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We're sorry, we must be seeing things. We could have sworn we saw Aramis Ramirez — he of the sub-Mendoza Line batting average — hit two homers in last night's 6-4 win. That gave the one-time stud four RBIs, while Kosuke Fukudome went yard for the second consecutive game. Meanwhile, Carlos Silva gave up a solid two runs over six innings, and almost hit a homer himself. Carlos Marmol earned the save and notched five strikeouts, giving him 77 K's in 40.2 innings. Wow.
ESPN Chicago: Ramirez, Silva help Cubs win first road series since May [+ video]
Chicago Sun-Times: Ramirez's 2 HRs give Cubs rare series win
Daily Herald: Ramirez hits 2 HRs as Cubs' offense stays hot
MLB: Aramis' two homers lift Cubs in desert [+ video]
Stayin' Alive
Piniella: 'I'm Not a Quitter'
The Cubs have been so brutal at times this season, we've wondered if 66-year-old Lou Piniella had the stomach to make it through the rest of the year. Rest assured, he said yesterday, he'll stay until the bitter end. Piniella also said this is going to be his last managing job, despite speculation that he didn't want to go out with a loser. ''Sooner or later, it's going to be your last year, regardless. When it's time, it's time," he said. Looks like Phil Jackson isn't the only Zenmaster.
Chicago Sun-Times: Some pleasure, some pain
Chicago Tribune: Piniella philosophically awaits fate
You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello
Cubs to Trade Lilly... Then Re-Sign Him?
Word on the street — and by "street," we mean "Peter Gammons' Twitter feed" — is that the Cubs want to trade Ted Lilly. That's not news. But it is news that the Cubs apparently want to deal Lilly, only to re-sign him as a free agent. Another Cubs Blog calls this "dumb," saying the Cubs would lose a second-round pick through the free-agent process "all to re-sign a guy who's likely to decline." Our two cents: Let's get through the trading deadline before we worry about the offseason.
Another Cubs Blog: Cubs shopping Lilly and Lee, still finding ways to be dumb
The Blame Game
Schedule Isn't Reason for Cubs' Woes, Blog Says
Recently, Reds' slugger Scott Rolen said he thought the Cubs' varying schedule might be the reason the team can't win it all. If that were true, the team would undoubtedly collapse in September. So Bleed Cubbie Blue looked at team results in September since 1969 and found there's no correlation between the schedule and their September record. "In short, the conclusion that playing all (or mostly) day games in Wrigley Field with lesser player facilities causes the collapses is, I believe, false," the blog says. Maybe it's simply too much Old Style.
Bleed Cubbie Blue: Cubs collapses: what's the reason?
Cubs Not Joshin' About Vitters
Tennessee Farm Team Moves up 3rd Baseman in Lineup
We noted recently the Cubs are all in on 2007 first-round pick Josh Vitters as the future of third base. They seem to be forcing the issue at Double-A Tennessee, where Vitters was moved to third in the lineup. "Let's see what he can do," said manager Bill Dancy. Vitters has been hit-or-miss since the Cubs tabbed him with the third overall pick, and he's not exactly setting the world on fire: He's batting .227 with four HRs, 17 RBIs, and 27 strikeouts. Cross your fingers.
Daily Herald: Vitters tops minor-league report
Carlos Silva was taken out of the game after only 74 pitches as a precaution against soreness in his right calf... The Cubs announced a number of games will have new starting times, including the July 18 contest vs. the Phillies that has been moved to 7:05pm to accommodate ESPN... It's always fun to see the Cardinals lose in spectacular fashion.
"I still kinda like this year's Cubs team because... they're not the White Sox."
-Paul Miller
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