The last two games on the homestand were examples of badly played games. In the Monday game against Colorado, the Cubs managed to waste Matt Garza's best start of the season, making four errors and allowing four unearned runs on the way to a 5-4 loss. Fukudome went 5 for 5 and, along with Castro and Barney, remains the only professional hitter on the team to date.
Fukudome was promptly benched the next day when the Cubs suffered a 4-3 loss behind James Russell. Russell got hammered for sure, but the bullpen wasn't bad and the Cubs wasted all sorts of opportunities, 8 hits but no walks, which is a key stat so far. Byrd continued his stellar performance in the three hole, 0 for 4, 3 strikeouts, 4 men left on base.
Everybody blames the pitching, and for sure the starters have been inconsistent and the injuries have hurt, but the bullpen has been solid and except when Dempster or Russell pitches, the Cubs have been in the game. They just don't seem to be able to hit, to have professional at-bats that work the count and put them in a position to deliver. In this respect they are a lot like the unsuccessful teams of the past two years.
I saw a statistic somewhere where Colvin, Pena, Byrd, and Soriano were hitting a combined .150 or something with men on base. Not an auspicious beginning for a team that needs to hang on for dear life until they get their rotation in order.
Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks was just plain awful as well, though little can be expected when your starter gives up 7 runs in the first inning. I'm beginning to think that something is wrong with Dempster and maybe he is not being honest with his teammates or Cubs management. He is starting to look like the Dempster the Cubs had before they moved him into the closer role in 2005 and he certainly does not look like the pitcher who had a breakout year in 2008.
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