Game Seventy-Seven - Cubs 2 Brewers 1 - 10 innings
WP - Kevin Gregg (3-2) LP - Mark DiFelice (4-1) Save - None

What a ballgame and the Cubs might have gotten a gift on the final call by homeplate umpire Bill Welke.

Ryan Theriot started the tenth with a one-out single off Craig Counsell's glove into right field. On a 1-2 pitch to Derrek Lee, Mark DiFelice uncorked a wild pitch that advanced Theriot to second. Lee flied out to right and his productive out advanced Theriot to third with two outs. Ken Macha then intentionally walked Milton Bradley that put runners on first and third with two outs.

Lou Piniella went to his bench for Geovany Soto. The Brewers decided not to hold Bradley on at first and Bradley took second on the first pitch of Soto's at bat. DiFelice then pitched around Soto before issuing an intentional walk to load the bases.

Jake Fox stepped to the plate with the game on the line. Fox was overly aggressive on DiFelice's first pitch and swung right over the top of the ball. Fox then changed his approach, settled down and looked at three straight out of the strike zone. After getting ahead in the count 3-1, Fox fouled off the next four pitches from DiFelice before looking at the ninth pitch of the at bat. Fox walked and Theriot jogged in from third ... Cubs Win!

The Cubs offense struggled all afternoon against Jeff Suppan. They managed only one run on four hits in seven innings. Carlos Zambrano drove in the Cubs' lone run against Suppan, a single to center in the fifth. The Cubs did not make him work. Suppan walked two batters and hit two others but threw only 90 pitches (48 for strikes) in seven innings. The Cubs finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

In his return to the top spot in Lou Piniella's lineup, Alfonso Soriano was a weak 0-for-5 and left three on base.

Carlos Zambrano pitched his way in and out of jams all afternoon. While Zambrano did not have his best stuff, he was effective and allowed one run in seven innings of work. The only run Zambrano surrendered was on a bases loaded walk to Corey Hart in the fourth. The Brewers, like the Cubs, were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

Aaron Heilman pitched a tremendous eighth inning. Heilman retired all three batters he faced on 16 pitches. Kevin Gregg picked up his third win of the year after his third two-inning outing of the season.

Gregg did an excellent job of pitching around Milton Bradley's mistake in the ninth. Jason Kendall hit a routine fly to right with two outs in the ninth. Bradley lost the ball in the sun and it appeared to hit off his head. Kendall hustled to second with the go ahead run. Gregg then hit Craig Counsell and put runners on first and second ahead of Ryan Braun.

Kevin Gregg jammed Braun on a 2-2 pitch and one of the best sluggers in the game popped out to Ryan Theriot to end the inning. Gregg sat the Brewers down in order in the tenth.

The Cubs improved to a game over .500 on the season with another dramatic walk-off win at Wrigley ... the Cubs sixth victory in a row at home.

Game Seventy-Seven: Cubs (38-38) vs. Brewers (42-37)
Game Time - 1:20pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago

Carlos Zambrano (4-3, 3.69/1.33) vs. Jeff Suppan (5-6, 4.86/1.66)

Will Soriano or Fuld hit leadoff for the Chicago Cubs this afternoon? Lou Piniella said Alfonso Soriano would be back in the leadoff spot before Thursday night's game but sounded less sure following another solid performance from Sam Fuld. The Cubs must have a healthy Alfonso Soriano in order to win on a regular basis in the second half. With Soriano not producing it might be better for him to hit lower in the order for a while and ride out the spark that Fuld has given the team.

This afternoon might be a good time to slide Fuld over to center and put Kosuke Fukudome in right. Milton Bradley is not hitting from the left side and is just 1-for-10 lifetime against Jeff Suppan. Right now it is all about winning ballgames ... entering play today there are five teams in the central within three games of first place.

Phil Rogers sparked a lot of controversy following Carlos Zambrano's last start against the White Sox. When Big Z heard about the online poll, his response was "fine, trade me to Boston". For the Cubs to turn their season around the good Carlos Zambrano must continue to take the mound ... and not the bad Carlos that was on full display on the South Side last Sunday.

