Wells plays catch for first time since DL trip

CHICAGO -- Cubs pitchers Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner were to be examined Monday night by the team orthopedic specialist, but Wells took a positive step in his rehab and started playing catch.

Cashner and Wells are both on the disabled list and were scheduled to see team orthopedic specialist Dr. Stephen Gryzlo at Wrigley Field. An official update was expected Tuesday.

Neither pitcher has any pain or discomfort. Cashner, who has a strained right rotator cuff, and Wells, who has a strained right forearm, were placed on the disabled list April 7 and told they could not pick up a baseball for two weeks.

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Watched the game for about 5 minutes last night

i live in the southwest and the games don't come on very often unless the cubs are playing the rangers or the astros. So i turn on the tv last night and see the cubbies are playing the astros. w00t!!! flip over the foxsports network crack open a brew and the ragefest began almost right off the bat. (pun intented). The cubs defense looks like a bunch of little league amatuers. after 2 innings i couldnt watch anymore and switched over to the new season of dealiest catch

Chicago vs. Milwaukee

With the back of their starting rotation in flux due to injuries, the Chicago Cubs will need players like Jeff Baker to step up offensively.

The second baseman will likely get another chance to do so Saturday night when the Cubs continue their series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Chicago (4-3) placed pitchers Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner on the 15-day disabled list prior to Friday's 7-4 series-opening win. Manager Mike Quade will use call-ups Casey Coleman and James Russell as part of a patchwork staff in the interim.

Front-line starter Carlos Zambrano extended his mastery of the Brewers at Miller Park, but it was Baker who delivered the offense, going 4 for 5 with a three-run homer and four RBIs. He improved to 6 for 11 against left-handers this year, a promising sign with the Brewers scheduled to start Chris Narveson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on Saturday.

"Baker? Jiminy Christmas!," Quade said. "Just unbelievable swinging the bat."

Baker is 7 for 15 overall this season and a .308 lifetime hitter against lefties. He is batting .420 (29 for 69) with two homers in 25 career games versus Milwaukee.

"It's just about getting good pitches to hit whether it's right-handed or left-handed and not trying to do too much and let the ball travel a bit," he told the Cubs' official website. "I've been able to do that against lefties, and I'm trying to do that against righties as well."

Narveson had little to show for a solid season debut Monday, scattering three hits and three walks in six scoreless innings before his bullpen squandered a lead in a 2-1 loss to Atlanta in Milwaukee's home opener. He has fared well versus the Cubs, going 3-0 in two starts and nine overall appearances against them.

Matt Garza (0-0, 3.86) takes the mound for Chicago after a quirky debut for the team Sunday. He allowed three runs and 12 hits - all singles - and struck out 12 in seven innings, missing out on a victory when Pittsburgh scored two in the ninth for a 5-4 victory.

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Inaugural ball raises $1.1M for Cubs Charities

CHICAGO -- The inaugural Bricks and Ivy Ball on Wednesday night raised more than $1.1 million for Chicago Cubs Charities.

The event took place in Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom in downtown Chicago, where the 2011 team and coaching staff mingled with more than 750 guests.

"When my siblings and I became owners of the Cubs, we made participation in our community one of the pillars of our stewardship," said Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts in a statement. "Since then, we have invested our ideas and our dollars to develop a winning team both on and off the field.

"We are extraordinarily grateful for the help of Cubs fans, our players and coaches, their wives and the Cubs' staff who participate alongside us in these efforts and who made Wednesday's event such a success," Ricketts said. "The proceeds from [Wednesday] night's event allow us to continue to support inner city youth baseball and so many other programs and organizations to foster health, fitness, literacy and education throughout our great city.

"The dollars raised will allow us to extend our reach and improve the lives of children and families in Chicago and around the United States," he said.

