Well the game went a lot better than yesterday.
Th Chicago Cubs sobered up from their late collapse against the Pirates on Sunday to bad a bounce back win in their series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cubs starter Randy Wells smoothed out a shaky start to go six full innings and fanning as many batters. He gave up a sole run which came on a lead off homer by Willie Bloomquist which made it appear as though the Cubbies were in for another long day.
After the lead off homerun, Wells went on to only allow five more hits and he walked just four.
Relief pitcher Kerry Wood saw action again, and it was him this time that almost blew the game for Chicago. Woods loaded the bases in the top half of the eighth, but escaped with no runs allowed. Carlos Marmol, the Cubs disgustingly good young closer picked up his second save of the year pitched a four batter ninth.
Another bright spot for the Cubs was the fact the bats came alive with RBIs by Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Pena and Geovany Soto.
The brightest spot, and the biggest sigh of relief, was the fact the Alfonso Soriano stayed hot for a second consecutive day, hitting his second homerun in as many days. Soriano blasted a third inning pitch by D-Backs starter Joe Saunders to left field which tied the game at the time it was hit.
The Cubs would take the lad the next inning when Carlos Pena hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Marlon Byrd.
Chicago never looked back.
They picked up two more runs in the eight on RBI hits by Soto and Soriano respectively which sealed the deal for the Cubs. Marmol came on in the ninth and polished off the win.
The Cubs needed the win to regain a confidence that can be easily fazed. They now own a 2-2 record and sit just a half game behind the Pirates for second place in the Central and a mere game and a half behind the Reds who are undefeated in first.
The Cubs may have regained some confidence, but how long it will last is a completely different question. Any sign of trouble will take the fight out of this tam as it always does. But if they get a few more wins under their belt and aren’t constantly fighting with being .500 the Cubs may be able to do some damage.
But as always, the Cubs just need to take it one game at a time.
Next Three Up:
Tues. – vs. ARI (Cashner, 0-0 vs Enright, 0-0)
Wed. – vs. ARI (Dempster, 0-1 vs Galarraga, 0-0)
Thur. – @ MIL (Zambrano, 0-0, vs Wolf, 0-1)
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