Houston, we have no problem

The Cubs play the Astros approximately 74 times in the second half, so it's good that things kicked off to this kind of a start, and equally good that the crappiness of the first half conclusion - somehow losing two out of three to the Pirates - was immediately counteracted by a sweep of a team that has been a pretty consistent historical bugaboo for the Cubs.

Game-by-game positives

Game 1: Cubs 6, Astros 0
Another nice game for Zambrano; more good work by Marmol; Jones managing not be completely worthless; the Cubs capitalizing on the other team's mistakes; a shutout.

Game 2: Cubs 9, Astros 3
Another great outing by Lilly; a pounding on Roy Oswalt; Ramirez and Soriano going nuts; first team homer since June 29 (wha??); not panicking after an early run allowed.

Game 3: Cubs 7, Astros 6
Winning a slugfest; not panicking after going down 5-0 in the second; Lee's first home run since June 3; beating up on a guy they're supposed to beat up on in Wandy Rodriguez; the bullpen having another nice outing (5 innings, no runs to salvage Marquis' 4 innings, 6 runs); comeback win; Soto getting a hit and RBI (maybe one of the three catchers we're carrying could start hitting?); winning a game with the wind blowing out to left; getting to four games over .500 for the first time this year.

All told, you have to be pretty darn happy with how things turned out. Buster Olney says the Cubs have the easiest schedule among NL contenders after the break, although the Brewers were listed at #2. 3.5 back of Milwaukee is suddenly a pretty small cushion when we're not even to August yet - just ask the 2001 Cubs, who led the division by four games on July 27 and ended up five games back. I still refuse to buy this Brewers team as wire-to-wire division winners - sorry, Milwaukee fans, but if you think your team is as talented as the 2006 Tigers (the oft-made comparison because of the "out of seemingly nowhere!" factor), you have another think coming. I'm not saying the Cubs are definitely winning the division, and at this point it sure seems like if they don't then the Brewers will (not buying the Cardinals right now), but if the Cubs keep playing how they've been playing for the last three weeks? The Brewers are toast. Mark it down.

Road trip!

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.)

So much for that

13-4 with the wind blowing in. What a way to end a win streak.