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The story of the this year's Cubs has been the lack of offense and today was no different as the Braves shut the Cubs down on the way to a 4-1 win. A sixth inning solo homer from Kosuke Fukudome was all the Cubs could muster in terms of offense. As for the pitching, the loss spoiled Kevin Hart's first major league start. Hart walked five but gave up only one run over five innings. The Braves Casey Kotchman hit a solo shot in the sixth to put the Braves up for good. Kevin Gregg had a rough ninth, allowing two runs though neither were earned; both were the result of Cubs fielding errors. All is not lost for the Cubs, though. In spite of maddening inconsistency, the Cubs get an off day tomorrow and then welcome the first-place Cardinals into town for a crucial four-game series heading into next week's All-Star Break. If the Cubs can manage to win that series, they could close the gap in the standings as well as get some sort of momentum going into the second half of the season.

The Cubs got a great start out of Carlos Zambrano, pitching on three days rest to fill in for the injured Ryan Dempster, but the bats couldn't help out as the Braves slipped past the Cubs 2-1 Tuesday night. Koyie Hill tied the game at 1-1 in the second, but it was all the offense the Cubs could produce. The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the third and then the pitching staffs took over. Zambrano gave up only the two runs over six innings, and the bullpen held tight, but scoring opportunities on offense were few and far between. Said Lou of Z's start, "He did a nice job on [three days'] rest, gave us six good innings of baseball, gave us a chance." The third and final game of the series starts today at 1:20 p.m. (CSN).

• The Chicago Public Schools are holding hearings this week on a potential new set of schools, including a pair of live-in schools.
• The number of state worker layoffs coming from Gov. Quinn's budget cuts? 2,600.
• Weird Science story of the day: using Facebook to crack Social Security Numbers.

Like when we sell a Pitchfork ticket on Craigslist, the Tribune Company has lined up a second party to whom they can sell the Cubs (and the additional assets) should the current deal fall through. It's not really a shock; after all, crazier shit has happened in business and it's certainly one way of strong-arming the Ricketts into completing the deal that has dragged on for a bit. According to the Tribune report:

The Cubs carried momentum from their weekend series win over Milwaukee into the series with Atlanta as they ousted the Atlanta Braves 4-2 in the opening game of a three-game set. Derek Lee continued his hot summer, belting another homer, a two-run shot, in the first to give the Cubs an early 2-0 lead. Fukudome and Theriot followed up with RBIs in the second to give the Cubs all the runs they would need to pull out a win. Starter Randy Wells had a few shaky moments, but held off the Braves, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings. The bullpen trio of Marshall-Marmol-Gregg shutout the Braves over the final three innings to secure the win; Gregg earned his 15th save. It was also the first game back in almost two months for Aramis Ramirez, who went 0 for 4. Fukudome, batting leadoff again, went 2 for 3 and Soriano was once again hitting sixth and went 1 for 4. Overall, the Cubs are now 5-1 in July and only two games out of first, something of a minor miracle. Game two of the series gets underway tonight at 7:05 p.m. (WGN).

Hold tight, Cubs fans, as your team made a big move today. Journeyman infielder Ryan Freel, who joined the team in May, has been traded to the Kansas City Royals. Freel was traded to the Cubs, who in turn sent some cash and Joey Gathright to the Baltimore Orioles. Now, he and cash have been sent to the Royals in exchange for the hotly anticipated "Player To Be Named Later." Freel, who had originally been designated for assignment last week, finishes his short stint with the Cubs with one run, one RBI, and a .143 batting average.

Finally. After a long, arduous process, the Chicago Cubs (and Wrigley Field) have a new owner: the Ricketts Family. The Tribune reports this morning that the Tribune Company and the Ricketts finalized the deal over the weekend. Here's hoping the deal wasn't finalized on Saturday in conjunction with the worst performance we've seen out of the Cubs this summer. Anyway. The Trib reports: "The source said the sales price is "close" to the $900 million bid the Ricketts offered earlier this year that won an auction for the baseball team, stadium and a 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago, a regional cable television sports network." The agreement now goes to Major League Baseball for approval.

