Agony & Ivy

Reds 5, Cubs 4

Heroes: Sean Marshall (0.64 ERA) and Kerry Wood (1.50) combined for 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief. They allowed one hit, struck out two, and walked none.

Cubs relievers have not allowed a run in their last 17 2/3 innings over nine games.

April 26, 2011: Aisle 313, Row 1, Seat 101

In my visits to Wrigley Field in recent years, I have enjoyed a wide variety of vantage points.

I had the pleasure of watching the great Greg Maddux pitch from a second-row club box seat. I've also sat in the field boxes, terrace boxes, terrace reserved seats, and upper deck boxes - behind home plate and down both lines. I've even watched a couple games from rooftops across the street. But I had not sat in the bleachers since 2004 - two years before the seating area was renovated and named the "Bud Light Bleachers."

Cubs 5, Dodgers 1

Hero: Carlos Zambrano (4-1) won his 10th straight road start with eight terrific innings as the Cubs (14-16), sporting classy 1944 replica uniforms, took two of three in the series and four of seven on the road trip. Zambrano, whose first pitch was delivered with an old-fashioned windmill windup, allowed one (earned) run on five hits while striking out four and walking one.

"He was Big Z today, he wasn't Carlos," Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd said. "I saw 92, 94 (MPH) on the board today. He's a power pitcher, and that's what he has to do to win."

Did you catch Big Z dancing in the dugout as a recording of the Glenn Miller Orchestra's "In the Mood" blared over the Dodger Stadium public address system? It's welcome to see him enjoying the game again.

"He did what he did easily, to me, without a lot of pomp and circumstance," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "He just went after hitters. When he's got some soft game to go with his moving fastball and can locate, he's really tough. He went right after guys and attacked them."

Zambrano's last road loss came last June 25 at Comiskey Park - his infamous meltdown game.

Cool Threads

The Los Angeles Dodgers are sporting replicas of the powder blue satin 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers alternate uniforms for all of their weekday afternoon home games this season.

Cubs 4, Dodgers 1

Hero: Finally, the Demp we know and love. Ryan Dempster, who turned 34 on Tuesday, walked the first two batters he faced on eight straight balls, but bounced back to work seven solid innings. Dempster- who lowered his ERA to 8.05 while not figuring in the decision- allowed one (earned) run on six hits while walking two and striking out five.

"To say this was the best outing of Ryan Dempster's season would be probably the understatement of the year," Len Kasper said during the WGN telecast."He was really good."

Not So-Sorry Soriano

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Alfonso Soriano is the third Cub in the last 41 years to hit 11 or more home runs in the team's first 28 games.

SI Cover Features Castro

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro graces the cover of the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.

A Man Who Needs No Introduction

"Just a quick little glimpse into what good of a person Vin Scully is," Len Kasper said during Tuesday night's Cubs-Los Angeles Dodgers telecast on WGN.

Dodgers 5, Cubs 2

Hero: Alfonso Soriano took over the major league lead in home runs when he belted his 11th of the season leading off the seventh.

Mr. April

Gordon Wittenmyer, in Monday's Chicago Sun-Times, pointed out that Cubs right fielder Kosuke Fukudome hit .383 (23-for-60) and is a .345 (101-for-293) hitter in his four seasons with the Cubs. But entering Monday's game, Fukudome was hitting just .244 (275-for-1,129) after April.