In addition to supporting youth sports, health and fitness throughout Chicago and particular needs of the Lakeview Community, Chicago Cubs Charities will donate a portion of the net proceeds to charities supported by Cubs players. Among the agencies to receive funds are the Ryan and Jenny Dempster Family Foundation; Carlos Zambrano's Big Z Foundation; Make A Wish -- Illinois; the ILAC Center fighting diabetes and hypertension in the Dominican Republic; and Wounded Warrior, which provides programs and services to severely injured service members.

The Cubs have supported donations of more than $15 million since 1991, including grants by McCormick Foundation's Cubs Care of more than $1 million per year for each of the last six years.

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Zambrano ready for Brewers

It's a division rivalry in the truest sense of the words, a collision of two teams closely matched in geography and in the standings. When the Cubs and Brewers meet each other in Friday's series opener, they'll be celebrating the start of a new season and a shared destiny, a sense that either team will have to beat the other to have a successful year.

The Cubs haven't lost the season series to Milwaukee since 2005, and they've gone 45-34 against the Brewers over the last five years. Chicago had been 3-2 before Wednesday's loss, and that's only noteworthy because the Cubs hadn't been over .500 since the end of the 2009 season. The Cubs were at .500 four times in 2010 but never pushed to a winning record.

Now they find themselves with a chance to push ahead again, with only one of their closest rivals standing in the way. The Cubs took nine of 15 games from the Brewers last season and have gone 93-82 in this series in the last 10 years. Still, if you ask around the Chicago clubhouse, you'll find that the individual Cubs have a lot of respect for the Brewers.

"That whole staff, that whole lineup, that team -- top to bottom, new manager -- they have energy over there," said Chicago outfielder Marlon Byrd. "You have to go up there and play hard. We need to keep doing what we're doing: pitching, defense and get some timely hitting. It's going to be a long road trip, and we need to come back with a winning record."

Indeed, the Cubs will play nine games in a 10-day trip to Milwaukee, Houston and Colorado before they return to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. All six of Chicago's games this season have been decided by three runs or fewer, and they'll go into Friday's series opener with a matchup of veteran starters in Carlos Zambrano and Randy Wolf.

Zambrano is 13-8 with a 3.66 career ERA against the Brewers, and he went 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in this series last year. But the Cubs hope he's fully recovered from the right hand and hamstring cramps that forced his exit in the seventh inning of his first start this season.

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Day Off

after yesterday, I'm glad the cubs aren't playing today. The defense looked like complete amateurs yesterday. Take away the dumb errors and they would have won.

Cashner headed to DL

CHICAGO -- The Cubs rotation took a double hit on Wednesday, when both Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner were sidelined with strains in their forearm and shoulder, respectively, and both are headed for the disabled list.

Wells has a strained right forearm, which he felt Tuesday, the day after his start, while Cashner has a mild strain in the back of his right rotator cuff. Both had MRIs, and the good news is that neither has structural damage in their arms.

"We're not going to put a time frame on any one of them because we're going to be careful in April," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Wednesday.

Cashner undergoes MRI Tuesaday after game

CHICAGO -- Cubs pitcher Andrew Cashner underwent an MRI on his right shoulder Tuesday after he was pulled from his first Major League start because of tightness.

Cashner gave up one run on two hits, including a solo homer by Arizona's Ryan Roberts, over 5 1/3 innings in the Cubs' 6-5 win. He had gone to a three-ball count on two batters, including Willie Bloomquist, who drew a walk with one out in the sixth. Cubs athletic trainer Mark O'Neal then went to the mound and, after a brief conversation, Cashner was pulled. The right-hander threw 72 pitches, 43 for strikes.

"He just felt a little tightness," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "We'll be cautious with everybody, especially early in the season.

Soriano using the big bat

CHICAGO -- Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood both wanted to pitch Monday for the third straight day, and both got a chance. At this rate, they'll both appear in 100-plus games.

Alfonso Soriano hit his second homer in as many days and added a late RBI single to back Randy Wells and lift the Cubs to a 4-1 victory over the D-backs. Wells (1-0) got the win but give the bullpen an assist. The Cubs' last three games have been decided by two runs or fewer, and Wood and Marmol have pitched in all three.

