Game Thirty-Seven: Cubs (21-15) vs. Diamondbacks (23-14)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago

Carlos Zambrano (5-1, 1.80/1.11) vs. Randy Johnson (2-1, 5.06/1.42)

Updated - 12:47pm C.T. - With the Rain in the Chicago Area - Both Carlos Zambrano and Randy Johnson have been scratched from their starts. Sean Gallagher is scheduled to take Z's place and the Diamondbacks will go with Edgar Gonzalez.

Happy Mother's Day from everyone here at the CCO....

For those of you old enough to remember Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood from SNL, "Today's word boys and girls is 'big'". It is the 'Big Unit' versus 'Big Z' in a battle of a former ace and future Hall of Famer against a current ace in a big series finale. The Cubs and Diamondbacks have played two very close games, despite the final score on Saturday, and weather permitting, today's game should be more of the same.

Lou Piniella's crew has a chance at a sweep against a pitcher the Cubs' organization has never beaten. Carlos Zambrano has been looking forward to today's game since the match-up was announced and hopefully Z will match the performances of Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster.

Game Thirty-Six - Cubs 7 Diamondbacks 2
WP - Scott Eyre (1-0) LP - Chad Qualls (0-4, BS 3) Save - None

The top two scoring offenses in the National League played another close, low scoring game until the 7th inning. Max Scherzer held the Cubs offense to an unearned run on 5 hits through the first 6 innings of the game. Ryan Dempster matched him pitch for pitch until the top of the 6th when the Diamondbacks plated a pair of runs on a bases loaded walk by Justin Upton and a fielder's choice ground out with the bases loaded by Mark Reynolds.

Bob Melvin replaced Scherzer with Chad Qualls in the 7th inning. For the second day in a row Mark DeRosa started the Cubs rally with a base hit. After a sacrifice bunt by Reed Johnson put DeRosa in scoring position, Daryle Ward came through with his first pinch hit of the season (0-for-14). Ward's opposite field single scored DeRosa with the tying run. Alfonso Soriano doubled in pinch runner Jason Marquis with the eventual winning run....the second game in as many days Soriano drove in the winning run.

Ryan Theriot followed with a single to center, an obviously hindered Soriano scored on a close play at the plate. Derrek Lee was robbed of a single but advanced Theriot into scoring position. Aramis Ramirez drove in Theriot with a single to right center and Kosuke Fukudome hit his first home run since Opening Day to cap the scoring.

Alfonso Soriano scored two big runs with two close plays at the plate and finished the day 4-for-5 with the game winning RBI. The Cubs scored a season high 6 runs in the 7th inning and took over the lead in the National League with 205 runs scored.

Ryan Dempster pitched an excellent game but did not figure into the decision after allowing a pair of run in his last inning of work. Dempster tied a season-high with 7 strikeouts, walked 3 and gave up only the 2 runs on 3 hits. Scott Eyre picked up the win in his first appearance of the year. Bobby Howry was impressive in the 8th and Carlos Marmol recorded the 27th out to secure the win.

After struggling for the past two weeks, Lou Piniella's crew has won 3 of the last 4 games and their first series since sweeping the Mets back on April 22nd.

Game Thirty-Six: Cubs (20-15) vs. Diamondbacks (23-13)
Game Time - 2:40pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: FOX Saturday Game of the Week - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago

Ryan Dempster (4-1, 2.72/1.07) vs. Max Scherzer (0-1, 5.40/1.20)

After winning the first game of a series for the first time since April 23rd, Lou Piniella's crew will try to take the second game against an impressive rookie. The Cubs will get their first look at Max Scherzer who turned a lot of heads in his big league debut out of the pen but struggled in his first start in the Majors. Ryan Dempster will try to pickup his 5th win of the year after getting tagged with an unearned loss his last time out.

The Cubs played an impressive game on Friday against the best team in the National League....now it's time to put together back-to-back wins.

During the Cubs impressive win against the Diamondbacks on Friday, the announcement was made that Geovany Soto was named the National League Rookie of the Month for April. Soto earned the first monthly honor handed out to the league's top rookie performer....the new award is sponsored by Gillette.

Game Thirty-Five - Cubs 3 Diamondbacks 1
WP - Ted Lilly (3-4) LP - Dan Haren (4-2) Save - Kerry Wood (6)

Chris Young picked up where he left off last October against Ted Lilly, with a home run, but this time Lilly reacted entirely different. Instead of slamming his glove to the turf, he shut the door on the explosive Diamondbacks' offense. Ted Lilly tossed a gem, without a doubt his best outing of the year. After serving up Young's dinger with 2 outs in the 1st inning, Lilly did not allow another run over his last 6 1/3 innings, surrendered only 2 more hits and struck out a season-high 10 batters.

