Cubs-Pirates: Harden Sharp in Streak-Busting Win

Quick, uneventful, and successful. That is how I prefer all games against the Pirates and exactly what the Cubs delivered Monday, winning 3-1 in an unofficial 2:18. Thank you, Rich Harden. After some very shaky starts since his return from the DL (0-2, 5.67 ERA), we got to see some vintage Harden in this game; hard fastball, change-ups down and in the dirt, and out in front of hitters most of the night. He went seven innings, striking out nine along the way. Actually, there were no complaints about the pitching, as both Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg were equally effective in relief, with the Cubs staff walking only one Pirate on the night. But the highlight belonged to Ryan Theriot, who again went gonzo. He drove a solo shot to right off of starter Zack Duke in the third, his seventh of the season. Sometimes I miss the old slap-hitting, opposite-field driving Theriot, but given the Cubs problems scoring right now, I'll happily take the new version. In some off-the-field news, Aaron ... (link)