Another fabulous day at a packed Wrigley Field. Beautiful weather, gritty comeback, Sori heroics. Great stuff! Get pumped for tomorrow...Lohse v. Dempster and Jay Cutler will be throwing out the first pitch and handling the seventh inning stretch. In honor of the new Bears' QB...a shot I took at Wrigley yesterday. This fan must've been one of the first to snap one of these up!

FINAL: CUBS 8, CARDS 7

PLAYER OF THE GAME: ALFONSO SORIANO - Struggled at the plate early but got it done when it counted, crushing a 2-run shot in the 8th to give the Cubs the lead for good.

FAN OF THE GAME: My friend Brad, who caught Fonzi's home run ball--he just sent me a picture. Solid.

4:05pm - Wasn't the prettiest win ever, but these Cubs showed some serious cajones in this one. A big comeback win on Soriano's 8th inning 2-run blast.

4:03pm - Greene hits a grounder to Theriot, to Fontenot, to Lee for the win! Marmol creates drama with those two walks, but he gets himself out of it with a big strikeout and a double play. Wrigley is rocking after a HUGE comeback win!

4:01pm - There's that nasty stuff. After ball 1, Marmol sits down Ludwick on three straight strikes. Khalil Greene--who, coincidentally, I found out yesterday in the locker room, is about a foot and a half shorter than me--comes up and gets down 0-2 quick.

4:00pm - Lou doesn't like what he sees. Kevin Gregg up in the bullpen as Marmol has yet to throw a strike.

3:58pm - A little Marmol-aid is in order. He walks Rasmus then drills Pujols with the first pitch right in the elbow. Not a good start for Carlos. Two on, no outs for the Dead Birds.

3:52pm - And that's why it's hard to hate him for hopping in the outfield, bobbling easy plays or going 0-for-4. Alfonso Soriano smacks a 2-run shot to give the Cubs a lead and even comes out for the curtain call. Huge. Huge.  8-7 CUBS.

3:49pm - Miles draws a walk and Soriano's got a chance to make up for his 0-for-4 day. Carlos Marmol up in the bullpen for Chicago.

3:47pm - Pujols drops an easy foul ball pop-up to give Theriot another chance. Pujols has three errors this year already and missed on a couple tough plays yesterday that he should've had. Theriot's second chance turns out to be an easy ground out. Aaron Miles gets his shot against Chris Perez.

3:40pm - Pinch hit double to the corner in right for Rick Ankiel. Schumaker up with a man on and two outs. Aaron Heilman trying to keep this a one-run game for Chicago.

3:33pm - Fontenot takes a tough called strike--pretty high pitch for LIL Babe Ruth. Inning ends on a check swing K from the Cubs' second baseman. Still a one run game.

3:29pm - Speaking of hits and runs, Rami just got his third RBI of the day with a single up the middle that plated Fukudome. 7-6 CARDS. Cubs are hanging in this one.

3:27pm - Every time the Cubs get a run (or sometimes just a hit) the theme song for Luna (a sing-song-y "773-202-luna") plays over the loud speaker. Annoying doesn't begin to cover it.

3:22pm - Kosuke Fukudome is just killing it. Even the most anti-Fuku guys have got to be coming around. He's been absolutely solid--our most consistent hitter yet. He just knocked a double to right to lead off the seventh.

3:20pm - Bears kicker Robbie Gould is handling the seventh inning stretch. Let's just say his enthusiasm almost makes up for his lack of singing talent. Gotta love Solid Gold Robbie Gould.

3:17pm - MAN. Another home run for Ludwick. 7-5 CARDS. Ludwick is sure making a case to be their starter. That's his 5th HR this season. Big Z really struggling against these hated Cards.

3:06pm - WHO IS THIS GUY? Brian f'in Barden has been killing us in this series. He goes yard to lead-off to the sixth and just like that the Cards are back on top. 6-5 CARDS.

3:01pm - An RBI double from Rami drops deep into the corner in left field, Lee scores from second and the Cubs are back in this one. 5-4 CARDS. Soto up wth a man on second and two outs. He gets a hit! Soto breaks out of that slump with an rbi base hit to right to tie things up. 5-5 TIE.

2:52pm - A sac fly RBI from Chris Duncan scores Pujols. 5-3 CARDS. Z struggling to get out of this fifth inning.

2:49pm - HAHAHAHAHAAHA! A friend just sent me this - http://www.cubbychubby.com/Cubby07.mp3 - DON'T listen to this at work, though. Maybe this little serenade will get our boys going!

2:44pm - Sori strikes out for the third time day. Walters really has his number. That's the 7th strikeout for Walters--he's finally starting to settle down and the Cubs can't seem to figure his stuff out.

2:20pm - Z gets Molina to ground out, but that 3-run shot from Ludwick has given the Cards a lead midway through the third.

