Carlos in Charge
Unsvelte, Undefeated Pitcher Stops Cubs' Slide

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Carlos trifecta rocked the house yesterday, as Silva threw 6 1/3 solid innings of two-run ball, Zambrano gave us a reasonably successful 2/3 of an inning, and Marmol picked up the four-out save in a 4-3 win over the Marlins. It wasn't a thing of beauty, as Marmol let in a run and made things a little too interesting. But Starlin Castro had two more hits (and no errors!) while batting in the second spot, and Marlon Byrd proved why he is the word. Even Lil' Fonty got into the act with a two-run double.

ESPN Chicago: Silva pitches into 7th, Fontenot drives in 2 in Cubs' win [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Silva comes up big in 4-3 victory
Daily Herald: Silva, Byrd help Cubs end 4-game losing streak
MLB: Silva stays unbeaten as Cubs sink Marlins [+ video]

Lord, Jim!
Cubs GM Thinks Team Might Turn It Around. Maybe.
Cubs GM Jim Hendry must be absolutely bewildered when he sees the anemic numbers his two big boppers Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are putting up this year. Lee is starting to come around, but Ramirez is still stuck way south of the Mendoza line. In a surprising downbeat interview, Hendry says the two seem stuck in a rut. "Aramis and Derrek are off to tough starts. You'd like to think they'll get back to their old selves," he says. "We're just in one of these funks where we can't get over the hump and get runs in." Hmm.

MLB: Hendry confident Cubs can turn it around

Lucky Numbers?
Stats Show Most of the Team Is Playing Well
We know the Cubs aren't winning. We know. But if a few players — coughcoughRamirezandLeecoughcough — turn it around, everyone else is more than pulling their weight, according to the Daily Herald. Cubs outfielders have an OPS of .969, which is tops in the majors, as is the trio's slugging percentage of .590. (For comparison, last year's outfield had an OPS of .759.) And in the Cubs wins, the pitchers have an ERA of 3.26. In their losses, however, pitchers have an ERA of 5.17. Here's the point: Maybe we're naive, but we think Lee and Ramirez will come around. And when they do, things could definitely get interesting.

Daily Herald: 'Lou's the right guy'

A Darker Shade of Pale
Sosa Apparently Looking More 'Natural' These Days
We weren't going to touch this one with a corked 10-foot pole, but it is Sammy Sosa, and it is in the Tribune, so we'd be remiss not to. Anyway, as you might remember, Sammy Sosa went to the Latin Grammys in November and looked... different. A little lighter. Hell, he looked like Jack Nicholson in "Batman." But now, apparently, his skin has returned to a more "natural" color. So notes the Trib, who says Sosa was at a Miami nightclub recently and "reportedly featured a darker complexion." Sammy, thanks for all the homers and good luck with whatever you've got going on now.

Chicago Breaking Sports: Sosa's skin color returning to a more natural tone

Surfer DeRosa
Beloved former Cub Says Wrist Is Totally Messed Up
Mark DeRosa, the utility man who's adored here like he's the love child of Michael Jordan and Mike Ditka, might actually be human after all. DeRosa played here for the 2007-8 seasons, then was traded from the Cubs to the Indians for three minor-league pitchers who still haven't sniffed the major leagues. Now with the Giants, DeRosa had wrist surgery for a "torn tendon sheath" in October, but apparently "the ligament is flopping all over the place again," DeRosa says. Maybe this means the dream has died and he'll never again wear Cubbie blue. We do wish him well, though.

San Jose Mercury News: Giants' Mark DeRosa calls wrist surgery 'a total failure'

File this under "things to be slightly worried about": Zambrano angrily walked off the mound after getting yanked with two outs yesterday, and didn't speak to reporters afterward.... Len and Bob will be doing their broadcast from the bleachers this Sunday. Probably won't be quite as fun as when Harry Caray used to do it, but it's good to know nonetheless.

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