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The Unquiet Riot
Theriot Actually Propels Ball over Fence in 5-2 Win
Mark J. Rebilas/US PRESSWIRE
There's a lot of news from last night's victory over the Astros. Carlos Silva finally looked decent again and let in only one run (albeit in only five innings). Geovany Soto drove in two runs. But to us, the biggest story is Ryan Theriot hitting a home run. The wee lad hasn't homered since June 29, 2009, and yet there went the ball, leaving the yard. With the win, the Cubs are 7-4 since the All-Star break. That's respectable, but we're thinking it's still time to make some trades.
ESPN Chicago: Soto drives in 2 before leaving with injured foot [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: Silva prevails with help from his defense
Daily Herald: Look who's back! Silva gets 10th win...
MLB: Theriot ends homer drought, backs Silva [+ video]
All Apologies (Kind Of)
Zambrano Says He's Sorry for Outburst... But Not to Cubs
So yes, Carlos Zambrano apologized for freaking out in the dugout a few weeks back. But there's a catch: he didn't actually apologize to his teammates, as he said he would do. Instead, he gave his muted apology to ESPN's Pedro Gomez. He also stuck to that ridiculous story that he was trying to fire up his teammates, and said he already apologized to Derrek Lee. Meh. Aren't you just done with this? We're not mad, we're just finished. But if he comes back and wins, maybe we'll look back on this and laugh. Maybe.
Chicago Tribune: Zambrano apologizes — but not to teammates
Chicago Sun-Times: Zambrano's apology stunt careless, selfish
ESPN Chicago: Carlos Zambrano apologizes for tirade [+ video]
Ta-Ta, Ted?
Interest in Lilly Blooms After Haren Trade
With the Angels picking up the Diamondbacks' Dan Haren, that leaves Ted Lilly as arguably the top tradeable pitcher out there. And even though the Cubs won last night, we hope any delusions of the playoffs — and thus the feeling that the Cubs should keep Lilly — aren't still lingering. As the Sun-Times notes, possible destinations include the Dodgers, Tigers (a thought echoed by ESPN's Jayson Stark), and Mets. We've always liked Lilly's moxie and flexibility, but if we can get some good prospects for him, we'll personally drive him to the airport.
Chicago Sun-Times: Haren trade to Angels heightens Lilly's value
Ted Lilly Fan Club: With Haren traded to Angels, Ted Lilly becomes belle...
Have a Seat
Why Is Wrigley Emptier This Year?
It's an undeniable fact: there are more empty seats at Wrigley Field these days. Tales from Aisle 424 points out that attendance is down and guesses Saturday's game was 40 percent Cardinals fans. Why? Cynics say because the team is a loser. Point taken. But a losing record never stopped Cubs fans before. Our theory: the close calls of 2003 (and 2007 and 2008) raised the stakes. And after seeing the Red Sox and White Sox (grrrrr) win it, fans are thinking, "We're tired of waiting." What's your theory?
Tales from Aisle 424: State of Cubs ticket demand: not good
The Air up There
Thoughts on the Cubs from the Upper Deck
Look, we can analyze the Cubs' Sunday night loss to the Cardinals until the proverbial cows come home. But what was it like to actually watch the game from Wrigley Field's upper deck? The Beachwood Reporter gives us all sorts of nice flavor, including the fact that the hi-def TVs in the rafters show ads instead of replays (most of the time). Then there are the inevitable issues that arise when a new beer vendor comes along — i.e., bad pours, too much foam. Good stuff.
The Beachwood Reporter: SportsMonday: Upper deck reserved
Aramis Ramirez was named the NL Player of the Week for July 19-25... Geovany Soto left the game in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his left foot. He's day-to-day... 2007 first-round pick Josh Vitters was hit by a pitch on Sunday, resulting in a broken finger. He's likely out for the rest of the year.
"The next Cub to make the Hall of Fame should be Ron Santo. He's got the numbers, plus he's Ronny! Come on, voters!"
-Mike Blankenship
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