Nicely Done! Cubs 7 Reds 4

Well, the Cubs won their first game! It's nice to start a season with such high expectations on a positive note.

The positives - (1) the Cubs put up nice run support for Kerry, and the Bullpen held the lead - boy does that feel different from last year! (2) Corey Patterson hits a homer four pitches after Dick Cheney throws out the ceremonial first pitch - he is looking like he is picking up right where he left off from last season! (3) The Aramis line - no errors to date, and he even contributed to a nice double play with Grudzielanek & Lee! (4) The Grudzielanek line - 3/5! Many folks are predicting Grudz to have considerably less impact this year, so I'm keeping a close eye on him. (5) Moises comes through in the clutch with a 2 out base clearing double! I've been saying for a while that Alou is in a contract year trying to justify why anyone should even consider paying him $9 million Greenbacks a year - so keep an eye on him. (6) Michael "The Golden Goose" Barrett goes 2/4 - I'm hoping he lives up to the nick name I've come up with for him and continues to lay golden eggs for us. (7) Wuertz! Nice inning of relief against the latter part of the Reds lineup. (8) Lest we forget - Antonio Alfonseca is no longer a cub & what's better - the Braves picked him up! I can only hope he pays them back negatively in some small measure for all the years of anguish cubdom experienced watching Mad Dog in a Braves uniform accumulating 3 Cy Young's.

The Negatives - (1) Joe Borowski is frightening - walking the 9 spot pinch-hitter and then walking their leadoff man in the bottom of the ninth with a precarious 3 run lead is the type of stuff that produces indigestion. I'm not so sure that not fighting for a job this spring was such a good thing for Old Joe. He did pick up the save, which is what really counts - but I am nervous about the havoc a potent St Louis or Houston lineup would wreak on JoeBo. (2) The offense fizzled after the 6th (apart from Dunn's run-producing error in the 8th).

Up next - Mad Dog in his Cub Reprise!