How do you get beat 10-0 by the Arizona Diamondbacks with your alleged #2 starter on the hill?  First, you only get two hits off Doug Davis (I hear Bob Uecker saying something I don’t want to repeat on a family blog).  Then you have your alleged #2 starter give up 5 runs in 6 innings.  Then you bring in your stud short reliever, Carlos Marmol, in garbage time just to get him some work and have him surrender 4 runs while recording a single out.  And by then it’s 9-0 so who really cares about that 10th run.
Manager Lou [...]

Despite playing without Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, the Cubs managed to pound out 11 runs on 15 hits in beating the Diamondbacks.  Carlos Zambrano, who has been falling into the pattern of inconsistency that plagued him late last season, picked a good night for one of his stronger performances, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits in 7 innings, and contributing a 3-4 night at the plate with a solo homer.  Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukodome, the two guys who’ve been carrying the offense with Ramirez hurt and some other guys not exactly getting it done, both did their part [...]

It’s been a week for the Cubs: they haven’t been able to hit a lick, plus their star players keep getting nipped by the injury bug.  Going into Sunday, the Cubs had lost four straight, mustering only 6 total runs in that quartet of games; in the same stretch, they lost both Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Marmol to injury, and saw Milton Bradley limited to pinch-hit duties as he continues nursing a hammy that’s almost as bad as his attitude.  Sunday looked like it was off to a much better start, though, when Derrek Lee drove in two runs to [...]

Today’s enlightened modern world offers many different ways for people to dispose of their mortal remains after they are gone.  Some have their ashes shot into space.  Some choose to be buried in a coffin decorated with the logo of their favorite cheesy ’70s arena rock band.  Some have their heads lopped off and frozen in hopes that they may one day return as a Futurama character.  And now, lucky Cubs fans may elect to have their cremated remains interred in a crypt that replicates the famed red brick outfield wall of Wrigley Field.  Via SI.com:
Dedicated a few days ago, [...]

Tuesday night’s cold didn’t seem to bother the Cubs‘ bats:  they scored 7 runs off Dusty Baker’s Reds and cruised to an easy win.  Wednesday night it was cool again – 45 degrees at game time – but this time Chicago’s offense was unable to warm things up.  Blame it on Reds starter Johnny Cueto who allowed only 4 hits in 7 innings of scoreless work; and on the Reds’ pen who finished the shutout, allowing only 2 hits in 2 innings.  Bad luck for Cubs’ starter Ted Lilly who was solid for 7 innings, giving up only a single [...]

Tuesday night at Wrigley was not so great for people who like staying warm and dry – nor was it particularly fun if you were a cat – but it was a terrific night for the Cubs who rolled up on Dusty Baker and his Cincinnati Reds 7-2, and an especially super-fantastic night for Aramis Ramirez who went 3-5 with 3 ribbies.  And it wasn’t so bad for Rich Harden either; he bounced back from a terrible start against Colorado last week to allow 2 runs on 3 hits in 6 innings while striking out 8.  The bullpen too was [...]

Tuesday night’s Cubs/Reds game – Cubs won 7-2 by the way – was briefly interrupted in the fourth when a cat came scampering across the Wrigley outfield and had to be corralled by the grounds crew.  No points for the guy who elected to pick the poor, terrified animal up by its tail and drop it into the stands.  You’re wearing gloves and a jacket dude…how much damage could the poor thing’s claws have been doing?  The guy got some boos for his ill-treatment of the feline and deserved them. Of course, Cubs fans, and Ron Santo in particular, [...]

The Cubs return to the field Tuesday night after an unscheduled two-game vacation, assuming there are no more weather-related issues.  When last we saw our beloved team, Aramis Ramirez was beating the Cardinals with an 11th inning homer.  The final game of that series was alas erased by rain, and then Monday was a scheduled off-day.  The Cubs get back to action at home against Cincinnati; Micah Owings and Rich Harden will be the starters.  Harden is looking to rebound after giving up four runs in 3 innings in a loss to Colorado.  Unfortunately, the forecast in Chicago is calling [...]

If the rest of the season goes the way the first few weeks have gone…it’s going to be one hell of a season.
Aramis Ramirez added to the growing collection of dramatic Cubs 2009 moments Saturday by going yard to beat the Cardinals in the bottom of the 11th.  This after Joey Gathright struck out to end a 10th inning rally.  And after Carlos Marmol gave up the tying run in the 8th.  I don’t know if I can handle all this excitement.  Could we mix in a 7-0 snoozer someplace?

We were wondering what sort of punishment Milton Bradley would receive for apparently bumping umpire Larry Vanover during his little home-plate outburst Thursday against the Cardinals.  Now we know:  Bradley will be suspended two games and fined an undisclosed amount, pending an appeal.  Manager Lou Piniella seemed somewhat bemused when asked about the suspension, shrugging, “What do you want me to say?” then saying the borderline pitch – called a strike with the count 3-2 and the bases loaded – that caused Bradley to go off was “too close to take.”  The way things look now, the Cubs might’ve been [...]