Astros 4, Cubs 3

I don't know - is it time to start worrying about Alfonso Soriano? 1-f0r-17 (.059) is a damn slow start, even for him - last year he hit just .200 in the first eight games, but his average never went lower than that. While I've only heard the games so far - I probably won't get to see the Cubs until I'm actually at Wrigley on Sunday - it doesn't sound like he's looked very good either. For example, in the opener, he struck out twice, grounded out to first, and fouled out to the catcher. In game two, he popped out to first, grounded out to third, and struck out swinging with two men on, when a home run would have tied the game. He finally got a hit in the win - but he also struck out swinging to start the game and grounded out twice. Today, he grounded out two more times. All in all, he's only gotten the ball out of the infield six or seven times. It's not very confidence-inspiring. And yes, I know how early it is. I also know how much we're paying this guy, and while I hate to be the type of fan who grouses about every little player failure because of their salaries, as though they aren't humans prone to going into slumps every now and then... well, all I can say is that when you're making as much as this team is, you need to figure out the problem, and fast. Same goes for you, Derrek Lee (.222). You too, Aramis (.154). A couple solo home runs aren't cure-alls.

Though I will say this - Geovany Soto is hitting .167, but he's had more loud outs than anyone on the team, including at least four balls to the warning track that were kept in by the wind. If it were June, he'd probably have six home runs already and we'd be casting his statue right next to Fukudome's. So I think Soto will be fine. But when Soriano, Lee and Ramirez are the expected big boppers and they're all looking kind of lost... that's worrying.

It's particularly dispiriting because we could be at least 3-1 if the team were hitting at all. Both the opener and today's game were right there for the taking; if your pitching staff is only giving up four runs a game for the season, you're doing pretty well (the low in baseball last year was 4.06 by Boston; the Cubs were third at 4.26, second in the NL to, surprise, San Diego - but when you factor in park effects, the Cubs actually had the best ERA+ in the NL at 115). The 8-run quasi-meltdown against Milwaukee notwithstanding, this team has really pitched extremely well so far. I mean, if that keeps up and the hitting comes around sooner rather than later, we're looking at a potential juggernaut. Milwaukee will hit but I don't think their pitching will hold up for a whole season, although stranger things have happened. But that's the million-dollar question: when is the hitting going to come around? It's an awful lot of talent for this to turn into another 2006 (barring another catastrophic injury), but it could easily turn into another 2001, or 2004. I'd rather not see that happen, especially since you know we'd be looking up at Milwaukee and that will just be annoying as shit.

Sigh. I can't help but wonder if my plan to watch or listen to every Cubs game to the extent possible is biting me in the ass. When I first started the original Diary, back in July 2005, I intended to watch basically every game and write most days; this was derailed in a hurry as, after I started it on July 18 with the Cubs two games over .500 (and 13 games back in the Central, though still in the wild card race), they proceeded to go 7-7 over their next 14 and then suddenly embark on a season-killing eight-game losing streak in mid-August. That'll get you out of the habit fast. You may have noticed that in-season posting on this blog itself has been fairly sporadic. I wanted to change that this year because I'm as into the Cubs as I've ever been in my life, but if they start the season winning like three of their first twelve, I might not make it. Still, I don't think this is another 2005; our leadoff man at the time was Jerry Hairston, for fuck's sake. Things are going to get better. But as long as I'm following every game, it's going to be pretty brutal if they don't start getting better soon.