Not an August performance

Monday: Astros 5, Cubs 3


What do you think Rich Harden was thinking about when he went to bed Sunday night? Was he hoping to be traded to Minnesota, where the Twins are 3.5 games behind the Tigers and where his good friend Justin Morneau resides? Or was he hoping to find himself on the mound at Wrigley Monday night, keeping open the possibility that he will remain in Chicago beyond 2009.

We may never know the answer to that, but while the Twins were dealing a knockout blow to the White Sox (the Sox traded Jim Thome and Jose Contreras after the game), the Cubs were turning in another meek performance en route to a 5-3 loss and an 11-17 August. It was the almost-former Cubs night, as Harden went five innings and then Aaron Heilman, who was claimed off waivers by the Giants over the weekend, came in for the next two. Former closer Kevin Gregg pitched the eighth and pretty new Cub John Grabow threw a perfect ninth.

Piniella says he'll play Koyie Hill "a lot more" instead of Geovany Soto, and I can't blame him. I just hope Soto finds his 2008 Rookie of the Year form when the calendar turns to 2010.

Back to Jim Thome getting traded: he went to the Dodgers, which makes me wonder where he's gonna play. Having played just 28 games at first base since 2005 (he was strictly a DH with the White Sox), are they just going to use him off the bench? I'm not sure that Thome, who has 23 home runs and 74 RBI this year, would be too thrilled with that.

Speaking of trades by the Dodgers...

L.A. also picked up starter Jon Garland from the Diamondbacks, and the best part of that trade is that Jon Garland found out during their game last night--against the Dodgers. So all Garland had to do was switch dugouts!

I predict that I'm about to toot my own horn

While the Twins apparently killed the White Sox' chances of making the playoffs, the Cubs have been turning twin killings at a rate very pleasurable to me this season. That's because heading into last night's game, the Cubs were on pace to turn 149 double plays. That happens to be the exact number that I predicted prior to the season.

Harden and Heilman staying put

says Bruce Levine.

If the Cubs could have gotten a couple top prospects from the Twins, it would have been well worth it, in my opinion. But Twins GM Bill Smith was presumably (and understandably) leery about giving up top prospects for what could have turned out to be a five-week rental.

Getting absolutely anything for Heilman would have been worth it, but Brian Sabean must have made his way to his computer this morning and realized Heilman sucks.