I went away for the weekend, and while I missed much, I don't think anybody missed me.  The Cubs dominated the Pirates the way a championship team should, and they then hosted the Mets today in the first of a two game series.  Oh, and they whupped 'em, y'know, the way a championship team should.

Actually, it was a pretty close game until the 8th inning.  The Cubs were holding onto a scant one-run lead - brought forth by the mighty power of that dirty cock fighter Aramis Ramirez, whose batting average is now up to .282 with 5 homers - and Carlos was probably sweating bullets between his swigs of Mountain Dew Amp.  Then, the Mets busted out the lead gloves and the Cubs brought in the hammer, which this time was placed in the hands of the ever-resilient Felix Pie. 

In other, more descriptive words, Derrek Lee started out the eighth inning by reaching on an error, Ramirez reached on being plunked, Fukudome continued his Clutch with a not-trying-to-do-too-much single, and right when it looked like the Mets were on the brink of getting out of it, Ronny Cedeno singled in two runs.  Ronny Cedeno.  But then, then! Felix Pie stepped in, hefted his boomstick, and hit a feel-good homerun to put the game permanently out of reach.  

The Cubs won the game, their 13th in 19 tries, ensuring that they will remain in first place for another evening while the Cardinals and Brewers beat each other up.  Not bad for a team that was supposed to start slow because the schedule was stacked against them.  In the cold weather of April, the Cubs have now scored 118 runs, temporarily giving them the most in all of baseball until Arizona catches them again a little later tonight.  

The Mets, meanwhile, remain in second place behind the Miracle Marlins.  My suspicion is that New York is struggling a little because, as exampled by their two errors tonight, they haven't broken in their leather yet.  No, not that leather.  This leather:

The Cubs will try to mini-sweep tomorrow.  Until then...

No, wait, sorry.  Got confused.