of them.

-Piniella declared that Fukudome will no longer be pulled for defensive purposes in the late innings, as he is batting .417 to start the year.

-Through six games, no Cubs starter has recorded a loss, and five of the seven starts have been quality starts.

Samardzija watch
Jeff has pitched in two games for the Iowa Cubs, including a start on Monday. In his first appearance, he allowed two home runs and three earned runs, but his start was better: 4 IP, 2 hits, no runs. His ERA sits at 4.50.

"Zero" watch
The Nationals came really close this time--really, they did! But their comeback fell short, and they lost 9-8 to the Phillies. 0-7.