2:18pm - Larry Rothschild out to the mound to calm Zambrano. He heads back to the dugout and Geo Soto hangs around for awhile longer. Looks like young Soto had a lot to say to his veteran pitcher. 2 outs, man on for Molina.

2:14pm - Great pick for DLee, but he loses his grip taking it out of his glove. Rasmus safe as the flip to Big Z at first comes a little too late. Albert Pujols up with the bases loaded and one out. Sac fly caught by Soriano. 3-1 CUBS. Can't read Big Z's mind, but I'm sure he'll take a sac fly RBI from Pujols. Sure beats the Hell out of a....home run. Like the one Ryan Ludwick just hit. 4-3 CARDS. Zambrano might have let up a little bit after getting Pujols out.

2:11pm - Schumaker sneaks a comebacker past Zambrano and up the middle. Z slams his glove down, thinks he should've gotten a piece of that one but it was a fast-moving line drive. Schumaker and Barden both on for Colby Rasmus. Looks like Theriot tagged Barden coming back to the second, but he'll get no help from the umps. 1-1 to Rasmus.

2:02pm - Walters works a full count to DLee...then gets him on a check swing K. Lee was halfway to first before he realized he'd been called out. No fireworks a la Milton Bradley, but Lee's certainly not gonna be making friendly small talk with that ump next time up.

Here's a shot of the kid, PJ Walters. Lotta pressure making your debut at the greatest stadium in the world, surrounded by some of the most die-hard fans you'll ever come across. He gets out of the inning but it's still 3-0 Cubs.

2:00pm - Fuku's sac fly to center scores Fontenot. Another productive at-bat for Kosuke. 3-0 CUBS. Two outs, runners at first and second for DLee.

1:58pm - Looks like Walters only made it one batter through the scouting report. He gets Sori to strike out for the second time on the day--Sori accounts for both of his two Ks.

1:56pm - In 536 at-bats, Zambrano has walked just five times. And there we go...Zambrano takes his first walk since 2006. Looks like this young Cardinals pitcher is really having trouble settling down. With the bases loaded, no outs and Soriano up...he's gonna HAVE to throw strikes or this could get ugly for him.

1:53pm - O my, look at the back end of this Cubs' lineup... sotO, fontenOT, theriOT, zambranO and then back to the top - sorianO. Speaking of O's...0 outs in this inning as both Fontenot and Theriot get on base safely.

1:51pm - For those wondering, Larry Vanover, the home plate ump who made those questionable calls on Milton Bradleys's at-bat yesterday is working third base today. Lets hope he lets the two teams on the field decide today's game.

1:50pm - Big Z gives up a hit to Yadier Molina, but gets Joe Thurston to fly out to end the inning unscathed. Zambrano looking solid through two.

1:47pm - Fourth straight strikeout for Carlos Zambrano, as he sits down Duncan. Cubs lead the league in strikeouts with 90 already in this young season.

1:41pm - Rough start for last year's NL Rookie of the Year, Geovany Soto. He hits into a double play to end the inning and is now 1-for-15 on the year with no walks. Let's hope the whispers of sophomore slump don't get him down early. Geo was a huge part of the Cubs' success last season.

1:38pm - A bloop single to center from Aramis Ramirez scores Derrek Lee. 2-0 CUBS. This is the first-ever MLB start for Cardinals' pitcher PJ Walters. He started off the inning by striking out Soriano, but the nerves look to be getting to him now.

1:37pm - Great start for the Cubbies. A drive off the wall in right from Micah Hoff-POWER sends Fukudome home. 1-0 CUBS.

1:17pm - A beauuuu-tiful day for a Cubs game! Big Z on the mound, bleachers packed and the hated Cardinals in town. What more could you ask for, really?

First off, a few quick thoughts after yesterday's game...

1. Fukudome is really doing his best to win back the city of Chicago. Let's hope he keeps up this hot streak!

2. Derrek Lee doesn't seem too fazed by Mlton Bradley's blow-up. Wonder how the rest of the Cubs feel after hearing so much about Bradley's "new" attitude.

3. Caught up with Aramis Ramirez in the locker room yesterday to find out how he's dealing with that nagging back soreness.

4. Couple things I learned from my first trip to the visitors' locker room....

*The Cardinals indulged in some post-game Mexican. All the guys grabbed a seat and pounded some tacos and delicious looking tamales. Big Albert Pujols tried to toss out his plate of food and missed, leaving it hanging precariously off the edge of the trash can. I helped him out with an alley-oop. Regardless of that kind gesture, don't worry, I still hate the Cards.

*I've always found it interesting that baseball is really the only sport for which the managers and coaches have to wear the same outfit as the players. When you think about it...Lovie Smith doesn't suit up in football pants to work the sidelines and you certainly don't see Vinny Del Negro rocking mesh shorts and high-tops.

The Skinny on Cubs 101:

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