Inside the Cubs

So who are the real Cubs? That may be the biggest question 66 games into the season, but breaking down the highs and the lows, upside and downside of this club, here are the five questions that emerged out of Monday's opener of what appears to be a daunting road trip to four cities:

Is Thursday's late-inning outburst the sign of a struggling lineup breaking out of its slump, or the inevitable aberration that blips during almost any team funk?

The Cubs figure to get a quick answer to that when they face the reigning American League Cy Young winner, lefty Cliff Lee, Friday at Wrigley - the fifth time this season they'll have faced a Cy Young winner (those pitchers are 3-1, 1.88 against the Cubs).

It's clear to anyone who has seen or worked around Piniella for even the past 15 years that he's slower to rage and less inclined to blow up on the field, at a player or in the media now that he's in his 60s. And, to some degree, maybe now that he's in Chicago.

I covered his Seattle teams for a little over two seasons in the '90s, and he's definitely different now at 65 than he was in his early 50s. But he also has more resources, a deeper team, a different media market (not to mention a different media era) and a different upper-management structure than he's had in previous managerial stops.

And he's at what he calls the final stop in that career, which might tend to give anybody a different outlook.

So what about that famous Piniella fire and ire that many Chicagoans are saying they want and suggesting appears extinguished in the formerly fiery manager?

CINCINNATI - With closer Kevin Gregg into his third month of up-and-down results, and Carlos Marmol in the longest command slump of his relief career, is it time for a shakeup at the end of the Cubs' bullpen?

If so, is Angel Guzman the solution? The ninth inning looked like a good fit tonight -- albeit in a tie game and despite that two-out single.

Why couldn't the Cubs do that?

Not long after the Braves released 300-game winner and franchise icon Tom Glavine Wednesday night, they pulled off a 3-for-1 trade for Pittsburgh center fielder Nate McLouth - the lefty-hitting 2008 All-Star the Cubs at one point dreamed of acquiring.

Talk about stealing the headlines while rubbing it in the noses of the visitors at Turner Field.

ATLANTA - Is it too late to get Mark DeRosa back from Cleveland?

Not that the versatile and productive hitter would have made the Cubs' bullpen look any better in Tuesday night's late-inning meltdown and extra-inning loss in Atlanta.

But going forward, Tuesday's game provided a microcosm of the issues surrounding DeRosa's departure and the void left behind - not the least of which was right fielder Milton Bradley's latest injury.

Where was Lou?

For the first time this season, Cubs manager Lou Piniella declined to meet with reporters after a game. Who could blame him after a painful 2-1 loss Thursday night to the Los Angeles Dodgers? The same Los Angeles Dodgers who humiliated the Cubs in the first round of the 2008 playoffs.

Piniella chooses to blow off reporters after games about once or twice a season. This time, he left everyone guessing about his whereabouts as the Cubs sent starting pitcher Randy Wells into the interview room in the manager's place.

Though some fans would prefer to see a June 2007-style blow-up from Piniella, the fiery manager is trying to stick to his strategy of remaining ultra positive during the Cubs' toughest regular-season stretch since he took over 2 1/2 years ago. There would have been few positives -- outside of another wasted solid outing by Wells -- for Piniella to discuss anyway, so he bit his tongue. The Cubs have lost nine of 11.

''We had plenty of opportunities to win this game,'' leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano said. ''A very frustrating game.''

Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano -- trying to earn his 100th career victory -- instead added another chapter to the crazy side of his career in the seventh inning today against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Arguing a close call at the plate on the tying run, Zambrano was ejected after making contact with plate umpire Mark Carlson. After Carlson gave Zambrano the heave-ho, the veteran pitcher pointed his finger in the ump's face and did an animated routine of his own, ejecting Carlson.

Manager Lou Piniella pulled Zambrano away, but Big Z wasn't done. On his way off the field, he chucked the game ball into left-center field -- taking one hop to the warning track -- then heaved his glove against the fence in front of the Cubs dugout. The glove rebounded and was immediately kicked by pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
And Zambrano still wasn't done.

