The Cubs continue to feel good about their decision about moving Ryan Dempster to the rotation and he just continues to deliver. Dempster latest outing a start against the Padres was as good or even better as all his previous starts have been so far this year. He shut out the weak hitting Padres lineup for 8 1/3 innings while striking out a career high 12. The Padres lineup looked like how they have most of the year at the plate and couldn’t seem to get anything going offensively.
Greg Maddux who recently won his 350th game against the Colorado Rockies was cruising in the game until he reached the 5th inning. The games plan worked out in their favor when they waited patiently for Maddux to get his sinker over the plate and they didn’t miss it. Cubs starting pitcher Dempster helped his own cause with an RBI single in the inning that the Cubs eventually scored four runs.
With the win Thursday, the Cubs won the four game series three games to one and continue to play the kind of baseball that everyone one expected them to play before the season. The Cubs welcome the Pirates in town Friday afternoon, a team that has played very good baseball lately and should provide a good challenge to the NL Central leading Cubs.
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