The Chicago Cubs completed a three game sweet of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday with a 13-6 victory.  Ryan Dempster picked up the win to improve to 3-0 on the season.  Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Theriot both had a good day at the plate.

Theriot had four hits, including two doubles and two RBIs, while Ramirez contributed three hits and four RBIs, including his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth.  Derrek Lee and Matt Murton both had two RBI while Ronny Cedeno had one RBI.

In the games on Friday and Saturday, the Cubs picked up 3-2 and 13-1 victories over the Pirates.  On Friday, Rich Hill picked up his first win of the season as he tossed five innings.  On Saturday, Jason Marquis picked up his first win of the season as the Cubs crushed the Pirated 13-1.

After the three game sweep, the Cubs are tied for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Keep on playing good baseball!

Manager Lou Piniella told the media today that Jason Marquis and Ryan Dempster would be in the starting rotation.  I am suprised to see both of them in the rotation and Jon Lieber working out of the bullpen.  I would rather have Lieber in the rotation, and then one of the other two out of the bullpen.  Maybe this is just to get Marquis some work, so hopefully the Cubs can eventually trade him.

Piniella also said that Kerry Wood would start out the season as the teams closer.  He was in a battle all spring with Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry.  Wood proved to the coaches that he could pitch on back to back days and did a good job so he earned the spot.  If Wood struggles, look for Marmol to be thrown into the position.

Sorry I haven’t been able to get an update on the blog lately regarding spring training. I have been pretty busy the past week, but I’m here now, and ready to talk Cubs Baseball!

It was interesting to hear Lou Piniella say it would be a three person battle for the closers role as pitchers and catches reported.  Piniella mentioned Kerry Wood, Carlos Marmol, and Ryan Dempster would battle it out.  Make you think what is going on as Dempster is supposed to get a look as a starter as well.  Then out of nowhere yesterday, Piniella said that Bob Howry would be the closer if the season started today.  Lol, does anyone know what is going on with the closers role?!

I thought it was pretty funny that Carlos Zambrano was wearing Fukudome’s jersey as the Japanese reported to spring training.  After playing with Fukudome for a little bit, Big Z then gave him his jersey as they all had a good laugh.  Gotta love a little joking around to keep the players lose.

As far as the starting rotation, it looks like the Cubs will be going with something like this:

1.  Carlos Zamrano
2.  Ted Lilly
3.  Open
4.  Rich Hill
5.  Open

Piniella really wants to split up the lefthanders Lilly and Hill.  I would probably pencil in Jon Leiber or Jason Marquis into that #3 spot and then the other in the #5 spot.  Leaving out Sean Marshall unless Piniella wants to have back to back lefties in the #4 and #5 spots.

How do you all feel with the pitchers?  What is the best rotation Lou can set up?  What is the best option for closer at this point?  Leave us a comment and let us know your opinion!

The regular season is over for the Chicago Cubs after the dropped a 8-4 contest against the Cinncinatti Reds on Sunday.  I wouldn’t put much into the final game of the season as the Cubs were just playing in a tune up for Wenesdays opening night game in the playoffs.

Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a lead off homer as he set a Major League record with his 7th lead off homerun in the month of September.  Soriano led the game off for the Cubs this year hitting 12 homeruns.  Soriano also singled in the 2nd inning that scored two more runs.

Two players that got into the game that I am very worried about however is Jason Marquis and Ryan Dempster.  Marquis pitched 2/3rds of an inning and allowed four hits and four earned runs.  Dempster wasn’t much better as he pitched one inning allowing four hits and four runs.  Terrible performance once again by Dempster.

I don’t want to see Marquis or Dempster with the ball in the playoffs to be honest.  Let Bob Howry be the closer of this team.

Before the game Lou Piniella said that Carlos Zambrano would pitch game one against the Diamondbacks, and Ted Lilly would get the ball in game two.  I would expect to see Rich Hill get the nod for game three which will be in Chicago on Saturday night.

GO CUBS GO! - Chicago Cubs Blog

Wow, all the Cubs fans have to be asking why they are Cubs fans lol.  I sure know I am.  Is this going to be another classic choke job by the Cubbies?

Once again the Cubs were not able to beat the Florida Marlins and get another game closer to the division title as they lost Wednesday night 7-4.

Jason Marquis got hammered early and often.  Marc DeRosa and Ryan Theriot were unable to turn a key double play that allowed the Marlins to take momentum in the game and score later in the inning.  The Cubs kept battling back, but it was always a big Marlin hit that gave them the lead once again.  The final blow for the Cubs was when Carlos Marmol gave up a two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera in the 7th inning.

So lets all watch the end of the Cardinals / Brewers and pray to god that the Cardinals hold on to defeat the Brew Crew.

