Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - I know it's still early in the season, but Cubs manager Dusty Baker seems to be pushing all the right buttons. Heading into this weekend. the Cubs have won five of their last six games and are atop the National League Central Division.
Chicago, which will play nine of its next 12 games on the road, is coming off a successful 7-3 homestand. Baker's team won its final three games against Cincinnati, outscoring the Reds 37-8 over those triumphs. That series was culminated by a 16-3 win on Thursday.
"You want to establish that it's difficult for someone else to win on your home turf," Baker told the Chicago Tribune. "It's like when we were kids, playing Ping-Pong on your table or basketball at your house. It's very devastating when you can't win at your house and really tough when you go to their house. It's very important to establish some home-field superiority."
Sammy Sosa blasted a three-run homer to lead the offensive charge for the Cubs. Sosa has 503 career blasts, one shy of Eddie Murray for 17th place on the all-time list..
Baker's move to insert young Korean first baseman Hee Seop Choi into the everyday lineup is apparently working well also. Sosa and Choi have each homered in three straight games. The 24-year-old Choi, who is a hefty 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, is already hitting .281 and has four homers and eight RBI. He could be on his way to NL Rookie of the Year honors. He has already walked 15 times in 12 games.
The Cubs (10-6) are way ahead of last year's pace, as they didn't record their 10th win until May 5th, the club's 29th contest.
However, a major challenge for the Cubs is upcoming on the road with games against Pittsburgh, Colorado and San Francisco.
The Cubs will try to reverse a trend of not playing well away from home. Last season, the Cubs won just five of their 26 road series (18 series lost, 3 split). Chicago beat the Mets in the opening road series this year.
Yet, the Cubs are approaching a record for the month of April. The most Yet, the Cubs are approaching a record for the month of April. The most victories by a Cubs' team in the month is 16, in 1969.
A GIANT LEAP
Speaking of Baker, his old team is also off to a rousing start. The San Francisco Giants won 13 of their first 14 games and were challenging the best start with one loss in the history of the franchise. That was derailed Wednesday night by the Houston Astros at Pac Bell Park.
Nevertheless, Felipe Alou, Baker's successor, also has his team playing great and the Giants have a big lead in the NL West heading into this weekend due not only to good play, but to poor performances from the Dodgers, Padres and especially the Diamondbacks early on.
Only a rain delay probably cost the Giants another win earlier this week. On Wednesday, San Francisco was ahead 5-0 against the Astros, but the game at Pac Bell was delayed for a little over an hour. Then after the respite, Houston scored eight times to post an 8-5 victory. Yet, the Giants finished up an impressive run at their own ballpark.
"That was a good big homestand for us here," Alou said. "I will take 7-2 every time."
The rough part for the Giants figures to be two-fold. They have a nine-game road trip coming up, starting Friday night in Los Angeles, with stops also in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Also, closer Robb Nen could be out longer than expected due to exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. That means 35-year-old Tim Worrell will likely be the closer until Nen returns.
Worrell already has six saves this year, but entered this season with just seven for his career.
Baker may go with a closer-by-committee format until Nen returns. That means Francisco Rodriguez, Scott Eyre, and Jim Brower may also get opportunities to finish games.
YOUNG GUNS FIRING BLANKS
Detroit manager Alan Trammell knew he would need at least an entire season to experiment with his young lineup, but this may be shaping up for another very long year for the Tigers. The team has gotten off to a 1-13 start and the loss on Thursday to Minnesota tied Detroit's worst mark after 14 games since 1920.
Little seems to be going right for Trammell. The team is last in the majors in hitting with a .165 average and the 20-something infield of Eric Munson, Ramon Santiago, Omar Infante and Carlos Pena have gotten off to a rocky start to say the least.
"Our attitude is nothing but positive," catcher Matt Walbeck told the Detroit Free Press. "There has been early work the last three days, and nobody complained. Everyone is running balls out and playing the game the way the game is supposed to be played. We still have respect for the game. That's what the manager and coaching staff are trying to instill."
The young pitching staff, which features 20-year-old Jeremy Bonderman, has also taken a beating. Bonderman's ERA is at 10.22 through three starts and the team's earned run average is a lofty 4.95, which ranks 22nd in the majors.
On a positive note, the Tigers have committed just six errors through 14 games this season.