On his way down the tunnel to the clubhouse, Zambrano grabbed a bat and started whacking the recently repaired Gatorade dispenser in the dugout. He nearly struck his own pitching coach in the process, as Rothschild tried to intervene.
Maybe Zambrano knew his outing was coming to an end. His last pitch was his 114th of the game.

Here's what set him off. With the Cubs leading by a run and Nyjer Morgan at third base, Zambrano threw a wild pitch that bounced toward the Cubs' dugout. Zambrano rushed to cover the plate and catcher Geovany Soto's throw arrived at the same time as Morgan, who was sliding head-first.

Carlson called Morgan safe and Zambrano immediately got in the umpire's face. Replays showed Morgan was indeed safe.

Aside from an automatic fine, Zambrano almost certainly will be suspended by the league for his actions.

Jake Fox was finally summoned to Wrigley Field today after putting up obscene numbers at Class AAA Iowa. Now the Cubs must find a place for the defensively challenged Fox to play.

He can play left field, right field, first base, third base and catcher -- his original position. For the game today against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he is starting off on the bench, where manager Lou Piniella feels he can be a valuable pinch hitter for a lineup that needs some pop. Fox was hitting .423 with 17 home runs, 50 RBI, 40 runs, a .503 on-base percentage and .886 slugging percentage.

And what took so long for him to finally get the call?

''I'm short, fat, I'm fighting against maybe a little athleticism issues,'' Fox said.

Fox will also likely serve as the Cubs' designated hitter for interleague games at American League parks. Here is a question-and-answer session conducted this morning with Fox, one of the most likable players in baseball.

The Cubs announced they will hold their second ''Road to Wrigley'' minor-league game, set for Aug. 9 -- a Sunday -- at 1:20 p.m. featuring the Class AAA Iowa Cubs against the Las Vegas 51s, the Toronto Blue Jays' top affiliate. This will be considered an official Pacific Coast League game.

The Cubs say the game -- featuring ''family-friendly ticket prices -- will include all the atmosphere of a traditional minor-league contest. Tickets are available at www.cubs.com and start at $5. 

Last season, the first ''Road to Wrigley'' on July 29 between the Cubs' Class A Peoria Chiefs and the Oakland Athletics' Kane County Cougars drew 32,103 fans to Wrigley Field for an official Midwest League game.

Jake Peavy closed the door on the White Sox one day, slammed the door on the Cubs' lineup the next, and then afterward, Friday night in San Diego, left the door wide open for a possible beat-'em-then-join-'em scenario with the Cubs.

Here's a quick glance at what's happening around the National League Central.

The Cardinals have made it official: former ace Chris Carpenter will be activated from the disabled list to face the Cubs on Wednesday at Busch Stadium. By starting Carpenter on Wednesday, the Brewers can then have him start the opener of a key series against the Brewers next Monday at Miller Park. The Cardinals were in desperate need of some good news after losing nine of their last 13 games. But St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz says it's too soon for Cards fans to panic. That said, the Cardinals are definitely hurting from a power outage because of injuries. Meanwhile, former Cubs pitcher Todd Wellemeyer had a strange start Sunday: He became the first Redbirds pitcher in at least 55 years to walk at least seven hitters and hit two batters in the same start.

So much for the Brewers taking a nose dive after losing co-aces CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets in the same offseason. The Brewers are the hottest team in baseball and have made a strong statement after an early stumble. Not bad for a team that was in last place on April 21, Since then, the Brewers have gone 19-5 -- moving into first place -- entering their series finale tonight against the Cardinals. ''We're getting good pitching and great hitting,'' left-hander Manny Parra said ''Everything seems to be going together. It makes it a lot of fun to come to the ballpark.'' There is cause for concern in Milwaukee. Second baseman Rickie Weeks has flown to Phoenix to see a hand specialist after hurting his left wrist Sunday while striking out to open the game.

The Reds entered the weekend in a tie for first place, but slipped in San Diego. The road ahead doesn't get much easier. This was a big setback for the Reds, who entered the Padres series with the most victories on the road (13) and best road winning percentage in the majors. Meanwhile, the Reds still have concerns about Joey Votto's dizzy spells. He is expected to undergo more tests today in Cincinnati.