The Results:
20 L at Philadelphia, 1-10 (WP: R.Lopez; LP: T.Lilly)
21 L at Philadelphia, 1-4 (13th) (WP: C.Condrey; LP: J.Samardzija)
22 W at Philadelphia, 10-5 (WP: C.Zambrano; LP: J.Moyer)
24 W vs. Cincinnati, 8-5 (WP: R.Wells; LP: A.Harang)
25 W vs. Cincinnati, 5-3 (WP: K.Hart; LP: J.Cueto)
26 W vs. Cincinnati, 5-2 (WP: R.Harden; LP: M.Owings)
The Story:
As I stated in my last review, this Cubs team would be thrown into the fire directly from the cozy confines of Nationals Park and the result is exactly what I expected, a series loss. The Phillies were the hottest team in baseball when the Cubs came calling and we truly saw the type of team Cub fans wish they had at this point in the season.
A rough start by Ted Lilly put the Cubs in a hole from which they couldn’t climb, as their four-game win streak was halted by the red-hot Phillies. After his start was pushed back from Saturday, Lilly gave up nine runs (seven earned) in just four innings.
Rich Harden started game two in the series and went seven sharp innings of one-run ball, but the Cubs continued to struggle offensively, producing just one run in a 4-1 loss. Game three saw Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley each have two hits with an RBI and a run as the Cubs halted the Phil’s’ 10-game win streak. Carlos Zambrano struck out seven, yielding four earned runs over 6 2/3, and won his third straight, a dominant 10-5 win to salvage one win against the defending champs.
The series opener against the Reds saw some early drama as the Cubs fell into an 0-3 hole but Aramis Ramirez erased that deficit with a three-run bomb to set the tone for the rest of the series. Game two was more of the same, making his third career start, Kevin Hart filled in for an injured Ted Lilly and threw six frames of one-run ball, helping the Cubs secure a series win over the Reds.
I personally attended game 3 of this series and saw a different Cubs team than the one I saw in person no more than a month earlier. The difference was clear, they looked like a smart team with intensity displayed at all the right times. Milton Bradley executed a textbook slide into home and Fukudome gunned down a runner coming home with precision accuracy.
The Cubs seem to be a good team and if you are wondering what the next step for this team looks like, re-watch the Phillies series and you will see it clear as day in a Phillies team that has talent, swagger and clutch written all over them. Our first place Cubs seem to get stronger as a unit as the season rolls on but with their best pitcher out for at least a month, we will truly see what they are made of.
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