Derrek Lee has often seemed like the only Cub who still knows what to do with a bat. On Thursday, Lee kicked his sometimes one-man-gang-like season up yet another notch by blasting a pair of homers off the Brewers – a 3-run shot and a grand slam – leading the Cubs to a 9-5 rout of their arch nemeses.
Not to sound too trite, but, those seven runs were all Ryan Dempster needed. The righty gave the Cubs 6 2/3 innings of 8-hit, 3-run ball with 9 strikeouts.
It’s also worth nothing that, once again, Lou Piniella held Alfonso Soriano out of the line-up, and gave the lead-off spot to Sam Fuld. Mr. Fuld rewarded Lou’s faith by racking up two more hits and scoring two runs. Without Soriano, the Cubs have a top of the order that actually functions like the top of a major league order. It’s too bad Lou can’t bench Soriano for the rest of the season, or at least put him at second and let him bat sixth.