The Cubs Get Rich, and Will Get Richer After the Break

Rich Harden pitched a gem against the Giants, but don’t attribute his success to the unfamiliarity of the National League bats. This was Harden’s fourth time facing the Giants, Oakland's interleague rivals. Against the Giants, he is 2-0 with an ERA of 0.84.

Harden gave up five hits, three walks, and no runs over 5.1 innings, racking up 10 strikeouts. Most importantly, he left the game under the manager's terms, and not his elbow's or shoulder's terms. Harden left after striking out the last batter he faced with a 96 mph fastball for his 96th pitch, earning a standing ovation from his new hometown fans as he walked to the dugout.

The Cubs offense gave Harden a lot of run support, thanks for the most part to Jim Edmonds. Edmonds smacked a two-run home run in the third and a two-run double in the fourth, both to right field. An RBI each from Mike Fontenot, Mark DeRosa, and Derrek Lee also added to the four runs Edmonds drove in.

The bullpen took over from there, and that is when it went downhill. The other piece of the Harden deal, Chad Gaudin, finished the sixth perfect. Recently called-up Kevin Hart pitched the seventh, allowing two runs and three hits. Neal Cotts got out the one man he faced in the eighth, and Bobby Howry finished the eighth without giving up a hit or walk.

Enter the ninth, enter Carlos Marmol, enter disaster. Marmol gave up five hits, one walk, no strikeouts, and, most importantly, five runs, as a costly error by Ryan Theriot allowed the Giants to tie the game.

The Cubs and Giants took the game to extra innings, and the Cubs threatened in the tenth playing small ball with a leadoff walk by Theriot and a sac bunt by Kosuke Fukudome.

But the Cubs big hitters—Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto—couldn’t get the winning run home. Lee flied out to center, Ramirez was intentionally walked with first base open, and Soto hit a ground ball for the final out in the tenth.

In the bottom of the 11th, pitcher Sean Marshall, of all people, started the inning with a single, followed by a walk by DeRosa. Fontenot tried to bunt the runners up a base, but Marshall was out at third. Reed Johnson hit a ground ball past the diving second baseman, and DeRosa beat a throw that was a touch off-line, barely beating the tag to win the game.

Games like today make it feel like the Cubs can't lose, and that they're destined for the World Series.

The favorites to win the pennant by many pundits and magazines, the Cubs keep improving their team, and will get better in the recent weeks. Soriano will come back to bolster the Cubs offense, adding power and speed. That gives them an advantage over any other team looking to add a bat to their lineup; nobody on the trade market is as good offensively as Soriano.

Scott Erye is also expected to return soon after the All-Star break to add to the bullpen.

When Soriano comes back, the question will be where he should bat. He has led off for much of the year, but I think he hits too many home runs and strikes out too much to lead off. I really love Theriot in the leadoff spot; after today’s 3-for-4, two-walk performance, he is hitting a team-leading .322, has an on-base percentage of .396, and leads the team in stolen bases with 15.

I think the every-day lineup should be:

1. Ryan Theriot
2. Alfonso Soriano
3. Derrek Lee
4. Aramis Ramirez
5. Geovany Soto
6. Kosuke Fukudome
7. Mark DeRosa
8. Jim Edmonds
9. Pitcher

Of course, with various pitching matchups, against right- and left-handed pitchers, for example, the lineup will vary.

As long as the Cubs keep a close eye on Rich Harden’s pitch count, which is expected, the Cubs are in the driver's seat, not only in the Central but in the National League.