"It'd be OK if we came out and took a 10-0 lead tomorrow," Cubs manager Mike Quade said, laughing. "Just keep playing. If nothing else in these four games, they've done that. They pick each other up and they do a lot of things I like. We've got to get better and we still have plenty of work to do, but at least the approach and attitude out of the chute has been good."

Wells served up six hits and walked four over six innings. The right-hander had to battle this spring to win a spot in the rotation, and he didn't make it easy on himself in the game. He served up a leadoff homer to Willie Bloomquist, a leadoff single to Miguel Montero in the second and walked the leadoff batters in the fourth and fifth innings.

"He just needs to stay focused and hit the glove," Quade said. "You say that a lot with pitchers, but given his sinker and given his repertoire, it's so important he keeps the ball down in the zone and just hits the glove pitch after pitch. He did that all spring in a very tough place to pitch. He's still evolving, too."

The key for Wells is location. Unfortunately, his fourth pitch of the game was in a spot that Bloomquist liked, and he launched it into the left-field bleachers.

"The home run was a mistake," Wells said. "First hitter of the game, you don't want to walk him, and I get behind 2-1 and tried to get a fastball away and it leaped out over the middle, and he put a good swing on it. That's not the end of the world -- a solo home run. You start the game over and go back to work."

Soriano tied the game with a leadoff blast in the Chicago third off Joe Saunders (0-1), his second homer in as many games. The Cubs left fielder didn't hit his second homer until his 15th game last season.

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PENA is out for the game

CHICAGO -- Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena said he could have played Tuesday despite suffering a mild sprain of his right thumb.

"He's day to day," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "We could probably use him if I needed to late. We'll be careful. We get a chance to watch Mr. [Tyler] Colvin at first base."

Pena injured his thumb in the D-backs' seventh inning Monday, when he fielded Gerardo Parra's grounder.

Chicago vs. Arizona

The Chicago Cubs may be in line for consecutive wins for the first time in 2011. Alfonso Soriano could play a major role in that, too.

Soriano and the Cubs will try to make things a bit easier on themselves as they attempt to continue their success against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle game of this series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday

.

Chicago (2-2) has alternated wins and losses through its first four games, with each of them decided by three or fewer runs.

That trend continued Monday, when the Cubs opened this three-game set with a 4-1 win over Arizona (1-2) to extend their winning streak in the series to seven - four at home.

"It'd be OK if we came out and took a 10-0 lead (Tuesday)," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "We've got to get better and we still have plenty of work to do, but at least the approach and attitude out of the chute has been good."

Soriano could make a difference for Chicago after going 4 for 11 with two homers and four RBIs over the last three games after going 0 for 4 in a season-opening 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday.

The left fielder connected for his second home run in as many games Monday and finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs. He's hitting .413 with eight homers and 22 RBIs over his last 14 meetings versus the Diamondbacks, leading the Cubs to wins in 11 of them.

Garza's debut spoiled by Cubs' late collapse

CHICAGO -- Carlos Marmol made the pitch he wanted but Pedro Alvarez hit the game-winning single in the right spot.

Alvarez hit a strategically placed two-run infield single off Marmol in the ninth to lift the Pirates to a 5-4 victory on Sunday over the Cubs and spoil Matt Garza's Wrigley Field debut.

Marmol, vying for his second save in as many days, walked Garrett Jones to open the ninth, and Jones reached second on Neil Walker's single. Both advanced on Lyle Overbay's sacrifice bunt. Alvarez then bounced a single to the right of a diving Marmol. Shortstop Starlin Castro made a barehanded grab and threw up the line to first baseman Carlos Pena, who did a great job snaring the ball. Pirates third base coach Nick Leyva waved Walker home, and Pena's throw was late.

Walker didn't hesitate.

"As soon as I saw it, my goal was just to score," Walker said. "I knew [Castro] had a tough play. He comes up and picks it up clean and makes the throw to first, he's still got to make a really good throw to home to get me. Good piece of hitting by Pedro just to put the ball in play."