  

Cubs Bounce Back To Top Brewers

  

Brewers Blast Cubs

  

White Sox Roll Past Royals

Derek Lee solidified himself as the one Cubs offensive performer worthy of an invitation to the All-Star Game by homering twice and knocking in seven runs as the Cubs raced past the Brewers 9-5. Lee got things started with a three-run homer in the first and was followed up by Jake Fox who hit a solo shot. Mike Cameron hit a two-run shot for the Brewers in the second to cut the Cubs lead in half, but D-Lee responded with a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth as the North Siders blew the game wide-open. Geovanny Soto completed the scoring-only-on-homers night for the Cubs as he belted a solo shot in the fourth as well. Of course, never ones to make things easy, the Cubs pitching staff allowed the Brewers to score runs late, but Lee's offense was enough to pace the team. Ryan Dempster had a good start, allowing four runs (three earned) over 6.2 innings while striking out nine. Aaron Heilman allowed a run in the eighth but the bullpen, which included appearances from Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol, held the Brewers. Don't look now, but the Cubs are only 2.5 out of first. The two teams tangle again this afternoon at 1:20 p.m. (CSN).

• Police have arrested a man in connection with an attempted assault on a doctor in her office earlier this week; the man was turned in by his girlfriend.
• Has Mayor Daley ditched Stroger for Preckwinkle in the upcoming Cook County Board President race?
• A quick thinking paramedic helped save a woman who suffered a heart attack at the Taste of Chicago earlier today.

  

Cubs Boot Bucs

As we head into the holiday weekend, there's a bit of sports news to catch up on.

The White Sox hit Cleveland ace Cliff Lee early and often on their way to a rain-shortened 11-4 drubbing of the Indians. The Sox got off to a quick start, knocking in four runs in the first including a two-run homer from Paul Konerko. Rookie Gordon Beckham went yard in the third and Josh Fields added a solo shot in the fifth as the Sox scored in each of the first six innings except the second and chased Lee after knocking him around for seven runs in just over three innings pitched. As for the Sox, Clayton Richard gave up four runs, struck out six, and got the win. The rain - which forced the game to be called in the top of the seventh - also helped preserve the Sox bullpen as Richard threw all six innings for the Sox. The final game of the series gets underway in Cleveland tonight at 6:05 p.m. (WCIU).

  

Cubs Ease Past Pirates

Another week, another great war of words between the North Side baseball team and they're South Side counterparts. Cubs manager Lou Piniella started things when he pointed out the attendance spike at U.S. Cellular Field for the Cubs series, which was much larger than attendance at last week's Sox games versus the Dodgers. Never one to mince words about either team, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen replied, "Because our fans are not stupid like Cubs fans. They know we're [expletive]...Wrigley Field is just a bar." Of course, it didn't help matters that Piniella had previously accused White Sox security members of leaking information about the Lou-Milton Battle of the Head Cases to reporters. But, hey, at least we have one more Sox-Cubs game left, a make-up from a first-round rain-out, in which to see tempers boil over. [Tribune via Deadspin]

    

After a pair of back-and-forth offensive battles, the second round of the Crosstown Classic closed with a killer pitching performance from White Sox starter John Danks dominated the Cubs lineup en route to a 6-0 shutout to take the game and the series. Danks gave up four hits and struck out five over the first seven innings, completely shutting down the Cubs offense; reliever Scott Linebrink pitched two hitless innings to close the game out. Overall, Danks is 2-0 versus the Cubs this year, striking out 14 and allowing only one run over 14 innings pitched. Said Danks after the game, "I didn't throw as many strikes this time around, but I feel like I was still able to make the big pitch when I had to and guys were making plays all over the field for me."

Another day, another thriller. For the third time in their four games this season, the winning team came from behind late for victory as this time the White Sox earned a walk-off win over the Cubs 8-7. The Sox opened the scoring by piecing together runs in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead. The Cubs responded in the top of the third by knocking a few in themselves to knot the game at 2-2 and took the lead on a D-Lee sac fly in the fifth. The Pale Hose countered with a Scott Podsednik solo homer and A.J Pierzinski slapping a bases loaded single to score two, putting the Sox ahead 5-3. The see-saw battle continued in the sixth courtesy of a two-RBI double by Alfosno Soriano and an RBI single by Ryan Theriot to put the Cubs up 6-5. That lead lasted all of a few minutes as in the bottom of the inning, Podsednik singled in Wise for his third RBI of the game, tying the game at 6-6.

