Craig Monroe is headed back to the American League, this time to the Minnesota Twins.  I don’t even know why Jim Hendry traded for Monroe down the stretch last season to be honest.  It was another wasted trade that did not need to be done.  And now Monroe is traded for a player to be named later.

Hmm who could that be?  Time will only tell.

Tough night tonight for the Chicago Cubs as they fell to the Florida Marlins by the score of 4-2.  The Marlins scored all four of their runs in the second inning off of Ted Lilly.  Lilly definately did not have the game that he was hoping for.  He was behind in the counts early, and gave up bloop singles and then a couple of hard hit balls in the 2nd inning that ultimately lost the game for the Cubs.

The Cubs did try getting a rally going in the 8th when Craig Monroe hit a two-run homer but that was all the offense they really had.  Aramis Ramirez was ejeced in the 9th inning after he flew out.  The umpire was calling the outside pitch a strike all night long, and Ramirez was pissed for having a ball called a strike before he flew out.  Marc DeRosa struck out on the same pitch to start off the inning as well.

As I’m writing this, the Brewers are currently ahead of the Cardinals 4-1 so if that stands that Cubs will only be up 2 games in the division with 5 games remaining.  We hate the Cardinals but we need them to help us out tonight.

The Chicago Cubs got a much needed win tonight as they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 8-2.  It was a big 8th inning that put the nail in the coffin for the Dodgers as the Cubs scored four big insurance runs.

The Cubs got on the scoreboard with the first three runs of the ballgame behind a RBI single by Geovany Soto that scored Craig Monroe in the second inning, and then two runs in the third inning behind a big Aramis Ramirez 2-run homerun that score Mark DeRosa.

In the 5th inning, Derrek Lee singled to right field and scored DeRosa from second base.  That gave the Cubs a 4-1 lead.

It was then onto the big 8th inning when the Cubs pushed across four big insurance runs.  With Soto at first base via the walk, Ryan Theriot came up in a pitch hitters role and hit a line drive double to right-center field that scored Soto.  Jacque Jones then came to the play against a drawn in-infield and hit a single up the middle that plated Theriot who had stolen third.  With Jones at third, and Alfonso Soriano at second, DeRosa hit a single to left field that pushed the lead to 8-2 Cubbies!

Ted Lilly pitched an outstanding game tonight and that is exactly what the Cubs needed from him.  Lilly lasted 6 2/3 innings while only allowing two earned runs while striking out three and walking one batter.  Very good performance tonight for Lilly, and even better that he had some offensive support.

Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry and Ryan Dempster closed out the final 2 1/3 innings to secure the win the Cubs.  It was a huge win as the Brewers and Cardinals both also won tonight.  The Cubs remain .5 games ahead of the Brewers in the Central Division.

Craig Monroe has been traded to the Chicago Cubs this morning as Jim Hendry tries to find someone that can hit some left handed pitching.  Monroe was released by the Tigers a few days ago as he struggled most of this year after putting up good numbers for them the past few years.

We can only expect Monroe to see action when a left hander is throwing against the Cubs.  There is no way you let him bat against right handers as he absolutely blows against righties. 

The Cubs will be sending a player to be named later to the Tigers.  Damn, that guy gets traded a lot lol.