Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Or something like that.

Since their return home, the Cubs have played pretty decent baseball. They have really been in each of the Brewers and Yankees games. To tell the truth, they actually match up very well against Milwaukee, which is another sloppy, right-hand dominated lineup. Aramis Ramirez has actually been paying attention when balls are hit at him, and he has been running out ground balls as well, just to single out one performer.

Which, of course, makes yesterday's stinker against the Yanks all the more uncomfortable to bear. Even the ESPN guys remarked that although the Cubs lost 10-4, they gave away at least 5 runs.

Some quick negative observations. Since Kerry Wood is on the DL, you cannot simply replace him with Jeff Samardzija or Chris Carpenter. You have to adjust by using Marshall more judiciously and hopefully stretching out your starters. That last bit is hard to do when there is so much sloppy play behind them, as there was last night. This is something Mike Quade doesn't actually seem to get.

Another thing Quade doesn't get is that you cannot keep playing people out of position and expect them to make plays. So the idea of moving Jeff Baker into RF last night cost the Cubs several runs. Of course, playing Alfonso Soriano in any position costs you big time. So does batting Blake DeWitt third and playing him in LF.

The real key to the loss last night, though, was the Castro play. Now I think the world of Castro as a hitter and he really has vast potential, but he just has to start thinking during the game. In this respect, Quade has to stop managing as a AA or AAA manager whose main goal is to nurture talent and to use mistakes as a teachable moment. Maybe they need a new infield coach.

Much of the careless, stupid play makes it very difficult to evaluate the pitchers who were formerly one of the strengths of this team. Wells last night, for example, pitched quite well. He left in a tie game that might just as easily been 4-1 Cubs. People think Zambrano and Garza have been disappointing, but when you look at the way the Cubs have played behind them, they might easily have 8 or 9 wins each.

Anyway, I don't want to carp too much about what has proved to be an entertaining week of baseball on the North Side. With the serious injury to Pujols, the Central Division is once again up for grabs.

It is not impossible the Cubs could make a run. Unlikely, but not impossible. Not that they are a good team by any means. The Sox series will tell us a lot. Kind of a scary thought in a way.