"It's a single in the books, right?" Alvarez said.

It is, and the win gave the Pirates the series and made Cubs manager Mike Quade's head spin. He wanted to watch the replay because even if Castro made a good throw, it didn't seem as if the shortstop had a chance to get Alvarez.

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Looks like they will lose game 1

i wish i was in market so i could watch the game. not really sure how u can get sooo many hits and not score any runs

would never see cubs fans do this

A San Francisco Giants fan was reportedly attacked and seriously injured by LA Dodgers fans at the 2011 Dodgers home opener at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers fan attack on a Giants fan occurred in a Dodgers Stadium parking lot around 8:30 pm on March 31, 2011.

The victim and two friends, who were wearing SF Giants gear, were attacked by two men in Dodgers apparel. 

Police say the Dodgers fans punched the Giants fans while shouting expletives about the Giants. 

One of the Giants fans was hospitalized and is in critical condition. 

Police are still searching for suspects.

Cubs excited to start season at Wrigley

CHICAGO -- Actor Robert Redford will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, Ron Santo Jr. will lead the crowd during the seventh-inning stretch, and the team will collect donations for victims of Japan's earthquake and tsunami on Opening Day at Wrigley Field on Friday.

Santo will lead the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," something his late father did more than anyone else. Ron Santo Sr. died in December at the age of 70. The Cubs are wearing No. 10 patches on their uniforms in honor of the broadcaster and third baseman.

Besides Redford, the Ricketts family will select a family of Cubs fans to throw a ceremonial first pitch prior to Friday's season opener between the Cubs and Pirates.

On Thursday, the Cubs warmed up for the opener with a workout at Wrigley Field. Matt Garza, who will start on Sunday, his first game at the Cubs' home ballpark, threw some pitches off the mound.

"People tell me there's nothing I can possibly do to prepare for something like this," first baseman Carlos Pena said. "Chicago is a very special place, Wrigley Field is a very special place. The fans are very intense. I'm excited about it. I'm very blessed, and I don't take this for granted.

"I walked in this morning and walked up that concourse and got the fans' perspective and all I said was, 'Thank you,'" Pena said. "I'm pumped to be here."

Kerry Wood knows his way around Wrigley better than anyone, having called the ballpark home from 1998-2008. Prognosticators have tabbed the Cubs to finish in the middle of the field in the National League Central, but Wood just shrugs that off.

"I think tomorrow, the sun's going to come up and we're going to get dressed and play a baseball game," he said. "All the experts are always wrong. Their early picks are never right. If we focus on what we have to do and go out and do what makes us good, we'll be all right."

Actually, the sun may not come up. The forecast for Friday calls for rain and snow mix with temperatures in the 40s. The forecast for the Cubs is brighter as far as the players are concerned.

"I've picked us and that's all that matters," said Ryan Dempster, who will make his third career Opening Day start and first with the Cubs. "We've picked ourselves to go out and win ballgames and do well. I saw that CC Sabathia yesterday picked his team to win it all. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? I think if we listened to the experts as kids, a lot of us wouldn't be in the big leagues. I know there are some really great teams on paper, but it's about wins and losses."

Also part of the Cubs' Opening Day festivities: The national 9/11 flag will be on display in the outfield. The flag was destroyed in the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and stitched together seven years later by tornado survivors in Greensburg, Kan.

The Cubs also will have a moment of silence before the game in honor of those affected by the natural disaster in Japan. They will conduct a collection to raise funds for UNICEF to help children affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Redford, who starred in the baseball classic "The Natural," is in Chicago for the premiere of his latest movie, "The Conspirator," which opens nationwide April 15. The movie tells the story of the woman charged in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the young lawyer who defended her.

source cubs.com

Cubs, Bucs hope 2011 puts end to waiting

Be it a 102-year wait for a World Series title or an 18-year wait for a winning record, they've certainly been pushed to the extreme.

