Jason Marquis

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Remember when we were all mortified by the schedule and the impending final road trip to New York and Milwaukee? Good times. Now it's nothing more than a really expensive scouting trip and a chance to play spoiler. Looking at the Mets lefty heavy lineup makes it look like Ted Lilly could be a key contributor in a possible playoff series and that Sean Marshall would make the playoff roster if we play them down the road. 

Speaking of spoiler, the best case scenario for the Cubs is that the races stay close until Sunday or possibly extend into tie-breakers so the teams are forced to use their aces late in the season and can't arrange their rotations the way they like. For example, Johan Santana is scheduled to start tomorrow and then again Sunday. Let's say the Cubs take three of four from the Mets and the Brewers can scrap together two of three from the Pirates. They'll be tied heading into the weekend and the earliest either could clinch is Saturday then and more likely Sunday, if not later.

Sit back and enjoy some tension-free baseball, although the Cubs do need a win or a Phillies loss to secure homefield advantage.

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The Marlins took care of business for the Cubs, so it means a Cubs sweep will clinch the division. Tonight is the win they'll have to steal with Marquis on the mound against Ben Sheets. 

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The Cubs go for the sweep, and once again I am reminded that I don't know how to add Rob's broom graphic to the game results box at the top of the right-hand column. I'll make you a deal, Jason Marquis: you win the game, and I'll work on the broom.

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The Cubs take a five game winning streak back to the Friendly Confines and a chance to extend their five game lead in the Central with 19 of 28 games at home through the month of August. Marquis goes against the third best offense in the NL, but that was before the trades of Jason Bay and Xavier Nady.

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The Cubs reach the century mark of the season that may mark their century-long run of futility. A little known fact is that they've lost the 100th game of every season since 1909 foreshadowing their 100-year drought (don't bother looking it up, I've posted it on the Internet, so it must be true)

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The NL West and Barry Zito proved to be the cure for what ailed the Cubs last night. The Cubs will look to continue their dominance over the NL West with Jason Marquis getting the start gainst 23-year old Matt Cain. Lou counters by mixing up the lineup a bit from last night, dropping Soto and DeRosa in the order and inserting Darlye Ward in left (Keep the ball down, Marquis!). Scrappy McFontenot also gets a start at second base.

Game notes fun after the jump...

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Oh dear, I think Lou has the interleague schedule confused with the preseason one. I'll be the first to say it - THIS LINEUP SUCKS!

That should be good for three to four runs off Halladay. They'll probably need five with Marquis on the mound though.

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No, you're not imagining things--this is the Brewers' second visit to Wrigley Field in the season's first month while the Cubs have yet to visit Milwaukee and won't do so until after the All-Star break.

While the Cubs (16-9) were losing two of three on the road to the Nationals and scoring 10 runs this past weekend, the Brewers (14-11) were dropping two of three at home to the Marlins and scoring six runs. The Brewers, who led the NL in batting with RISP (.303) going into the series, went just 1-for-26 against the Marlins in those same situations.

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No kidding--starting pitchers' combined K:BB ratio this season is 1:1.7.

The Cubs go for five in a row this season against the Pirates and their eighth overall versus the Bucs dating back to last September.

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In the first half of Wednesday's day/night Cubs exhibitiongameathon, Ryan Dempster gets the start at HoHoKam (2:05 Central Time), while in the second game, starting at 9:05 Central Time, Jon Lieber throws against the Giants.

If Lou Piniella sticks to his vow to name the five-man starting staff by the end of the week, this would be the last chance for Dempster and Lieber to make their respective cases. Jason Marquis, who allowed just one run in five innings against the Royals Tuesday, has made a pretty good case for himself already.

Miniscule sample sizes and spring training weirdness aside, here's how Dempster, Lieber, and Marquis stack up so far:

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