That's 4 in a Row

Last night's game vs the Padres didn't have a good feel to me early on. However, the Cubs exploded with 6 runs in the 5th inning and 5 in the 6th.

This team has had dry spells, but when they are successful the runs come in bunches. You can see the team's relentless approach even when they aren't scoring runs. Guys are getting on base any which way (hey, look, the Cubs are taking walks!) and it seems in many games, especially at home, they are putting people on base. It isn't necessarily the station to station, HR or bust teams of the past.

The joy of seeing three runs scored on what should have been an infield ground out was tremendous. With DeRosa at the plate, two outs and Fukudome, Ramirez and Theriot on (going 1st to 3rd), DeRosa put the ball down the third base line. Kouzmanoff backhanded it and ran to third. The speedy Ramirez (this combined with the SB earns him some love) actually beat him to the bag, allowing Theriot to score from third. Kouzmanoff then let a ball sail high to an empty first base, allowing Ramirez to go home. As the nearby Padres stared at the ball on the ground by the tarp, Fukudome cruised home as well. Granted, Kouz may have never gotten DeRosa at first, but this was the type of bungling circus that reminds one of some of the old Cub teams.

The Padres managed to finish that up by letting DeRosa get to third on a wild pitch, then giving up a Johnson RBI single and finally a hit by Big Z just to rub it in before the misery was over.

The Cubs now have an MLB best 15 home victories and are tied with Florida (8-2 in their last 10) and Arizona for the best winning percentage in the Majors.