Cubs season HR pace: 111
Starlin Castro NL dWAR rank: 2 (Barney is 3)
Bryan LaHair MLB OPS+ rank (minimum 3.1 PA/team game): t8
Ian Stewart MLB OPS+ rank: t152, out of 171 official qualifiers
Ryan Dempster MLB ERA+ rank (minimum 1 IP/team game): t6
Paul Maholm MLB ERA+ rank: t103, out of 120 official qualifiers (approximate)
Team defensive efficiency (NL rank): .709 (t2)

I think the Cubs win tonight.

(ducks)

I haven't looked at the numbers, but is it safe to say there's a correlation between the team scoring runs despite lots of hits and the team being void of any power? Seems like the team is racking up 8+ hits a night and yet, they're only scraping together a couple of runs. Or if Dempster is starting, nothing.

Clevenger and Jackson with homers for Iowa tonight. Clevenger also has a double and single. Jackson also has a triple.

Concepcion got lit up again for Peoria, 12 H and 8 R in 4.2 IP. He now has an 8.20 ERA in 7 starts, over only 26.1 IP. At least today he only walked 1, while striking out 4. He still has more walks that strikeouts on the year, though (15 BB, 14 K).

Michael Bowden has not been impressive since joining the Cubs, but I think I'd still rather see him in these situations than Dolis. Dolis just doesn't look like a major league caliber pitcher yet. He really belongs in AAA, although I realize the pickings are slim right now.

Outside of Russell, I don't trust anyone in the Cubs bullpen.

The Cubs are finding new and innovative ways to lose. Ugh.

Certainly true, and for that matter, even Russell I'm not convinced about. But I think the minimum requirement for being a late-inning, high-leverage guy - the one, unbreakable rule - is the ability to get more strikeouts than walks issued. And Dolis simply seems unable to do that.

And now, ####, he just lost the game on a walk-off HBP. What a ####### loser.