Perhaps 2011 serves as the end of these respective -- and, you could say, ridiculous -- waits. If that's the case, then consider Friday's Opening Day matchup at Wrigley Field the beginning of the end.

Of course, for that to be true, plenty has to go right for both of these clubs. The Cubs need bounce-back years from several high-paid players, while the Pirates need an inspired effort from their up-and-comers.

Clearly, of these two National League Central clubs, the Cubs are more equipped to contend with the likes of the Reds, Brewers and Cardinals this season. And Mike Quade, brought back after a strong stint as the interim manager in the last two months of the 2010 season, has no interest in seeing this club's supposed curse continue.

"I'm aware of everything," Quade said. "I can count to 102."

Quade's Cubs went 24-13 after he took over for Lou Piniella and followed up that optimistic finish with an opportunistic offseason, shipping a package of prospects to the Rays to bring in right-hander Matt Garza, signing first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year, low-risk deal and getting Kerry Wood as a setup man at a steep discount.

The Cubs need Pena, coming off a down year with the Rays, to live up to his potential, and they need third baseman Aramis Ramirez and outfielder Alfonso Soriano to live up to the size of their contracts. They need Garza to make a seamless transition to the National League (and Wrigley Field, where his fly-ball tendencies will be tested), and they need right-hander Carlos Zambrano to keep his cool.

From a pitching standpoint, though, Game 1 belongs to righty Ryan Dempster, who will be making his third career Opening Day start and first with the Cubs. He earned the nod not with dazzling stuff or results but with consistency, having logged 43 wins and more than 600 innings over the past three years in the rotation.

"It's a tremendous honor," Dempster said of the assignment. "There's probably more leading up to it, but once that first pitch is thrown, it's just like any other game. I'm sure I'll be a little excited."

The excitement in the other dugout centers around the Pirates' emerging youth and a new leader in Clint Hurdle.

"These guys are ready to win -- they're ready to win," Hurdle said. "And I think one of the biggest areas where I can make a difference is just the direction of what we do daily. They have all the want-to in the world. I'm trying to help them with the how-to."

The Pirates' future is largely tied to third baseman Pedro Alvarez and left fielder Jose Tabata, both of whom showed promise in their 2010 debuts and will be experiencing their first Opening Day in the big leagues. Pair them with center fielder Andrew McCutchen, one of the game's top young stars, and you have a nucleus around which to build.

But if the Pirates are going to end their seemingly endless string of losing seasons, they'll need their starting rotation to exceed expectations. That begins with the newly signed Kevin Correia, who gets the Opening Day nod despite a not-so-dazzling 10-10 record and 5.40 ERA last year. Remember, though, that those numbers were compiled for a Padres team that nobody expected to be a factor in the NL West but ended up winning 90 games.

"I think we can do that here," Correia said.

That's the kind of attitude Hurdle is trying to inspire in his players.

"We're not going to erase anything that has been done in the past overnight," Hurdle said. "You can't fight cynicism. You can't fight criticism other than with tangible evidence of getting better. I want them to be aware of history, but not a slave to it."

Sounds like a theme for both of these teams.

Cubs: Pena at the plate
The winds of Wrigley could help Pena become a threat to once again hit 40-plus homers. Even in a down year in 2010 -- in which he batted just .196 -- Pena smacked 28 homers and drove in 84 runs, so his run-production value is still there. And on Opening Day, Cubs fans will get their first look at what he can do in his new, friendly confines.

"I feel great, and I feel like I'm making the right kind of progress," Pena said. "I'm working every single day, diligently and consistently. [Hitting coach] Rudy [Jaramillo] has been so helpful and reminding me to keep it basic."

What's not so basic is the infield shift Pena often faces. That was a big part of his paltry batting average last year, which is why he'll probably face it against the Pirates and others.

"It's not just a defensive strategy but a mental strategy that can really hinder me if I give into it," Pena said. "If I'm making the right kind of contact, there shouldn't be that many balls rolled over into that shift."

source mlb.com