Giants 3, Cubs 0
Heroes: Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro each had two singles in three at-bats. It was Barney's 16th multi-hit game of the season and Castro's 15th.

Cardinals 6, Cubs 4
Hero: Darwin Barney went 3-for-4 (all singles), was hit by a pitch, and scored twice.

Cubs Marketing Department Playing with Fire
Maybe, it's the way the Bud Light Bleachers have been marketed over the last three decades.

Diamondbacks 11, Cubs 2
Hero: Koyie Hill ... Yes! Koyie Hill led off the third with a long solo home run to right, making it an 8-1 game. It was the seventh homer of Hill's eight-year big league career.

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.

Cubs 7, Cardinals 3
Hero: Casey Coleman (3-2) allowed three runs - two earned - on five hits over seven innings while striking out four and walking two. Coleman, who did not allow a hit after the third, retired the last nine and 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.

Cubs 2, Giants 0
Hero: Randy Wells (8-13) allowed six hits over 7 2/3 shutout innings while striking out six and walking one to lead the Cubs to their 11th shutout victory of the season.

Pirates 14, Cubs 7
Hero: Koyie Hill went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and a double. It was the 31-year-old switch-hitting catcher's sixth career home run and first since May 29, 2009.

Braves 16, Cubs 5
Hero: Aramis Ramirez, continuing his tear when the games no longer matter, went 3-for-4 and hit a two-run homer in the third that gave the Cubs a short-lived 3-2 lead. After hitting just .207 prior to the All-Star break, Ramirez is hitting .317 in the second half with nine homers and 31 RBI.

Braves 5, Cubs 3
Hero: Ryan Dempster turned in perhaps his best performance of the season in an unsuccessful attempt to win his fourth straight start. Dempster allowed two runs - both earned - on four hits over eight innings while walking two and striking out seven.

Padres 5, Cubs 3
Heroes: Back-to-back two-out RBI doubles by Marlon Byrd and Aramis Ramirez gave the Cubs a brief 2-1 lead.

Padres 1, Cubs 0
Hero: Randy Wells (5-11) allowed just one run in the first inning and turned in seven innings of three-hit ball. The right-hander struck out six and walked three.

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.

Cubs 3, Cardinals 2
Hero: Carlos Marmol, who had electric stuff, retired five batters and pitched out of a jam in the ninth inning to record his 20th save of the season and first since July 26.

Giants 8, Cubs 7
Hero: Starlin Castro, now hitting .320, went 4-for-5 and scored a pair of runs. The rookie shortstop is hitting .407 since the All-Star break.

Giants 4, Cubs 3 (11 innings)
Hero: Sean Marshall allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out a pair in two shutout innings of relief.

Reds 4, Cubs 3
Hero: Randy Wells (5-10) was working on a three-hitter when he allowed a leadoff homer to Cincinnati's Drew Stubbs in the eighth inning. Stubbs had just two hits in his previous 39 at-bats. Wells allowed three runs - all earned - on five hits in seven-plus innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.

Astros 8, Cubs 1
Hero: Ryan Theriot went 3-for-4 to account for half of the Cubs' hits and scored their only run.

Cubs 5, Astros 2
Hero: Carlos Silva (10-4) rebounded after back-to-back horrible outings to reach double figures in wins for the first time since 2007 when he earned 13 victories for the Minnesota Twins. Silva allowed one (earned) run on five hits in five innings while walking one and striking out four.
