Also Fukudome is now hitting .288/.377/.577 for July and .324/.409/.595 in the leadoff spot.

The Cubs are very lucky not to have to face Hamels (this year's DIPS poster child) and Happ in this series.

I'm more concerned about the Phillies offense cutting through the Cubs' pitching like a buzzsaw.

I like seeing Fukudome hitting first, because if nothing else he usually makes the pitcher work. That's not true against lefties, but that's what Johnson is for and he's still killing lefties. At some point (maybe once Fukudome cools off again), Lou should really consider moving Bradley up in the order (I mentioned this last week) since he has the highest OBP on the team (well, he did last week, his poor showing in DC might have ruined that).

I also meant to mention seeing Aramis hit a HR was encouraging, and it was a violent swing (low and inside that he golfed to left).

That's a fair concern, Andere, but the pitching has been the one consistent bring spot. Also, it's good the Cubs aren't throwing the two young guys against them (that's 2 bad starts in a row for Wells, BTW). But they're going to eat up the bullpen the way they're playing. And Hill needs to not start behind the plate every game.

bradley would be perfect in the 2 spot, high obp and he would have protection behind him with lee aram and soriano

And we wouldn't see as many bunts like we do with Theriot.

The Nats series should be a little more encouraging than that. They're a horrible team but still about a league-average offense so holding them to 11 runs over 4 games is a good effort. And sweeping a 4-game series on the road is never easy, I don't care who it's against.

But, yes, the Phils are a much tougher test. They are averaging more than 1 run better than the Cubs' offense but they do give up 2/3 a run more. If the Cubs' offense has woken up a bit (a big if), they can hang with the Phils. One big problem for the Cubs in this series is the lack of lefties in the pen. Howard, Utley, Ibanez plus Dobbs and Stairs off the bench will be in high-leverage spots all series no doubt.* The Cubs have to find a second leftie if they hope to take this team down in the playoffs.

And not too early to start thinking wild card -- Cubs are also 2.5 back of the Giants and 2 back of the Rox.

* and Jamie Moyer with 6 BB in 37 PA!! :-) He's even better than Al Leiter.

The Chicago Cubs scratched left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly from his Saturday start because of soreness in his left shoulder.

Lilly will go for tests Friday at Northwestern Hospital to determine the extent of the injury or soreness.

In addition, Lilly has been suffering with a left knee problem the past three weeks.

The Cubs open a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.

Kevin Hart will fill in for Lilly on Saturday, according to a team source.

This is not good. Just that sort of year, I guess.

and he's probably going to the DL. Ugh.

Ted Lilly will be placed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, and Justin Berg has been called up from Triple-A Iowa to join the bullpen.

Lilly was relieved there wasn't a significant tear, but said he expects to treat it like the same shoulder injury he had in Toronto in 2005, saying he missed 4-5 starts. Lilly wouldn't put a timetable on his recovery time, but said he wouldn't pick up a baseball for two weeks. That would indicate he'll miss at least three-four weeks.

"The symptoms are the same as it was (in 2005) and I went on the 15-day (DL) and missed 4-5 starts, something like that, and I came back and was fine," he said. "So that's what I imagine at this point."

Lilly said he will also have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Monday, which also has a recovery time that is about two weeks.

"I'll have a chance to get that taken care of, which iwll be a reaqlly minor thing," he said. "I imagine I'll be back on it in a couple days."

Lilly said he'd be "very surprised" is pitching on the bad knee led to his shoulder problem, though he conceded he did not start feeling pain in the shoulder until after his start on Monday in Philadelphia.