Mike Fontenot, Cubs Thrown a Reality Check

It took just 92 pitches for the Cardinals' right-hander, Joel Pineiro to go the distance and shut out the Cubs—and it didn’t appear all that difficult either.

Pineiro tossed strikes to a lineup that has five starters batting .230 or below—Lee, Bradley, Fontenot, Soto, and Miles.

Yet despite the horrific batting averages, the Cubs have managed to win five of its last seven games. This means if and when this Chicago team actually begins to hit, they’ll put away the division.

That said, the Cubs offense is without an excuse for its poor hitting. It's mid-May, the weather is warm, and the starting pitching has been terrific. So what’s the hold up?

After the game, Lou Piniella called out Fontenot for his poor hitting as of late. I like that from a manager.

The best skippers know when to give a pat on the butt and when to give a kick in the butt.

Little Babe Ruth needs a kick in the pants! His average has plummeted 43 points since May 1. Ryan Freel must be licking his chops!

I kept hearing about Fukudome’s pride this offseason—mainly that Kosuke wouldn’t allow himself to be embarrassed at the plate like last season.

It seems his pride has taken over. Now working with a former hitting coach from Japan, Fukudome is the Cubs' best hitter.

He’s ranked third in the NL in OBP (.444), batting .385 on the road, and leading the team in walks (25). Not to mention, he’s doing all this with Lee batting behind him in the order.

Speaking of which, why not put Hoffpauir in the lineup Wednesday against right-hander Chris Carpenter? Maybe try Reed Johnson’s hand too?

Anything to get this club hitting.

• Cubs (21-16) are in second place.

• W: Pineiro (5-3) L: Lilly (5-3)
  

• Cubs are 11-5 in May.

• They’ve also scored three or fewer runs in 13 of their 16 losses.
  

• Ted Lilly is 3-1 all time at the new Busch Stadium.

• Soriano leads all NL leadoff hitters in home runs (12), runs scored (33), and RBI (25).