Not only did Lilly give his skipper a solid outing on the mound, he also ended the Cubs' scoreless drought with a 2-out RBI single in the 5th inning. Mark DeRosa started the rally with a big 2-out double ahead of an intentional walk to Reed Johnson and the RBI single by Ted Lilly. Alfonso Soriano followed with a double down the left field line that drove in Johnson with the eventual winning run. Derrek Lee gave the Cubs a much-needed insurance run with his 9th home run of the year in the bottom of the 8th.

Carlos Marmol gave up a lead off single to Augie Ojeda in the 8th but an interference call on Eric Byrnes following a swinging strikeout changed the inning. Marmol ended up facing the minimum and Kerry Wood retired the side in the 9th on 9 pitches, all strikes, for the save.

Lou Piniella said after the game, "Not only did he do it with his left arm, but with the bat also. Just a big hit. This was a good win for us, a good win to start the homestand."

Game Thirty-Five: Cubs (19-15) vs. Diamondbacks (23-12)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: WGN - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago

Ted Lilly (2-4, 5.97/1.41) vs. Dan Haren (4-1, 3.12/0.99)

Updated - 11:41am C.T. - Scott Eyre Activated - Sean Marshall Optioned to Triple-A

The Cubs start their longest homestand of the year today with the first of three against the best team in the National League. After posting a 17-10 record in April, the Cubs have won only twice in seven games to start the new month. The last time the Diamondbacks were in Chicago they completed a 3-game sweep of Lou Piniella's crew that unceremoniously ended the 2007 campaign. While the Cubs have appeared flat and out of sync for the last two weeks, if they are not fired up for this weekend's series....Lou has more problems on his hands than anyone realizes.

Piniella will send his top three pitchers to the mound this weekend and the Cubs' offense will face a test today in Dan Haren. This is a big series for the Cubs, after the way they played against the Diamondbacks last year, both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Dave Kaplan called this weekend 'gut check' time for the Cubs....and if Lou's crew wants to be the best, they first have to beat the best.

Two of Lou Piniella's regulars had a solid month to start the season and are among four players nominated for the National League Rookie of the Month Award for April. Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukudome turned a lot of heads and helped the Cubs to the best month in franchise history.

Gillette announced a partnership with Major League Baseball to award the top performing rookies from both the American and National League. The CCO received an email and were asked to past the link along so the Faithful can place their vote for either Kosuke or Geovany. This is an officially sanctioned MLB award and is decided on by the fans. Click here to go place your vote....www.mlb.com/Gillette

Also, the CCO was sent the latest videos from MLB Roundup and DoublePlayTV that includes info on the next hot commodity from Japan as well as their Rookie of the Year and other awards after the first month of the season....

Lou Piniella is not happy and according to a report in the Tribune....neither was the rest of the clubhouse after being shutout by the Reds on Wednesday afternoon. The Cubs' skipper mentioned, on several occasions, earlier in the week that changes are on the way, but what can and should be done with a team, that despite it's recent struggles, is still 4 games over .500.

Here is the latest news from the North Side, Micah Hoffpauir's return to Iowa, the addition of Hector Carrasco to the Triple-A staff and a few rumors from the mill....

Game Thirty-Four - Cubs 0 Reds 9
WP - Edinson Volquez (5-1) LP - Jon Lieber (2-2) Save - None

The Cubs 6-game road trip did not end the way Lou Piniella had envisioned. The Reds offense woke up, a day after being shutout, and a new Cub killer was born in the lopsided loss. Joey Votto led the Reds attack with 3 of their 7 home runs, each coming off a different pitcher. Four of Votto's 7 round trippers this season have come off of Cubs' pitching and of his 11 career home runs, 6 have come against the Cubs.

Jon Lieber left after giving up 4 of the Reds' 7 home runs in the 2nd inning. Lieber became the second pitcher in the history of the franchise to allow 4 home runs in a single inning.... the other, Phil Norton. Sean Marshall surrendered 2 more blasts in his 2 innings of relief and Sean Gallagher gave up Votto's last dinger in the 6th.

The Cubs offense was shutout for the second time this season, managing just 6 hits in 9 innings and only 4 against Edinson Volquez. Volquez dominated the Cubs and tied a season high with 10 strikeouts....to go along with 6 walks.

Lou Piniella's crew is struggling. Right now they are not pitching, hitting or catching the ball....a formula for losing 6 of the last 9.