Chaos Theory
Cubs Fall Apart, Routed by Dusty's Reds 14-2

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

So we're at a bar last night, and we look up at the TV and the Cubs are losing to Dusty Baker's Reds 3-2 in the seventh. By the time we finish our beer, we look up and they're losing 14-2. We're still reeling, but here's what happened. Zambrano came in with the bases loaded in the seventh, nobody out. He let in five runs. Then someone named Justin Berg took the hill and served up a grand slam in the eighth (after walking two and hitting a batter). Oh, and Starlin Castro stopped turning water into wine and made an error. Overall, it was what we call a "bad night." Yeesh.

MLB: Cubs unable to back Gorzelanny in loss [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Plenty of blame for Cubs in 14-2 rout
Chicago Sun-Times: A simply plug-ugly loss
Daily Herald: Late-game implosion buries sinking Cubs

Thanks, But No Thanks
Ramirez Tells Jaramillo, 'I Got This One, Dude.'
The numbers are almost staggering: Aramis Ramirez — the same Aramis Ramirez who averaged 31 HRs and 105 RBIs over his first six years as a Cub — is batting .157 this year. That's the lowest average of any hitter in the majors with more than 100 at-bats. You'd think he'd solicit the help of Cubs hitting maven Rudy Jaramillo, but the Trib reports that A-Ram "has rebuffed Jaramillo's attempts to help." However, Chicago Breaking Sports says Jaramillo denies that, saying Ramirez "hasn't resisted in any way." Whatever the case, Ramirez went 1-4 last night.

Chicago Tribune: Despite slump, third baseman wants to correct his problems...
Chicago Breaking Sports: Jaramillo Denies Ramirez won't work with him

Don't Believe the Hype
Castro Can't Overthrow Years of Pressure, Expectations
Sometimes, the worst thing a player can do is burst onto the scene with a bang, because people will only be disappointed when he comes back down to earth. So it goes for Starlin Castro, says the Sun-Times' Rick Morrissey. Reminding us to be skeptical of the buildup, Morrissey writes, "There's probably someone in the organization who believes it would have been better if Castro had started his career 1-for-3 with a bloop single to left." Ok, maybe he won't get six RBIs every night, but we'll take his 1-4 with a run last night.

Chicago Sun-Times: There is no delete button for all the Starlin Castro hype

Sori, Wrong Number
So What if Soriano Crushes Bad Teams?
Not too long ago, we linked to a Sun-Times story that said Soriano only pads his stats against the crappiest of the crappy. Talking Chicago Baseball takes exception to this, saying, "My simple reaction — so what?" The writer's point: Teams need to beat whoever they're playing. So if Soriano helps them win, he helps them earn a W. "If he's the 'bad team specialist,' at least the Cubs are in the position to rack up some wins," the blog says. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Talking Chicago Baseball: Who cares if Soriano feasts on crappy teams?

Take Off, Eh
Canadians Bring Lovable Bewilderment to Friendly Confines
Admit it: Canada is kind of cute. There's something adorably benign about this perky country — you practically want to pinch its cheek. So when the Toronto Globe and Mail come to Wrigley Field to check it out, you know good things are going to happen. And so in an absolutely rapturous review of the ballpark, the newspaper gave us sentences like, "The experience is a window into the United States of America" and "May baseball be played within her friendly confines forever." Needless to say, the writer loved it. Like we said: Cute.

The Globe and Mail: The throwback

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