The Chicago Cubs, based in Chicago, Ill., participate in Major League Baseball (MLB) and are a member of the National League Central Division. The Cubs were founded as the Chicago White Stockings in 1876.
CHICAGO — Ryan Dempster didn't want anyone to know he has a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. He didn't look as if anything was bothering him on Saturday. Dempster struck out five over seven shutout innings in the Cubs' 7-0 victory over the Dodgers in front of a season-high crowd of [...]
CHICAGO — Lou Piniella didn't take any credit for Reed Johnson's perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt on Saturday. It was just the right situation. "I'm not smart enough to design that, that I can tell you," Piniella said. "He did that on his own. He caught the third baseman back and laid down a perfect, [...]
CHICAGO — A year ago, Geovany Soto had nine home runs and 38 RBIs by the end of May. Entering Sunday's night game against the Dodgers, the Cubs catcher has one homer and 12 RBIs. Soto is hitting .215 for the season and has rebounded from a dismal .109 April. He's batting 21-for-75 (.280) this [...]
CHICAGO — Ted Lilly didn't face the Los Angeles Dodgers in last fall's National League Division Series. Maybe he should have. Lilly stymied the Dodgers and got some help from backup catcher Koyie Hill, who smacked a game-tying home run in the seventh inning, as the Cubs beat L.A., 2-1, on Friday to even the [...]
CHICAGO — The Cubs need the bottom of the order to pick the team up. With Aramis Ramirez out until the first week of July, somebody has to pick up the slack. Lou Piniella doesn't think all the pressure should be put on the middle of the order. "Last year, one of the reasons our [...]
CHICAGO — Lou Piniella had plenty of left-handed options on the bench in the Cubs' eighth inning Thursday, which is why it was a little surprising to see Koyie Hill go to the plate. But Piniella was bluffing with Hill. The Cubs trailed, 2-0, going into the eighth against the Los Angeles Dodgers and pinch-hitter [...]
CHICAGO — It felt like October in May. Randy Wolf struck out seven to help the Los Angeles Dodgers post a 2-1 win Thursday night over the Cubs. This was the first matchup between the two teams since the 2008 National League Division Series, which the Dodgers swept. "Obviously, a playoff situation is a little [...]
CHICAGO — Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano will have a week to cool off. Zambrano received a six-game suspension on Thursday for what was deemed "inappropriate and violent actions on the field and in the dugout" during the seventh inning of the Cubs' 5-2 win over the Pirates on Wednesday. Zambrano did not appeal, and he [...]
CHICAGO — Ted Lilly admitted he's a little disappointed Manny Ramirez won't be in the Dodgers' lineup Friday when the Cubs lefty faces L.A. in Game 2 of this four-game set. Ramirez is serving a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy, and won't be a factor in this series. "One thing — [...]
CHICAGO — Whether Carlos Zambrano's antics inspired the Cubs isn't clear. What is certain is that Reed Johnson backed up his talk with his bat, and Jake Fox and Andres Blanco came through in their first big league appearances this year. Johnson smacked a tie-breaking solo homer with one out in the eighth inning to [...]