If yesterday's game was any indication, this round of the Crosstown Classic promises to hold some of the same excitement we're used to from this series. A back-and-forth game where both teams had chances to score, the Cubs took the first of three on the South Side, edging the Sox 5-4 yesterday. Jermaine Dye belted his 17th homer of the year in the bottom of the first to give the Sox an early 1-0 edge over Randy Wells and the Cubs, but the Cubs got two of their own in the fourth courtesy of surging rookie Jake Fox. The lead didn't last long, though, as Jim Thome homered in the bottom of the same inning to tie the game at 2-2. In the top of the seventh, Jose Contreras - who seemed to have some back issues earlier in the game but was left in - gave up a three-run shot to Geovany Soto, putting the Cubs ahead 5-2.

Cubs catcher Geovany Soto tested positive for pot at this year's World Baseball Classic, meaning he's banned from international play for the next two years. Meanwhile, he will face no disciplinary action from either the Cubs or Major League Baseball. In a statement released by the team yesterday, Soto said:

The Sox and Dodgers played extra baseball and in the end it came down to Scott Podsednik who provided the heroics for the Pale Hose, driving in the winning run in the bottom of the 13th to give the Sox the 6-5 victory. The Sox found themselves down 4-0 going into the bottom of the fifth as the Dodgers knocked around starter Clayton Richard. But then in the fifth the Sox started the comeback, courtesy of a Konerko solo shot and an RBI triple from Wise. The Sox then went ahead in the sixth thanks to A.J. Pierzynski's three-run homer only to see the Dodgers tie the game at 5-5 in the seventh. But the Sox bullpen went into lockdown mode as Scott Linebrink, Matt Thornton, Bobby Jenks, Octavio Dotel and Aaron Poreda combined for 0 runs and 8 K's over six innings of relief. Poreda ultimately got the win when, in the bottom of the 13th, Podsednik knocked a two-out bases loaded single for the win. Afterward, Podsednik said, "Game-winning hits are always fun, but most importantly, to win the series against a club like the Dodgers, who came into town with the best record, maybe that will give us some momentum here. We haven't been playing that great at home, so maybe that will give us some momentum going into the Cubs series."

The Cubs missed a bundle of opportunities to score en route to a 5-3 loss in Detroit last night, their third straight loss. Overall, the team batted 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. Geovany Soto showed some power with a solo shot and Derek Lee extended his hitting streak to 21 games but the Cubs inability to take advantage of scoring opportunities sank them. Rich Harden also struggled on the mound, losing his third straight decision as he gave up four runs - two earned - over 5.1 innings pitched. Not that the bullpen fared much better as both Heilman and Marmol walked in runs. The series finale starts at 12:05 p.m. this afternoon (WGN).

John Danks gave the White Sox his third straight quality start, but it wasn't enough to deliver a win as the Sox bullpen and bats couldn't hold up their end of the bargain and the Sox fell 5-2. Danks was rough early, giving up three runs in the first two innings, but then settled down and held the Dodgers scoreless for the remainder of his seven innings. But his early stumbles, including a two-run homer given up to LA's James Loney in the second, were too much for the Sox to overcome. Matt Thornton gave up two runs in relief in the eighth to help LA along to victory. Of course, credit is also due to LA's starter, Hiroki Kuroda, who held the Sox to two runs on four hits over 8.2 innings. Paul Konerko provided an offensive spark early for the Sox with a solo homer in the second, but the Sox couldn't get much going after that. Game two of the three game set gets underway tonight at 7:11 p.m. (WCIU).

The Cubs made a quick trip to Atlanta on a scheduled off day yesterday for a make-up game and in the end the offense took an off day anyway as the Braves shut out the North Siders 2-0, wasting a good performance by starter Ryan Dempster. Despite getting nine hits and having runners in scoring position in multiple innings, the Cubs couldn't knock in any runs off Braves starter Javier Vazquez. Jake Fox started in place of the $136 Million Dollar Man and Micah Hoffpauir started in place of Milton Bradley. Dempster saw a strong start go to waste, as he gave up only two runs and and struck out six over 6.2 innings. Said Sweet Lou, "We got enough hits. We just didn't hit with men on base. Vazquez pitched well. Both starting pitchers pitched well. But when you get 10 hits, you figure you'll score a few. We just didn't do it." Not to mention leaving 12 men on base overall. After the quick trip down South, the Cubs have huffed it back up to Detroit where they open a three-game set against the AL Central leading Tigers tonight at 6:05 p.m. (WGN).

