6/7 Cubs (Hill) @ Braves (James) 6:35 CSN

[inari]

One run wins!

[CubmanPi]

Great great save for Demp.

 

CUBS WIN!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!

[Alfonso Soriano]

Cubs Record By TV Station:

WGN 11-13

Comcast SportsNet 9-11

CLTV (CSN+) 2-3

WCIU 0-4

ESPN 0-0

FOX 4-1

 

Cubs Record In The Daytime: 15-18

Cubs Record At Night: 11-14

 

Cubs Record Outdoors: 23-30

Cubs Record Indoors: 3-2

 

Cubs Record At Home: 11-17

Cubs Record On The Road: 15-15

[RichHillIsABeast]

Freaking Dempster! He is the iceman these days.

 

the iceman cometh

[E.J.]

Yay Cubs!!! Good game tonight. I got home in the 6th, but it looks like Hill pitched awesome, and Dempster was great in the 9th. I see the offense scored early and shut it down again. Still a victory though, so I'll definitely take it. :D

[Sosa21MVP]

26-32

 

And a 1/2 game picked up on the Brewers. :D

[98navigator]

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

 

The dominant Rich Hill is back! \:D/

[CubColtPacer]

Yay Cubs!!! Good game tonight. I got home in the 6th, but it looks like Hill pitched awesome, and Dempster was great in the 9th. I see the offense scored early and shut it down again. Still a victory though, so I'll definitely take it. :D

 

Yeah-the offense was better than the stats looked tonight. The Braves defense was excellent, and took several hits away from the Cubs hitters.

 

Today was a really big win, and tomorrow is one too. If the Cubs can get the one tomorrow, they'll be up 2-0 in the series before having to face Hudson and Smoltz over the weekend.

[IWU_CUBS_FAN]

Yay Cubs!!! Good game tonight. I got home in the 6th, but it looks like Hill pitched awesome, and Dempster was great in the 9th. I see the offense scored early and shut it down again. Still a victory though, so I'll definitely take it. :D

 

Yeah-the offense was better than the stats looked tonight. The Braves defense was excellent, and took several hits away from the Cubs hitters.

 

Today was a really big win, and tomorrow is one too. If the Cubs can get the one tomorrow, they'll be up 2-0 in the series before having to face Hudson and Smoltz over the weekend.

and it isn't even 100% that Smoltz will start on Sunday Night because he says there is still some soreness...plus if i remember len sayin last sunday the braves aren't good against lefties and the cubs have three goin this weekend...soo with that i say GO CUBS?

[98navigator]

26-32

 

And a 1/2 game picked up on the Brewers. :D

 

If the Reds can hold on to their lead (gulp) we can also pick up a game on the Cards!

[otis89]

26-32

 

And a 1/2 game picked up on the Brewers. :D

 

If the Reds can hold on to their lead (gulp) we can also pick up a game on the Cards!

 

Their bullpen has been worse than the Cubs' this year! :shock:

[Butterscup1679666578]

Wow, we held that 2-1 lead? Great, great win boys.

[RammyFanny]

W

[JonnyRed]

I'm starting to feel good about this team boys...Anyone else like how many of the so called "experts" are still picking our Cubs to win the division? This team still hasn't gotten hot all at the same time, and we have more pitching depth than in recent years with solid performances by Guzman, Marshall and Marmol to go with our starting 5. Let's go Cubs!

[otis89]

I'm starting to feel good about this team boys...Anyone else like how many of the so called "experts" are still picking our Cubs to win the division? This team still hasn't gotten hot all at the same time, and we have more pitching depth than in recent years with solid performances by Guzman, Marshall and Marmol to go with our starting 5. Let's go Cubs!

 

Unfortunately, Guzman won't be throwing for another two weeks. I forget what the injury is. :(

[Soul]

Cardinals are losing in the 9th, White Sox just collapsed against the Yanks.

 

*GIDDY*

 

Why can't all baseball evenings be like this? 8-)

[Soul]

I'm starting to feel good about this team boys...Anyone else like how many of the so called "experts" are still picking our Cubs to win the division? This team still hasn't gotten hot all at the same time, and we have more pitching depth than in recent years with solid performances by Guzman, Marshall and Marmol to go with our starting 5. Let's go Cubs!

 

Glad you're excited, but let's see how we feel after the Cubs face the better Braves pitchers over the weekend.

[otis89]

Cardinals are losing in the 9th, White Sox just collapsed against the Yanks.

 

*GIDDY*

 

Why can't all baseball evenings be like this? 8-)

 

Would be nice if the Yankees could've taken the lead while Mussina was still in the game. Thanks for screwing my fantasy team out of an extra 10 points, Yankees.

[CubmanPi]

I'm starting to feel good about this team boys...Anyone else like how many of the so called "experts" are still picking our Cubs to win the division? This team still hasn't gotten hot all at the same time, and we have more pitching depth than in recent years with solid performances by Guzman, Marshall and Marmol to go with our starting 5. Let's go Cubs!

 

Glad you're excited, but let's see how we feel after the Cubs face the better Braves pitchers over the weekend.

Yea, plus they crapped the bed for a few weeks when their schedule god a little rough. Granted, Mil and Atl aren't exactly slouches, but they've still got quite a bit more to prove big-picture wise before I get terribly excited. Definitely a solid win though.

[Brian]

Dan Plesac had the blue kool aid flowing on post game live. Said the Cubs were definitely the best team in the division and they have the deepest starting pitching and it's not even close and that if the bullpen can tighten it up here we're going to have a nice little run here. I know that's partly his job, but he sounded really convinced and excited about this team.

[soccer10k]

Cubs win behind another great start from Rich Hill. I like.

[98navigator]

Dan Plesac had the blue kool aid flowing on post game live. Said the Cubs were definitely the best team in the division and they have the deepest starting pitching and it's not even close and that if the bullpen can tighten it up here we're going to have a nice little run here. I know that's partly his job, but he sounded really convinced and excited about this team.

 

I think he believes it. I've heard him say some harsh things about them too when warranted so I don't think he's being a homer.

[98navigator]

Cardinals are losing in the 9th, White Sox just collapsed against the Yanks.

 

*GIDDY*

 

Why can't all baseball evenings be like this? 8-)

 

Would be nice if the Yankees could've taken the lead while Mussina was still in the game. Thanks for screwing my fantasy team out of an extra 10 points, Yankees.

 

ARod just killed the Sox hopes with a slam in the top of the 9th.

 

8-3 Yanks

[98navigator]

Dan Plesac had the blue kool aid flowing on post game live. Said the Cubs were definitely the best team in the division and they have the deepest starting pitching and it's not even close and that if the bullpen can tighten it up here we're going to have a nice little run here. I know that's partly his job, but he sounded really convinced and excited about this team.

 

More optimism. ESPN

 

Cubs Rumblings

 

• People in Chicago would be amazed how many scouts following the NL Central report that they either think (a) the Cubs are a better, more talented team than the Brewers, or (b) the Cubs will end up winning the division. "I know they've played spotty, to say the least," one scout said of the Cubs. "But I think they have a chance to rip off about 14 [wins] out of 15 one of these days." The scout's theory is that the Cubs have played tight, in great part because they haven't adjusted to Lou Piniella's personality and he hasn't adjusted to them. "I think they're at a real turning point," the scout said. "If Lou can use that [suspension] time to watch from afar for a few days and then come back and make some adjustments, I think that team could take off. And knowing Lou, I think he can and he will."

 

• In that vein, we've heard from a variety of sources that a number of Cubs players told their friends they were much more relaxed on the bench this week during the four games Piniella was serving his suspension. But one baseball man who has seen a lot of the Cubs flatly rejects the suggestion that Piniella's demeanor has somehow affected the way this team has played, saying: "The one thing I've never seen is negative body language. These guys have played hard. They've come back. They've gotten key hits late. If they're pressing, there's one cure for that: win."

 

Carlos Zambrano

 

Zambrano

 

• If there's a Cub who's a topic of even greater fascination than Piniella around the sport, it's Carlos Zambrano. "There's a guy," one front-office man said, "who's costing himself a lot of money right now. And beating the crap out of one of his teammates doesn't help." Zambrano still has plenty of time to restore his free-agent value. But clubs have watched his ground ball/fly ball rate shrink from a high of 2.28 in 2003 to just 1.26 this year. He also had never allowed an opponent slugging percentage over .351 in any season of his career -- but this year it's nearly .500. And left-handed hitters have an ominous .355 AVG/.430 OBP/.579 SLG line against him -- compared to .231/.337/.355 over the previous three years. "I don't know why," one scout said. "But his stuff is very, very flat early in games. Then he gets into his last inning or two, and he gets back in his normal arm slot, and he blows guys away. He's a real mystery."

 

• The Cubs had lots of reasons to recall Felix Pie last weekend. But one of them was the effect Pie seems to have had on his buddy, Alfonso Soriano. With Pie on the roster, Soriano was hitting .413, with five homers, and slugging .755 going into Wednesday. With Pie in the minor leagues, Soriano was batting .259 and slugging .396.

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

Cardinals are losing in the 9th, White Sox just collapsed against the Yanks.

 

*GIDDY*

 

Why can't all baseball evenings be like this? 8-)

 

Would be nice if the Yankees could've taken the lead while Mussina was still in the game. Thanks for screwing my fantasy team out of an extra 10 points, Yankees.

 

ARod just killed the Sox hopes with a slam in the top of the 9th.

 

8-3 Yanks

 

I think Ozzie's going to blow a gasket due to this loss.