Red with Embarrassment
Cubs Lose Shamefully as Reds Explode for 7 HRs

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Can we please talk about something other than the Cubs? How about the weather? Pretty nice lately, huh? And what's the deal with Tom Cruise? Is he box-office poison or what? Ok, ok... the Cubs. They lost 14-3. They gave up seven home runs. The Reds scored eight runs in the seventh inning — ALL WITH TWO OUTS. The Cubs are now 12 games under .500 and 11.5 games out of first place. Any good news? Well, Tyler Colvin hit two homers, which accounted for all of the Cubs runs. So... thanks, Tyler.

ESPN Chicago: Stubbs hits 3 of Reds' 7 homers in rout of Cubs [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Cubs blown away by Reds
Daily Herald: Stubbs' 3 HRs lead Cincinnati to another rout of Cubs
CSN Chicago: Reds rock Lilly, Cubs in series finale
MLB: Lilly, Cubs burned by Reds' fireworks

Hey Now, You're an All-Star
Byrd Is the Word in the Midseason Classic
We liked the offseason pickup of Marlon Byrd, sure, but we never dreamed he'd make the All-Star team. Well, that's exactly what happened, as he was one of three outfielders voted onto the team by his fellow players. Byrd has cooled off some after a soaring to lofty heights earlier this year, but he's still batting a robust .309 and flashing some solid leather in center. Plus, he's cheap — his salary is a reasonable $3 million. Good job, Marlon. You truly are the word.

MLB: Byrd earns first trip to All-Star Game [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Peers vote Byrd onto All-Star team

Clash of the Midgets
Cubs vs. Arizona Not Exactly Ali vs. Frazier
Hard to believe it was three years ago that Arizona swept the Cubs in the playoffs. (As long as we're bringing you down, there is no Santa Claus, and we all die alone.) Now, the Cubs head to Arizona to face a team led by new manager Kirk Gibson (yes, that Kirk Gibson). The Cubs are 12 games under .500, while Arizona is 18 games under. But here's something: the Diamondbacks have whiffed 761 times and might break the MLB record of strikeouts in a season. So that's promising.

CBS Sports: Diamondbacks vs. Cubs

Parallel Lines
How This Season Is Like 2006
There are several parallels between this year's Cubs team and the woeful 2006 squad that finished a painful 66-96. Both teams reached .500 early on, then dropped off a cliff. Both teams were led by experienced managers who took the team to the playoffs but were unable to get there again. That was the last year of Dusty Baker, who's now leading the first-place Cincinnati Reds. Is this the last year for Piniella? Seems likely. But there is some good news: the North Siders made the playoffs in 2007. Wait 'til next year! Sigh.

Talking Chicago Baseball: What's there to say about the Cubs?

I Scream, You Scream
What to Order When the Good Humor Man Visits
Hey, it's summer. And the Cubs are killing us. So instead, let's talk about ice cream. (Or would you rather talk about why Derrek Lee can't hit anymore? Exactly.) Deadspin gives a great primer on the 10 things you should request from the Good Humor Man, and number one is the Chipwich. Why? Because cookies + ice cream = awesome. Mmmm, Ice cream. It's tasty.

Deadspin: A comprehensive ranking of the products inside a Good Humor truck

Aramis Ramirez sat for the second consecutive day after re-aggravating his right thumb during Friday's game... The Cubs are on-track to lose 93 games this season... ESPN's Jayson Stark looks at the All-Star Game rosters and tells us who got snubbed.

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