18-13 1.5 GB behind Cardinals
The Week that was: Cubs lose both series 1-2, taking the middle game in each set. Cubs changed their pen twice, sending Rich Hill and Kevin Hart to the minors, and bringing up Chad Fox and Sean Gallagher. All 4 loses were within 3 runs, while the 2 wins were blowouts. The Cubs have now dropped 3 straight series.
My last week's predicton: Well I predicted 4 games right. Soriano had 1 homer and 3 RBI if I remember correcty.
The good: Cubs offense scored 3 runs in each game, and dismanteled the Brewers on Wed. Mike Fontenot, Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukudome all hit well.
The bad: Hart, Wood, Hill and Marquis all didn't throw well.
What to expect this week: The Cubs get to face the Reds, in Cincy. The Reds are tied for the worst record in baseball at 12-20 and have lost 5 straight. Cubs took 2 out of 3 vs the Reds earlier in the season. In the first game the Cubs get to face Johnny Cueto, who has lost 3 out of his last 4 starts, including a 7 R 1.2 IP debacle on Thursday. Cubs counter with Ryan Dempster, who is 4-0 with a 3.16 ERA. He beat the Reds earlier in the year, but that was his worst outing: 4 R 6 IP. In the second game the Cubs get to face the Reds' ace Aaron Harang. Harang is 1-4 with a 2.98 ERA, his worst start of the season was a 5 ER 6 IP outing vs. the Cubs on April 15th. Cubs will have Carlos Zambrano going in that game, Z has been great all year (4-1 2.11 ERA) including a 2 ER 7 IP win against the Reds earlier in the year. In the third game the Cubs get to face Edison Volquez, who's been great 4-1 1.27 ERA including a win against the Cubs. Facing Volquez will be former 20 game winner Jon Lieber, who makes his first start of the season.
Then the Cubs return home to face the Diamondbacks. The Dbacks are playing as the best team in baseball right now, and the Cubs have never been able to do well against them. The pitching doesn't get easy against the Diamondbacks, even though we miss Webb. We'll face Dan Haren, super prospect making his first career start Max Scherzer and future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. And we get to counter with Lilly, Marquis and Dempster. And not only do the DBacks send out 3 good pitchers, but they happen to have the second best run-scoring offense in baseball, behind only the Cubs.
Prediction: Cubs go 3-3, taking the first 2 from the Reds and the middle game from the DBacks. Dempster, Z and Marmol all get wins. Kosuke Fukudome hits 2 homers.