Randy Wells earned his first Major League win on Sunday as the Cubs defeated the Indians 6-2. Wells, who has the lowest ERA of the Cubs' starters, finally got some run support as he pitched six-plus innings of five-hit, two-run baseball. Following a Geovany Soto homer in the second and a sacrifice fly from Jake Fox in the fourth, Wells helped his own cause with a base hit that lead to a big fifth inning for Chicago. A bases-loaded single from Derrek Lee, and bases-loaded walk to Soto and a bases-loaded double by Fox gave Chicago four runs in the frame and a 6-0 advantage. Lee's RBI knock extended his current hitting streak to 18 games, a span in which the 2007 All-Star is hitting .365. The Cubs look to take their winning streak on the road with an one-night stand in Atlanta this evening before continuing to Detroit for a three-game series that starts on Tuesday.

The Cubs walked off with another win versus the Cleveland Indians and Kerry Wood yesterday, triumphing 6-5 in 13 innings. Cleveland broke a 4-4 deadlock in the top of the 13th when Luis Valbuena hit his second solo shot of the contest, putting the pressure on a Cubs’ offense that had been held scoreless since the sixth. Kosuke Fukudome started the bottom half with his fourth hit of the game, singling to right. He then made a break for second on the third strike to Koyie Hill and advanced all the way to third on an errant throw by Indian’s catcher Kelly Shoppach. A subsequent single by pinch-hitter Andres Blanco plated Fukudome to tie the game, and Aaron Miles’ base knock moved Blanco to within 90 feet of a Cubs’ victory. The game came to an abrupt end when Wood uncorked a wild 1-1 fastball that bounced to the backstop, allowing Blanco to come home with ease for the winning run. Derrek Lee and Micah Hoffpauir provided the Cubs’ early offense, both hitting two-run homers in the middle innings to keep their club in the mix. Starter Ted Lilly turned in six quality innings and seven pitchers later David Patton notched the win. The Cubs will go for the sweep at 1:20 this afternoon.

The Cubs notched another glorious comeback victory on Friday, beating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings. Trailing 7-0 through the first 4.5 frames, Derrek Lee officially brought the Cubs back to square with a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth off familiar face Kerry Wood. Then with two outs in the tenth, another former teammate, Luis Vizcaino, walked Alfonso Soriano, who then moved into scoring position with a swipe of second. Ryan Theriot worked the count full and then slapped a line drive past Cleveland's Victor Martinez for the game-winning RBI. By the time starter Rich Harden made his final pitch in the fifth, the Tribe had scored seven runs on seven hits. The Cubs, with only two hits to their name, began making inroads when Reed Johnson drove the first pitch from Cliff Lee deep into the center field bleachers for Chicago's first run of the day. Derrek Lee followed suit in the sixth, adding another solo shot to the teams' total, and the Cubs then piled on four runs in the eighth to make it a game again. Kevin Gregg got his second straight win, as the Cubs 'pen allowed just one hit in four innings of relief. The Cubs and Cleveland will play round two at 12:05 this afternoon.

The Cubs got one back Thursday afternoon with a dramatic comeback effort, defeating the White Sox 6-5. Trailing 5-1 with two away in the eighth, Derrek Lee eeked a three-run homer into the basket in right field, bringing the Cubs back to life. Geovany Soto then followed suit, making it back-to-back jacks off reliever Scott Linebrink, tying the game at five. Kevin Gregg pitched the Cubbies through the top of the ninth unscathed, and with two out and two strikes in the bottom half, Alfonso Soriano flared a single to right field, plating Reed Johnson and winning the game in walk-off fashion. Leading up to the dramatic conclusion, Carlos Zambrano and Gavin Floyd traded scoreless innings until the sixth, when Brian Anderson singled home Jermaine Dye for the Sox. Derrek Lee then responded in the bottom half on the inning with a ground-out RBI, evening the score at one. Big Z was saddled with two more runs when Alexei Ramirez went yard in the seventh, and the Sox made the North Siders' situation look dire with RBI knocks from both Chris Getz and Gordon Beckham in the eighth, extending their lead to four. The loss went to Matt Thornton and the win to Gregg, ending the rain-shortened series at one game apiece. The Cubs stay put to host the Indians this afternoon, and the Sox are off to Cincy for three games with the Reds.

And you thought the Cubs' problems this season were confined to a shaky bullpen and quiet bats. It seems the Tribune Company isn't dealing with just the Ricketts family, the original high bidder, anymore. According to Crain's, a "period of exclusivity" has elapsed, opening the door for the Tribune Company to begin negotiating with other bidders, specifically those who the Ricketts had previously outbid. The group the Tribune Co. is now talking to includes investors Marc Utay and Leo Hindery, who had previously bid on the team.