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After two days off, the Cubs came back on Tuesday night and kicked off a three game series with the Cincinnati Reds and they got off on the right track with a 7-2 victory. It was a great way to start the series even though Lou had to use a few guys out of the bullpen that he would rather not have used but sometimes that is just how things go when a reliever can’t throw strikes.

Rich Harden started off the game with a 1-2-3 inning in the first inning but gave up a solo home run to Jay Bruce in the top half of the second inning as the Reds took a 1-0 lead. However in the bottom half of the inning, the Cubs were able to come back and get the lead as Micah Hoffpauir answered Bruce’s home run with one of his own to right-center field. Later in the inning, Ryan Theriot singled in Aramis Ramirez who singled to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.

The Cubs one run lead wouldn’t last for long however as Bruce once again knocked in a run to tie the game at 2-2. This time it was an RBI single in the fourth inning that gave the Reds their second run of the game.

Derrek Lee just missed a three-run home run in the 5th inning when he hit a fly ball to the under armour sign in left-center field. Chris Dickerson ended up dropping the ball up against the fence which left the Cubs with the bases loaded with one out. Hoffpauir then came up to the plate and sent a ball to the center field warner track that was caught but scored Alfonso Soriano from third base to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.

Aramis Ramirez kept the scoring going in the fifth inning as he knocked in Kosuke Fukedome  with a sharp single to right field after battling off four full count pithes. Ramirez’s RBI would knock Micah Owings out of the game. With Owings out of the game, Mike Lincoln came into the game and quickly hit Mike Fontenot with his first pitch. He then walked Geovany Soto which plated Lee for the second and final run of the inning for the Cubs.

The Cubs once again loaded the bases in the sixth inning and with two our Ramirez once again came up big as he knocked in two more runs to but the team up 7-2.

Harden would end up picking up the victory as he tossed six innings. He allowed three hits and two runs while striking out eight. Harden now has a 4.20 ERA on the season and a 1-1 record.

It was too bad that Neal Cotts continued to throw the ball like crap as he only retired one batter while giving up one hit and walk. Piniella didn’t stay with Cotts too long and had to bring in Carlos Marmol to finish off the eighth inning. Luis Vizcaino finished the game in the ninth inning as he made his fourth appearance of the season.

Good win for the Cubs who are now 8-4 on the season. The two teams will be back in action Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Not much of an update about the weekend games today as I was able to watch zero pitches in the final two games of the Cubs vs Cardinals series. Saturday I was blacked out thanks to the stupid Fox National Game of the Week which in my area was the Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Dodgers. Exactly what I wanted to see… A half empty stadium out in LA with the Rockies playing…

Of course Sunday I had no choice as the game was rained out and will have to be played July 12th when the two teams will now play a double header. The rainout will help out with the bullpen situation which tossed 11 innings in the three games against the Cardinals. Not one starting pitcher for the Cubs received a win in the series and the bullpen needs some time off.

Manager Lou Piniella also made a few changes to the starting rotation as it will be Rich Harden getting the start Tuesday night and than Ted Lilly on Wednesday night. Lilly has been battling a cold and pushing him back will hopefully allow how to regain some strength and get over the bug.

Other than that, I don’t have a whole lot to blog about today besides MLB’s Blackout rules absolutely are garbage. Get rid of that damn FOX game of the week or atleast not have it blackout every other afternoon game. I pay for MLB Extra Innings for a reason and that’s to watch every Cubs game which I’m unable to do…

On Friday afternoon, the Chicago Cubs got a break that they had been needing to get during this short season. Down 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Alfonso Soriano came up and hit a two-run home run to left field to give the Cubs a 8-7 lead and Carlos Marmol made the one-run lead holdup as the Cubs evened up the series at one game each.

It was a back and forth game as the Cubs had got out to a 3-0 lead after two innings but the Cardinals were able to get to Carlos Zambrano in the third inning when they scored four runs to take a 4-3 lead. Ryan Ludwick had the big shot off Zambrano has he went deep for a three-run homer. Luckwick would also add a solo shot off Big Z in the seventh inning. Zambrano sure wasn’t his usual self as he gave up nine hits, seven runs, and three home runs. Just a bad outing for him that you hope he will learn from.

Aramis Ramirez had a great day at the plate as he finished with three hits and three rbi in the game. He had rbi singles in the first and seventh innings and also had a rbi double in the fifth inning when the team came back to tie the game in the inning. Great job A-Ram!

My man out in right field MIcah Hoffpauir bounced back and went 2-4 on the day with an rbi of his own as well. I say keep throwing the guy out there while Bradley is hurt. He provides a nice bat that can knock in some runs atleast.

Carlos Marmol picked up the save which was his second of the season. Aaron Heilman pitched the eighth inning to notch his second win of the season.

Let’s see if the Cubs can start a little winning streak and beat the Cardinals on Saturday now! GO CUBS!

For all your ticket needs, head on over to Ticket City!

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

It was a rough day at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs on Thursday as they dropped the first game of a four game set to the rivals from the South. St. Louis beat the Cubs 7-4 behind three rbi and one home run from Chris Duncan. The three run loss is the second loss in a row for the Cubs who have now seen their record drop too 5-4 on the season.

It was the bottom of the Cardinals order that gave the Cubs pitchers fits all day. The sixth, seventh, and eighth hitters all hit home runs in the game. Duncan, Khalil Greene and Brian Barden did the damage with the long ball.

Cubs starting pitcher Sean Marshall got a no decision in the game as he tossed five innings. Marshall was decent but it seemed as though the Cardinals knew what pitches were coming, especially his big loopy curveball. Marshall’s line after his five innings was seven hits, three runs, two walks, and four strikeouts.

The loss went to rookie David Patton who had a rough go of things in the seventh inning. Patton allowed two rbi singles in the inning that put the Cardinals in the lead for good. Aaron Heilman and Angel Guzman both gave up runs as well.

There was really only one big hit for the Cubs offense and that came off the bat of Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome hit a three run blast over the right-center field wall in the fifth inning. At the time the homerun put the Cubs ahead 4-3 but that would be the last of the Cubs scoring on the day.

I had blogged yesterday about starting Micah Hoffpauir in right field and guess what? He started! Was Lou reading the blog? I highly doubt it but even having Hoffpauir out there it didn’t make a bit of difference as he went 0-4 at the plate and left two runners on base.

Normal right fielder Milton Bradley pinch hit in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and ended up striking out in his first plate appearance in a Cubs uniform at Wrigley Field. It was a questionable call but the home plate umpire called him out on a inside curve ball. Bradley was not happy about it as he would have been on first base via a walk and the Cubs would have scored a run. It took about four seconds of yelling at the ump until he was ejected. Not too bad Milton, your first at bat at home and you got tossed lol.

Hopefully we see the Cubs stop the losing streak tomorrow afteroon when they send ace Carlos Zambrano to the mound.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast