7/14 Diamondbacks (Saunders) @ Cubs (Dempster) 12:05 WGN

[Sosa21MVP]

I keep telling myself that even the worst teams will have mini stretches of success over a 162 game season but it's now been 15 games. Im certainly not saying the Cubs are a playoff team now but they are clearly playing improved baseball overall. There's luck involved and some inhuman starting pitching but quietly the pen has improved a great deal. I'm not sure if the offense is actually better now because it seems like we are winning a lot of 4-1 type games but it's getting the job done.

 

They have been playing some really good baseball for over 2 weeks now. And it isn't like they have been playing the Astros and Padres during this 15 game stretch. They have been beating some decent teams.

[KaiserCesar]

Soriano hitting very well, catchers getting healthy, Wood replacing Volstad in the rotation and the bullpen seem to be the big reasons the team has been better. When all that comes together, it might not be a .500 team, but it's a good enough one to be able to string together a run like the one we've seen.

[Guest]

Soriano hitting very well, catchers getting healthy, Wood replacing Volstad in the rotation and the bullpen seem to be the big reasons the team has been better. When all that comes together, it might not be a .500 team, but it's a good enough one to be able to string together a run like the one we've seen.

 

Think you're forgetting a guy who has been a major factor as well.

[KaiserCesar]

Soriano hitting very well, catchers getting healthy, Wood replacing Volstad in the rotation and the bullpen seem to be the big reasons the team has been better. When all that comes together, it might not be a .500 team, but it's a good enough one to be able to string together a run like the one we've seen.

 

Think you're forgetting a guy who has been a major factor as well.

 

You're right, how could I forget Reed Johnson

[DiamondMind]

Guys, we aren't playing too shabby lately.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I keep telling myself that even the worst teams will have mini stretches of success over a 162 game season but it's now been 15 games. Im certainly not saying the Cubs are a playoff team now but they are clearly playing improved baseball overall. There's luck involved and some inhuman starting pitching but quietly the pen has improved a great deal. I'm not sure if the offense is actually better now because it seems like we are winning a lot of 4-1 type games but it's getting the job done.

 

They have been playing some really good baseball for over 2 weeks now. And it isn't like they have been playing the Astros and Padres during this 15 game stretch. They have been beating some decent teams.

 

The 12 game losing streak and bullpen implosions were very unfortunate, but now that they're playing as well as they are I look forward to a few months of enjoyable baseball with the acceptance that the playoffs wont be happening for us. This isn't to say that I don't want to commence the selling as soon as possible.

[DiamondMind]

for anyone who missed cutler - http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23018031&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_23018031&v=3

 

what a bad ass

[23sharks]

i remember les lancaster having some sick string of scoreless innings pitched back in 1989. i think he hit 30, but he was a reliever.

 

30.2. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=lancale01&t=p&year=1989

 

Zimmer beat the [expletive] out of him that year.

 

The last memory I have of Lancaster is him giving up a home run to Robby Thompson in the playoffs. He commented how it was a 3-0 pitch, so he just put it right over the middle of the plate. The reporter informed him the count was 2-0, and Lancaster said if that's true, that he'd made a huge mistake.

[Magnetic Curses]

for anyone who missed cutler - http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23018031&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_23018031&v=3

 

what a bad ass

 

he honestly, assuredly, most definitely does not give a single [expletive]

[Guest]

I keep telling myself that even the worst teams will have mini stretches of success over a 162 game season but it's now been 15 games. Im certainly not saying the Cubs are a playoff team now but they are clearly playing improved baseball overall. There's luck involved and some inhuman starting pitching but quietly the pen has improved a great deal. I'm not sure if the offense is actually better now because it seems like we are winning a lot of 4-1 type games but it's getting the job done.

 

It's all Rizzo.