The Cubs offense must keep it up this afternoon against Jeff Suppan ... but it all starts with Carlos Zambrano and one win at a time.

According to a report from the Tribune, Neal Cotts had season-ending Tommy John Surgery on Thursday. Dr. Timothy Kremcheck performed the operation in Cincinnati.

Game Seventy-Six - Cubs 9 Brewers 5
WP - Ryan Dempster (5-5) LP - Seth McClung (3-2) Save - None

The Cubs won their fifth game in a row at Wrigley Field behind not one, not two but four home runs. All nine of the Cubs runs came via the longball with Derrek Lee driving in seven of the Cubs' nine tallies ... a new career high. Lee hit a three-run shot in the first and added his second grand slam of the year in the fourth. Seven of Derrek Lee's fourteen home runs this season has come in the last 15 games.

Ryan Dempster picked up his first win since May 30 with another quality start. Dempster allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. Dempster's command was much better throughout the night and he walked only two batters. Dempster tied a season-high set on May 9 in Milwaukee with nine strikeouts.

Sam Fuld subbed for Alfonso Soriano once again and set the tone for the night with a nine-pitch at bat in the first inning that led to a walk. Fuld hit his second double in as many nights and reached base in three of his five trips to the plate (2-for-4 with a double and a walk) ... Fuld was on board for both of Derrek Lee's home runs.

Jake Fox hit his first home run at Wrigley, third of the season, with two outs in the first inning. Fox played another solid game defensively and added a walk in his four at bats. Geovany Soto led off the Cubs' five-run fourth inning with a solo shot down the line in left. Soto's eighth of the year gave the Cubs a 5-2 lead at the time. After showing little to no power in the first two months of the season, Soto has hit five home runs in his last 14 games.

Sean Marshall picked up the biggest out of the night in the seventh inning. After an error by Mike Fontenot allowed the Brewers to cut the Cubs lead to 9-4, Marshall struck out Prince Fielder with two on to end the inning. Aaron Heilman struggled with his command again and gave up a run on two hits in the eighth.

The nine runs on Thursday night were the most scored by the Cubs in a single game since an 11-run output on April 28 in Arizona.

The Cubs beat the Brewers at their own game on Thursday night and reached the .500 mark on the season once again ...

Game Seventy-Six: Cubs (37-38) vs. Brewers (42-36)
Game Time - 7:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet/MLB Network - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 183
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago

Ryan Dempster (4-5, 4.09/1.36) vs. Seth McClung (3-1, 3.55/1.47)

Updated 4:20pm C.T. - Cubs Acquired Jeff Baker from the Rockies on Thursday and designated Ryan Freel for Assignment

Seventy-six games into the 2009 season and the Brewers will play their first games of the year this weekend at Wrigley Field. The Cubs split the first six games of the season against the Brewers in Milwaukee with the last series taking place from May 8 - May 10 ... the weekend the Cubs lost Aramis Ramirez for two months.

The Cubs enter play tonight 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers, fourth place in the central ... 2 1/2 behind the Cardinals and just a half game behind the Reds.

The Cubs are a much different team at Wrigley (21-13, 16-25 on the road) and will play their final 11 games of the first half at home. Following the Brewers four-game set, the Braves are in for three and after a day off, the Cardinals invade Wrigley for four games in three days. Despite an underachieving first half, the Cubs are in the thick of the race but the next 11 games will have an impact on the remainder of the season.

Reports before and during Wednesday's game indicated Alfonso Soriano could be out of the starting lineup once again tonight. The Cubs need a healthy Alfonso Soriano in order to have a better second half of the season. Soriano is far from healthy right now and not producing at the plate. Lou Piniella must stick to his guns and give him the time he needs to get back on track.

The Brewers will be looking to return the favor from last July ... and for the Cubs, it all starts with Ryan Dempster.

According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the Cubs have acquired Jeff Baker from the Colorado Rockies.

Updated - 11:14am C.T. - Bruce Levine confirms the deal with the Cubs sending Class-A pitcher Alberto Alburquerque to the Rockies for Jeff Baker. Baker is expected to be in uniform for the Cubs on Thursday night. Another roster move will have to be made before game time.