The wind was blowing out of Wrigley Field Friday afternoon and Aramis Ramirez and the Chicago Cubs took advantage of it during a 13-8 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ramirez delivered with two 3-run homeruns which both of them gave the Cubs a three run lead at the time.  Ramirez finished the day going 2-5 with the two homeruns and six rbi’s.  Alfonso Soriano led off the game with yet another homerun from the lead off spot and Geovany Soto then connected in the sixth inning as well with a shot to left field.

It was a good thing the Cubs were able to hit all of those homeruns today since Jason Marquis stunk it up and only lasted 2.2 innings while giving up eight hits and seven earned runs.  Definately not the performance we wanted to see out of Marquis today as he is slated to pitch the game at the end of the season if the Brewers and Cubs are still tied.

The Cubs bullpen held on when they needed to and the Cubs went on for the victory and that is what really matters.  We need to win the final two games of this series with the Pirates and hope the Brewers struggle down in Atlanta!

GO CUBS GO!

After splitting a day night double header with the Cards Saturday, the Cubs beat St. Louis 4-2 on Sunday to take 3 of 4 in the series and push the red birds 7 games back in the Central. The Cubs scored all 4 runs in the 3rd inning on a 3 run homer by Matt Murton and an RBI single by Ronny Cedeno. Jason Marquis went 6 1/3 innings giving up only 5 hits and 1 run. Mark Mulder got the loss and Ryan Dempster picked up save #28. The Brewers kept pace with a 5-2 win over the Reds who come to Chicago for 3 to start the week.

-Mike

Another terrible performance by Ryan Dempster tonight as he walked a batter and then had a game winning double hit off him in the bottom of the 11th inning.  But should the game even have went that long?  No it shouldn’t have, the Cubs have got to start getting a key basehit when you have a runner in scoring position late in the ball game.  Stop grounding into damn double plays or hitting soft groundballs and hit a damn line drive somewhere.

Jason Marquis only lasted five innings as he gave up three earned runs.  Everyone was hoping for a better perfomance out of Marquis but it wasn’t meant to be.  Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry came in and pitched four scourless innings before Dempster came on board in the 10th inning and into the 11th where he allowed the game winning run to come across.

The one big hit the Cubs did have tonight was off Mark DeRosa’s bat when he connected for a three run homer in the third inning.  Jason Kendall also had a RBI in the 2nd inning as Jacque Jones cross the plate.  You have got to have more production then that however.  If you have a runner on second and 1 out, you have got to get that run in.  If you have the bases loaded and 1 out, you have got to a run in.  Right now the Cubs are just not executing at all.  They aren’t playing smart baseball like they were a month ago.  They better get going as they are now a game behind the Brewers in the division.

Ryan Dempster had a terrible outing tonight as he blew the save and allowed the Los Angeles Dodgers to take three of four in the series against the Chicago Cubs.  Dempster did not record a out as he gave up five hits and four earned runs.  The big shot coming off the bat of Andre Ethier who hit the three run homerun to give the Dodgers the lead.

Besides the blowup in the ninth inning, the Cubs didn’t play too bad of baseball.  Alfonso Soriano had two homeruns including a go ahead three run shot in the 7th inning.  I figured the Cubs had this game won after that shot, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Jason Marquis pitched a very good game and deserved to get the win today.  He pitched seven strong innings only allowing two earned runs.  Marquis gave up four hits, and had four strikeouts compared to only one walk.  Hopefully Marquis will have a different outcome during his next outing.

This is not the type of game you want to lose in September when you are in the midst of a playoff run.  With the loss, the Cubs and Brewers are now tied for first in the standing, and the Cardinals are beating the Pirates at the time of this writing.  The Cubs are fading, but they do have a three game series starting tomorrow with the Pirates in Pittsburgh.  Lets hope the Cubs get back on track in Pittsburgh and take control of this division.

For 8 innings Tuesday night, the Cubs were dominated by Tim Lincecum. Luckily for the Cubs, they had only given up 1 run in that span. Jason Marquis went 7 strong giving up only 3 hits and 1 run. Coming into the 9th, the Cubs had only 2 hits. Ryan Theriot led off with a double and then back to back singles by Jacque Jones and Derrek Lee to tie the game brought the end of the night for Lincecum. After a walk to Ramirez, Cliff Floyd drove in 2 with a single to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. DeRosa sac bunted and Jake Fox struck out before Jason Kendall brought in 2 more with a single of his own. Ryan Dempster pitched a scoreless 9th. Both the Cards and Brewers won as well on Tuesday so no change was made in the NL Central standings. Barry Zito faces Rich Hill at 9:15 CT Wednesday night.

-Mike