Following the series win over the Brewers - as Jason Marquis avoiding self-destructing in the sixth inning for the first time in like three weeks - the Cubs hit the road trying to climb over .500 for the first time since early May. The team the Cubs beat to pass the .500 mark last time? The Washington Nationals. The team the Cubs start a four-game set against tonight at RFK? Well, I think I just gave you your answer - the very same Washington Nationals. Between the four in Washington and three in Pittsburgh to finish up the first half, there is pretty much no excuse for the Cubs not to be at least three games over .500 by the All-Star break. I know the Cubs' tendency to play down to their opposition, but as well overall as the team has been playing lately, they really need to exploit the shitty teams on the schedule as much as possible.
Fun fact: although Derrek Lee has just six home runs so far this season, he has 26 doubles. This puts him on pace to have 53, which would be one of the top 30 doubles seasons of all-time. He's also on pace for 200 hits. He won't hit 46 home runs again (and can you imagine how ridiculous it would be at this point if he did?), but a .340 season with 200 hits and 50+ doubles is pretty goddamn productive. (As it stands, Lee is only tied for sixth in baseball in doubles right now. Magglio Ordonez is actually on pace to break the all-time record for doubles in a season, while Chase Utley and Dan Uggla are both on pace to hit the 60-double mark, something that - and this is key - no one has done since 1936. If you ask me, this is way more interesting than any homer chases, even if 99.9% of baseball fans couldn't tell you who holds the doubles record, or how many he had, or what year he set it, or for what team.)
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