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Cubs Mon May 11 2009
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Cubs have been on a roller coaster ride so far this season. Here are some of the most recent ups and downs.
First the good news. Apart from the continued good play of guys like Fukudome, Soriano and Hoffpauir, there isn't much in particular to be happy about. The team went on a small winning streak between the end of April and beginning of May. Hopefully that puts some wind in the sails. The new young pitcher Randy Wells had a good first major league outing. He could continue to contribute for some time. In the promising news category the Cubs acquired Ryan Freel, who has all the tools to be an Edmonds-like addition.
Team health has been bad. It just got worse. With Zambrano already down and Lee missing more and more games due to neck soreness, Ramirez dislocated his shoulder and may miss two to three months. Even with Freel we're really going to miss a .364 hitter averaging almost an RBI per game. On top of all that, Chad Fox, who was tearing it up at AAA, but is no stranger to injury, threw to only two batters Saturday before being pulled with pain in his problem elbow. Unfortunately for him that could mean an end to his career.
Speaking of the bullpen if your looking for ugly, look no further. Marmol and Greg have been strong but that's about where the consistency ends. Playing a division rival and contender in the Brewers this weekend the Cubs were relying on the whole team to step it up. The line scores tell the tale. Milwaukee's wins in the first two games were both due to late inning runs. Guzman held the line in the third game but it took Marmol and Gregg to close out the win. We're 31 games in. These guys have had their chance. It's time to start making moves.