It was another game on Monday night for the Chicago Cubs but another loss as they dropped to 9-9 on the season with a 7-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. As I watched the game, all I could think was that this wasn’t the Cubs team that we all invisioned at the beginning of the season. The team started Micah Hoffpauir, Mike Fontenot and Aaron Miles once again as Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee were still out with nagging day to day injuries. It looked like a minor league team playing out there to be honest.

From stupid fielding errors to errant throws it was just a bad night all around. Factor in the fact that the Diamondbacks were able to steal five out of six bases against Ted Lilly, David Patton and Geovany Soto and it was a very long night. I have to wonder if Soto is injured or still being bothered by his shoulder injury and doesn’t want to come out of the game because the team is all ready short handed?

The Cubs offense had started the game off nicely as Alfonso Soriano opened up the game with a lead off home run off Dan Haren but the Cubs would only score one more run the entire game. Mike Fontenot used 10 pitch at bat in the in the eighth inning and finally got a pitch he could drive and hit his second home run of the season. As a team the Cubs were limited to just to three hits and struck out 10 times.

I thought Ted Lilly through the ball ok. The flood gates really opened up for the D-backs in the in the fourth inning when Haren was able to bounce a ball over the head of Fontenot who was playing a shallow third base. Two runs would score on the Haren double and then the next batter Chris Young doubled to center field that scored two more runs. After that, it was over for the Cubs who had no offense on the night.

The Cubs really need Ramirez and Lee back in the lineup so there is atleast some pop in in the batting order. It sounds like one of them might play on Tusday night and if not on Wednesday. Things need to get turned around quickly no matter what!

AP Photo/Matt York

It was a pretty bad weekend for the Cubs as they dropped two out of three games down in St. Louis against the league leading Cardinals. After losing the first two games on Friday and Saturday, the Cubs were able to rebound on Sunday and come away with a 10-3 win to snap the Cards nine game home win streak. Despite the win on Sunday, I’m still not feeling that great about the team at this time.

Day-to-day injuries are starting to pile up for players. Derrek Lee (neck spasms), Aramis Ramirez (leg), Carlos Marmol (knee) and Milton Bradley (groin) are all currently hampered by the injury bug. Ramirez and Marmol are expected back soon and the same for Lee even though he might take a few more games off. Hopefully we will see all three of them play in the Diamondbacks series that gets under way Monday night down in Phoenix.

So far the team has been playing short handed with bench players as Micah Hoffpauir and Aaron Miles are getting starts with all of the injuries. I would have preferred seeing Bradley on the disabled list and a minor leaguer called up. A little to late to do that now unless management back dates the D.L. date.

Let’s all hope that a little Arizona sun will get the bats heated up and the injuries healed. The team needs to turn things around quickly as they sit in the number four spot in the Central Division and three games behind the Cardinals who are in the drivers seat.

AP Photo/Tom Gannam

It was another terrible performance for the Chicago Cubs offense as they dropped another game against the Cincinnati Reds and dropped their first series of the season. The 7-1 blowout had fans pretty pissed off in the stands, and I know I wasn’t happy sitting here in my office watching it. The offense is terrible, the team has played terrible defense the past couple of games. Pretty much mental mistakes in the field and the bats aren’t hitting the ball.

Gotta feel for Big Z as he took the loss even though he gave up three earned runs over seven hits. Zambrano looked pretty good but an error my Micah Hoffpauir in the seventh inning really hurt and opened the flood gates for the Reds. Don’t expect to see Hoffpauir out there in right field to much more after listening to his press conference after the game. You will see Kosuke Fukudome in right field and Reed Johnson in center field when Milton Bradley is on the bench. Sounds like Micah just planted his butt on the bench with that crucial error.

Oh yeah, the bullpen didn’t get any better either. Neal F’ing Cotts gave up another run in his one run of action. Cub killer Joey Votto took Cotts deep in the eighth inning to give the Reds a four run lead at the time. Votto was a monster at the plate once again against the Cubs as he had four hits, three extra base hits, and two rbi.

So now the Cubs will head down to St. Louis and take on the division leaders who have a 11-5 record and are fresh off a sweep of the New York Mets. Let’s hope the bats heat up down in St. Louis or this will be a very long series.

Before the game the team announced that they released Luis Vizcaino and recalled Jeff Samardzija from Triple-A. Samardzija didn’t have a good outing in the ninth when he made his return as he allowed two runs to score. The Cubs are on the hook for $3.6 million in the Vizcaino contract.

Ted Lilly still can’t figure out how to get a victory against the Cincinnati Reds as he dropped another game against them on Wednesday night. Lilly was win less in 2008 against the Reds as well. I wouldn’t put the blame on Lilly for the Cubs losing Wednesday night however, I look right at the awful offense that was out there. The Cubs were held to just six hits and they also committed two errors in the game which sure didn’t help.

Johnny Cueto had the Cubs off balanced all night long and the Cubs never had an answer. The six-seven-eight hitters in the Cubs lineup went a combined 0-13 in the game.

Milton Bradley returned to the Cubs’ lineup for the first time since April 12 and went 0-for-4. He was called out on strikes with two on and one out in the first, grounded out with one on in the fourth and was called out again on strikes for the second out in the sixth. Francisco Cordero struck out Bradley to start the ninth. The outfielder, who had been sidelined with a strained right groin, is 1-for-23 for the season. Bradley heard some boos from the crowd as the game progressed and you can expect to hear them again on Thursday more then likely.

Oh yeah, Kevin Gregg still sucks as he gave up a home run in the ninth inning which gave the Reds an extra insurance run. Gregg now has a 6.43 ERA. Angel Guzman also gave up one run in the game as the bullpen didn’t do their job after Lilly left the game after throwing seven innings.

Let’s hope a short turn around will help the team as they will be back at is Thursday afternoon. Carlos Zambrano will get the start against Aaron Harang.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast