Cubs are winning early and often
CUBS 19, BREWERS 5 | At 17-10, Cubs finish best 1st month in franchise history
It started in the rain and biting cold with an extra-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on March 31. It ended on another cold night at Wrigley Field on Wednesday against the Brewers, but with a decidedly better outcome.
The Cubs' 19-5 victory was the exclamation point on the best April in the team's history.
(AP)
PHOTO GALLERY
Cubs 19, Brewers 5
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''We played a lot of games in April,'' manager Lou Piniella said of the team's 17-10 start. ''You multiply six times 17 and you'll have a pretty good year [102 victories]. I'm saying that in a kidding way, but it's really nice, and a good way to get started.''
This is how it's started:
• • The 17-10 start is their best since 1995 and set a franchise record for victories in the first month.
• • They were 11-5 at home.
• • They set a franchise record for April with two five-game win streaks
• • They got perfection from a new starter, Ryan Dempster (4-0 in five starts), and a solid beginning from a new closer, Kerry Wood (four saves, six opportunities.)
• • They cultivated an offense that leads the National League in hitting (.286) and ranked second in drawing walks.
• • For the first time in franchise history, they have three players with 20 or more RBI in April: Derrek Lee (23), Aramis Ramirez (22) and rookie Geovany Soto (20).
Soto reached the mark after a spectacular game Wednesday night, hitting two three-run homers -- his first multihomer game -- and getting six RBI.
''I had a two-homer game in Class AA but never six RBI,'' said Soto, who only days earlier was in the throes of an eight-straight strikeout slump.
• • Their pitching posted a stellar 3.95 ERA.
• • One National League team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, had a better winning percentage (.714) than the Cubs' .629.
As the Cubs turn the page on the first month, they stand atop the National League Central -- percentage points ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals -- after recording their highest run total since a 20-1 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 1, 2001. The offense was robust enough that Piniella gave regulars Lee (2-for-3, two runs scored, RBI) and Ramirez (1-for-3, one run scored, three RBI) an early night off in the sixth.
Dempster breezed along with a six-run first-inning lead that grew to 12-1 by the fourth. He was touched for two runs in the fifth when he walked Jason Kendall and Rickie Weeks, both of whom scored on Ryan Braun's two-out double.
He worked six innings and allowed three runs -- two coming among the five walks he issued. The Brewers had four hits off Dempster.
''Six runs in the first inning makes it a lot easier,'' Dempster said. ''Wow. The boys were swinging right off the bat.''
Cheering from the first row behind the Cubs on-deck circle was Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, among the deep-pocket bidders hoping to buy the team. He was all smiles as he left after the sixth inning.
Piniella was smiling, too, his second April far better than the first one that ended 10-14. The Cubs rebounded in the second half to win the Central Division.
This time they have a month's head start.
