We haven't even completed two full weeks of the Major League Baseball season yet, but the (arguably) best rivalry in the National League is already giving us a taste of what an exciting race the NL Central could be this year. With all due respect to the Reds, Astros, Brewers and Pirates, and with all due disclaimers about how long the baseball season is, it seems blatantly obvious the two best teams in the division are the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. For the past three days, the two teams have put on an entertaining show for anyone fortunate enough to be watching. Each game went down the wire, with both teams showing a flair for the dramatic.
Thursday, the Cardinals built a 3-1 lead, only to see a Kosuke Fukudome 3-run homer put the Cubs ahead by a run after five innings. That lead didn't last long, however, as Khalil Greene quickly made his presence felt in the rivalry with his first Cardinal home run, a solo job tying the score at 4-all. The following inning, the Cubs got runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and then bases loaded with one out. Milton Bradley took the backward strikeout on a questionable call, which led to his first Cubbie ejection. Alfonso Soriano then flied out to end the threat. Again, the Cardinals wasted little time taking advantage of the Cubs' lost opportunity, as they scored two runs in the 7th and tacked on a home run in the 8th. An easy ninth for de facto closer Ryan Franklin, and the Cardinals took the win and opened up a two-game lead in the Central.
Not for long, though.
Friday and Saturday gave us 20 innings, 16 different pitchers (three of whom appeared in both games), 27 runs, 38 hits, 6 home runs, big pitches, clutch hitting, Soriano's cannon and a few Yadier Molina lasers to boot. Oh yeah, and those two days also yielded two Cubs victories -- meaning the teams head into Sunday Night Baseball tied atop the Central (Cubs by percentage points, technically, as they sit 7-4 to the Cardinals' 8-5 record). Soriano and Aramis Ramirez each came through with a clutch two-run home run to win the game.
The offensive firepower on display thus far in Wrigley Field from both teams has been very impressive. The Cardinals have hit 7 home runs in the past three games, and Albert Pujols has accounted for zero of them. Ryan Ludwick is busy proving last year was no fluke. The Cubs trailed in every game, but came back nearly every time -- seemingly with ease. Each lineup can hurt you from top to bottom, as several rallies in the series have been sparked with the 7-8-9 batting order spots leading off innings. Two outs are never enough, as a few rallies have been kick-started with a two-out walk. Each team can bunt, run or hit the long ball.
You know the heavy hitters, but lesser knowns like Brian Barden, Micah Hoffpauir, Angel Guzman and Joe Thurston have played key roles in the past three games. Rookie P.J. Walters squared off against Carlos Zambrano. Carlos Marmol mowed the Cardinals down for two innings -- on consecutive days -- and then was chased by consecutive doubles the next inning. Chris Perez yielded the huge Soriano bomb on Friday, but came back Saturday to hurl a scoreless frame.
While the games have been far from perfect -- judging from some bad errors, baserunning snafus and control problems on the mound -- they have been exciting to watch. All in all, we're getting the pleasure of witnessing yet another chapter in a storied rivalry. The Cubs and Cards still play 13 more times in 2009 (if not more in the playoffs), including doing this whole song and dance again next week in St. Louis. The two teams are clearly the cream of the NL Central, and they'll be duking it out all season atop the division for a playoff berth. Why would this year be any different? The Cubs and Cardinals have accounted for every NL Central Championship since 1999 (Cardinals tied the Astros in '01, but I'm counting it). Sure, they both have deficiencies. The Cardinals have glaring defensive weaknesses when Chris Duncan plays left field and Skip Schumaker plays second. The Cubs' bullpen can't throw strikes with consistency. The Cardinals closer situation is unsettled. Some don't believe Fukudome can keep swinging the bat like he is and the Cubs will likely be dealing with Bradley's health issues most of the season.
Allow me to exercise the good ol' "it's early" clause to address those questions. Good teams figure out how to best use their bullpen over the early months of the season, and they have potential help in the minors -- especially the Cubs with Jeff Samardzija and Kevin Hart. Both teams have deep enough and useful enough benches to work around their weaknesses and injuries -- as illustrated by the offensive output in the absence of Troy Glaus and Bradley, respectively.
Ask any Cubs or Cardinals fan. Though they have disdain for their intra-division rival, they'll say the Cubs vs. Cardinals atop the division is the way it should be. Just as long as their team comes out on the very top, of course.
