Wells couldn't record an out and this was a bad start both for Wells and for an important series. In the bottom of the first, both Fukudome and Theriot reached on hits, but Lee taking a called third strike on an apparent botched hit-and-run sank any chances the Cubs might have had to get back into it.
Here's a link to a good Sports Illustrated article about the Cubs, which is highly recommended not merely because the writer pretty much agrees with everything I have been saying about this team for months. He also thinks Silva to the bullpen is the move and I agree, though I know with this team it will never happen.
Colvin continues to impress. Soriano and Bryd should sit every third day - really every other day - to give this kid a chance to play regularly. This is another thing that is unlikely to occur because Jim Hendry, who has literally no idea or projection of what his young players can do, went out and gave a three year deal to the journeyman Byrd. Now Byrd got off to a great start, but like most guys who have been around the league for as long as he has, he is coming back to earth, which is .270-.280, 15-20 HRs, not embarrassing defense or base running.
The potential of a player like Colvin is so much more and it is magnified by the fact that he is a left-handed hitter on a team that is ineffective at scoring runs just because they are not just too right-handed but too same style, same tendencies right-handed in the middle of their lineup. Yesterday's game was a case in point. Even though they were down five runs against a good pitcher, they had their chances, but they ran into the same problems in the middle of the lineup with Lee, Ramirez, Soriano, and Byrd having bad games.
This is a big series against an overrated Cardinals team. The Cubs need to win the next two to think of themselves as being serious contenders.
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