Updated - 12:20pm C.T. - Ryan Freel Designated for Assignment

According to an official release from the team, the Cubs DFA'd Ryan Freel on Thursday in order to make room for Jeff Baker on the active roster. The Cubs have ten days to trade Freel or outright release him.

Game Seventy-Five - Cubs 4 Pirates 1
WP - Randy Wells (3-3) LP - Virgil Vasquez (1-1) Save - Kevin Gregg (14)

The Cubs rebounded from a horrible game on Tuesday night behind another tremendous effort by Randy Wells ... and a refreshing performance by Sam Fuld. Lou Piniella's crew picked up their first series win on the road since taking two of three from the Reds at the beginning of June (June 5 - June 7).

The real Lou Piniella finally showed up in the sixth inning. Piniella was ejected for the first time this season for arguing a close play at first base. With runners on first and second with two outs, Randy Wells hit a bouncer back to Virgil Vasquez. The Pirates' pitcher bobbled the ball then threw a strike to Adam LaRoche at first. Wells appeared to beat the throw but was called out by first base umpire Chad Fairchild.

Lou Piniella ran out from the dugout, got into the umpires face, took off his cap and held it momentarily before slamming it to the ground. Fairchild ejected Piniella immediately and the Cubs' manager continued to argue his case. The fire that had been missing from Piniella was on display for the first time since July of last season.

Sam Fuld started the game in left for Alfonso Soriano and made an impact on the game's first pitch. Fuld ripped a double to right, his first big league hit, to start the game and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Theriot. Derrek Lee followed with his 12th home run of the year ro right center and gave Randy Wells all the runs he would need.

Not only did Sam Fuld reach base in three of his five trips to the plate (2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a walk), he kept the tying run from scoring in the fifth inning. Up by a score of 2-1 and Pirates on first and second with two outs, Freddy Sanchez lined a single to left. Sam Fuld put himself into perfect position and threw a one-hop strike to Geovany Soto to cut down Jack Wilson at the plate, his second career outfield assist.

Fuld many several fine catches in left and took routes to balls that kept the Pirates from taking extra bases on singles to left center ... and to complete the night, Fuld caught the game's last three outs.

Randy Wells put together another quality start (eighth in ten games) and won his third game in a row. Wells completed seven strong innings for the fifth time in 10 starts and surrendered only one run on six hits in seven innings ... with a walk and four strikeouts on 97 pitches, 66 for strikes. Wells continued to keep the ball down and 12 of the 16 outs on balls put in play were on the ground.

Kosuke Fukudome turned in a 2-for-4 performance that included a double and his first home run since May 26. Fukudome's solo shot that just cleared the wall in the sixth gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead.

The Cubs defense made several highlight reel plays on Wednesday night behind Randy Wells. Andres Blanco continued to prove his worth in the field and Kosuke Fukudome added a fine diving catch in center ... and while it might not be textbook plays, Jake Fox continued to be more than serviceable at third base.

The Cubs finished their 10-game, four city road trip with a disappointing 3-7 record but have shown signs they could be more than just a .500 team ...

Game Seventy-Five: Cubs (36-38) vs. Pirates (36-41)
Game Time - 6:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 184
Location - PNC Park, Pittsburgh

Randy Wells (2-3, 2.57/1.09) vs. Virgil Vasquez (1-0, 3.00/1.00)

June is over and hopefully the Cubs will be able to turn on the offense with the flip of the calendar. Lou Piniella's crew enters play tonight in fourth place in the central, 4 1/2 back of the Brewers, and just a game and a half ahead of the last place Pirates. The Cubs need a win in the worst way but more importantly they need to start playing more consistently and quit trying to win 10 games in one night.

The Cubs difficult 10-game road trip that began with the makeup in Atlanta on June 22 concludes tonight ... the Cubs have won only twice in the first nine games.

After tonight the Cubs fly home for a huge four-game series against the Brewers ... and they must not overlook the Battling Bucs. The Cubs have won three of the first five contests against the Pirates this season and while many think the Pirates are mailing in the 2009 season, someone forgot to tell them that on Tuesday night.

The Cubs will start to get a little healthier over the next few days. Aramis Ramirez, Reed Johnson and Angel Guzman are expected back ... and if the Cubs can pull off a few wins in the meantime their return might not be for not.

