Game 3 of Mil series and Game 1 of the Houstons

Things have been going relatively well on the Cubs front the last few games. Encouraging signs have been the starting pitching, which has kept us in every game since Opening Day in Atlanta. Big Z battled yesterday and threw 120+ pitches (which he should do more often, by the way - I hate 260 lb. pitchers being on pitch counts). Once again, our bullpen let us down in the 8th. Samardzija needs to throw strikes. Grabow needs to learn how to throw good strikes instead of leaving everything over the middle of the plate. But those are things that can be remedied - it's April, after all. I think they'll both figure it out and if they don't, I think Hendry will find someone who will. The Cubs have led in every game this year - I really think that all the experts have underestimated a Cubs team that won 97 games two years ago and were decimated by injuries last year. Marmol has been outstanding. If the Cubs can find an 8th inning shut-down guy, which we lost in Spring Training with the injury to Guzman, I think that the Cubs become a very difficult team in the NL. I don't buy the Cardinals - way too thin in the SP and I don't think that Franklin is going to be as lucky this year. The Brewers don't have any SP to speak of. The Cubs may be the deepest team in the NL in starting pitching. Look at it this way - Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Silva (the way he's been pitching), and Wells - those are 5 potential 15-game winners there, barring injury (knock on wood). Zambrano has been the only one who needs to step up and pitch like he's capable. I'll take my 5 against your 5 any day of the week in the NL.

The offense is also impressive. The Cubs have traditionally lived and died by the HR, but lately they've been playing small ball and capitalizing on power when necessary. Last year we didn't hit - this year Lee's been hot, Rami is hitting for power, and Byrd is looking very good in center (not to mention an all-around great guy, which solves the chemistry problem created by Hendry's asinine Bradley signing last year). It's only April, but this Cubs team is playing the way it needs to play - and if we can find some middle relief, than this is a very, very dangerous team in the NL.