Cubs Juggernaut?

Maybe it is too early to get excited about the Cubs. Our teams frequently do well at the start of the year; this has been true even with our mediocre teams that came with less talent and even fewer expectations.

But last night we put the hurt on a weaker Reds team, despite playing without Soriano.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=280416116

The Cubs have recalled Eric Patterson from Iowa to fill Soriano's roster spot. He got in the game yesterday. More interesting, strategically, was Piniella's use of Fontenot leading off at second, with DeRosa in left field.

If Patterson shows he is ready to play here, this could be Fontenot's last chance to prove he is good enough to keep Patterson waiting in Iowa. Or maybe now it is time to show the league what Fontenot can do, and trade him somewhere there is an opportunity for a second baseman with a little pop.

Should Patterson succeed, that will put the Brian Roberts rumors to rest for ever. DeRosa would not be happy about becoming a supersub once again, but hey, he's in the big leagues getting regular ABs. At the end of the day, most of us would take that.

Zambrano pitched like an ace yesterday; he beat a team that he should beat. And as always, he contributed with the bat too. Three hits. A personality as large as the body that carries it. This is why I love watching Zambrano, win or lose.

Kevin Hart continues to impress in his bullpen role. His job is to pitch when it is helpful for other pitchers to rest. As he improves his game, he will rise in the ranks of the Cubs' bullpen. It's a long way to the top here - unlike other years for the Cubs, in which after this much success, we would already be wondering if Hart could close.