While the offense must do their job against Virgil Vasquez ... it all starts with Randy Wells and one win at a time.

According to a report from the Tribune, Aramis Ramirez is expected to back in the Cubs lineup on Monday against the Atlanta Braves. Ramirez has been out since May 8 (placed on 15-day DL on May 9)and the Cubs are 20-24 with him on the DL.

Game Seventy-Four - Cubs 0 Pirates 3
WP - Ross Ohlendorf (7-6) LP - Ted Lilly (7-6) Save - Matt Capps (18)

An extremely bad month for the Chicago Cubs came to a fitting end on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. The Cubs were shutout for the eighth time this season and the third time on the current 10-game road trip (second time in two games) that concludes Wednesday with the finale against the Bucs. A day after putting together a solid win against Zach Duke, the Cubs reverted to the bad habits that led to an 11-14 record in June.

Ted Lilly didn't pitch that badly and for the third time was on the wrong end of a shutout. Half of Lilly's six losses this season have come in games when the Cubs did not score a single run. Lilly put together a quality start but his wild pitch and error led to the Pirates first run.

Lilly gave up three runs, two earned, on eight hits in seven innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. Freddy Sanchez continued killing Cubs' pitching this season. Sanchez recorded three of the Pirates eight hits off Lilly, drove in two and scored the other. The final score could have read: Cubs 0 - Freddy Sanchez 3

Lou Piniella's crew made Ross Ohlendorf look very good in his first career start against the Cubs. The offense managed only four hits and Ohlendorf struck out eight ... a new season high. The Cubs did not make him work. He threw 93 pitches in seven innings and did not walk a single batter.

The Cubs had a chance in the eighth to make a game of it. After a single by Ryan Theriot and an infield single by Milton Bradley, with a little help from an error by Jack Wilson, the Cubs had runners on second and third with no outs ... with the top of the lineup due up.

John Grabow struck out Alfonso Soriano swinging on four pitches. Kosuke Fukudome struck out looking on three pitches and Derrek Lee grounded out to second to end the inning. The Pirates were conceding the run and the Cubs could not put the bat on the ball.

As with a .500 team as soon as it appears they are taking a step forward, the show up in Pittsburgh and lay an egg.

Game Seventy-Four: Cubs (36-37) vs. Pirates (35-41)
Game Time - 6:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 184
Location - PNC Park, Pittsburgh

Ted Lilly (7-5, 3.41/1.11) vs. Ross Ohlendorf (6-6, 4.75/1.29)

Updated - 4:00pm C.T. - Jeff Samardzija Recalled - Jose Ascanio Optioned

Can the Cubs make it two in a row on the road? In order to do so they will need a bounce-back performance from Ted Lilly ... as well as production from Kosuke Fukudome and Sam Fuld.

Milton Bradley is expected to get the next two days off against Ross Ohlendorf and Virgil Vasquez (both right-handers). Piniella wants Bradley to work with Von Joshua on his left-handed hitting. Kosuke Fukudome will play right and Sam Fuld is expected to start in center.

It might be a good time to get Alfonso Soriano a breathier as well. Soriano is still struggling and Micah Hoffpauir needs the playing time. With the speedy Fuld in center, he would help cover some ground and Ohlendorf struggles against lefties.

A quick show reminder...The CCO Radio will air live tonight at 7:00pm C.T. during the Cubs-Pirates game on Blog Talk Radio. To listen to the 60-minute call-in show live, click on this link and go to Blog Talk Radio. The podcast of the show will be available around 9:00pm C.T. and can be accessed through the player on the right side of the CCO or through Blog Talk Radio.

A variety of topics will be covered and the call-in number to discuss the Cubs with the CCO live is 347-237-4020.

From the history books ... Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the first Cubs-Pirates game at Forbes Field.

While the offense must build on Monday night's performance, all it takes is one win at a time ... and tonight it starts with Ted Lilly.

According to a report from the Sun-Times, the Cubs have recalled Jeff Samardzija from Triple-A Iowa and optioned Jose Ascanio back to Triple-A in order to make room on the active roster.