Agony & Ivy

A Contrarian View of the NL Central

I remember fondly throughout my childhood the February day in which my father would bring home a stack of baseball preview magazines.

I would devour those things and have continued the practice into adulthood. All of that reading material has helped me get through those final few weeks without baseball, but I learned long ago that such publications should not be believed as gospel.

Cubs 9, Cardinals 7

Hero: Derrek Lee hit two solo home runs to straightaway center before being removed because of back spasms. He's walloped four of his 16 home runs on the season in the last three games.

SportsMonday: Upper Deck Reserved

"I drink better beer when I go to bars these days, but at the game Old Style or Bud will do," Jim Coffman writes in Upper Deck Reserved, cross-posted here.

Cubs 6, Cardinals 5

Hero: Starlin Castro went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and a double to raise his average to .308. The 20-year-old rookie shortstop has hit safely in 21 of his last 24 games and is 34-for-94 (.362) over that span.

Cubs 6, Diamondbacks 4

Hero: Where have you been, Aramis Ramirez? The Cubs third baseman, who raised his average to .184, hit a pair of two-run homers to drive in a single-game season-high four runs. It was Ramirez's first two-home run game since Aug. 23, 2008, the 16th of his career, and his 12th as a Cub.

Cubs 5, Cardinals 0

Hero: Carlos Silva (7-0) continued his amazing run with seven shutout innings. Silva - who exited after 100 pitches - allowed just two hits, struck out 11, and walked none.