Agony & Ivy

Diamondbacks 4, Cubs 3

Hero: Geovany Soto went 2-for-3 with two doubles. His second double, in the seventh inning off Arizona starter Daniel Hudson (2-4), drove in a pair to pull the Cubs within a run.

Cubs 5, Diamondbacks 3

Hero: Alfonso Soriano (2-for-4) wrapped up a terrific April with a solo home run in the second inning and an RBI single in the fourth. It was the 10th homer of the season for Soriano (.258 BA, 20 RBI), who shares the major league lead in home runs with Milwaukee's Ryan Braun.

Len and Bob on the Royal Wedding

It was one of those nights.

The Cubs trailed 7-0 in the first inning.Thank goodness for the Cubs broadcast crews, who helped ease the pain with their banter.

Booth Review

We're just five games into the new season, but Cubs TV broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly, now in their seventh season together, are already in midseason form.

Cubs Player Rankings

The improved play the Cubs demonstrated under interim manager Mike Quade during the season's final weeks (a 24-13 record) was encouraging but it doesn't change the fact that the 2010 season was an unmitigated disaster.

Central Miscasting

Wednesday's 4-0, no-hit loss by the Cincinnati Reds to Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, was the 10th in a row in postseason play by NL Central champions.

Aisle 233, Row 9, Seat 10

"Sucker," is not stamped on my forehead, but Tuesday night I attended the first of three games I have tickets for at Wrigley Field this week.

Soriano Continues to Set the Tone

The fact that the continued subpar play of Alfonso Soriano has been overlooked by many fans for much of this season is a testament to how bad the Cubs are.

Ole!

Bob Brenly did not pull any punches after Derrek Lee smashed a three-run double to the right of Aramis Ramirez and inside the third-base line in the eighth inning of Sunday's Cubs debacle at Wrigley Field. Lee's first hit as a member of the Braves gave Atlanta a 13-3 lead.

End of the Road for Uncle Lou

The Cubs announced that Lou Piniella will step down following Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves because of family reasons.

Around and Around We'll Go

The news that Lou Piniella will step down as Cubs manager following the season wasn't earth-shaking news.

A Herculean Relief Effort

It was great to see Scott Sanderson at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night as the guest conductor for "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

A Koufax Cubbie Occurrence

Thinking about this year's Cubs team too much makes our heads hurt. So we always enjoy when Len Kasper and Bob Brenly can take our minds off the present by sharing a story from the past.

White Sox 3, Cubs 2

Hero: Carlos Silva, who failed in his third attempt to win his ninth game, exited after six innings and 109 pitches. The right-hander allowed just two runs - both earned - on three hits.

Big Z's Krazy Kubs

The problem isn't Carlos Zambrano, it's Kubs Kulture.

There's No Mercy Rule in the Majors

As if losing a game 12-0 and getting outhit 15-2 isn't bad enough, the commentary of Len Kasper and Bob Brenly during the Angels' three-run ninth Saturday should have caused anyone wearing a Cubs uniform great shame.

Athletics 9, Cubs 5

Hero: Rookie right fielder Tyler Colvin committed two errors in the seventh inning, but hit his seventh home run of the season en route to a 2-for-4 performance at the plate. Colvin is hitting .304.

Brewers 5, Cubs 4 (10 innings)

Hero: A scalding Marlon Byrd went 3-for-4 to raise his average to .329. Byrd has 16 hits in his last 31 at-bats (.516).

Ryno Leads Race To Succeed Lou

I do not believe that Lou Piniella will be fired, but I'm quite certain that when the Cubs open the 2011 season, Uncle Lou will be sprawled out on a hammock in the backyard of his home in Tampa, Fla.

Lack Of Speed Kills Big Z Bullpen Experiment

Give Lou Piniella credit for thinking outside the box.

The experiment of using Carlos Zambrano as a setup reliever was scrapped after just four weeks, but the low-risk, high-reward gamble was worth a try.