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The friendly confines of Wrigley Field haven't been this friendly to the Chicago Cubs in a very long time.
After recording the highest run total at Wrigley Field in nearly seven years, the Cubs look to continue their strong offensive play at home on Thursday when they close a three-game series against the NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers.
Chicago (17-10) has scored at least seven runs in each of its last six home games, averaging 11.2 runs and batting .362. The Cubs' lone loss in that stretch was a 10-7 defeat to the Brewers (15-12) in the opener of this series on Tuesday, but Chicago made up for it with an explosive performance on Wednesday night.
The Cubs improved to 11-5 at home with a 19-5 rout of the Brewers, recording the highest run total by any team at Wrigley Field since they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 20-1 on May 5, 2001.
The top four players in Chicago's batting order combined to score nine runs, and five Cubs had multihit games, including rookie catcher Geovany Soto, who hit two three-run homers.
"Guys have really helped me with the mental aspect of the game. You have to go through the bad times to learn," said Soto, who struck out in eight straight at-bats during Chicago's previous series. "Hopefully, it'll never happen again."
Though the Cubs' offense didn't look like it needed much help in the team's last outing, it could get a lift with the return of outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who's expected to return after a stint on the disabled list with a strained right calf.
Soriano got hurt in the first inning of a game against Cincinnati on April 15 and landed on the DL for the second time in his career -- both since signing an eight-year, $136 million deal with Chicago before the 2007 season.
Soriano said Wednesday his leg feels fine and he'll be "100 percent" upon his return.
"I feel good," he said. "I said two weeks when (I was injured). I feel very good. My calf is very strong. We'll see what I can do tomorrow and the rest of the season."
The Cubs hope it's more than he did in his first 13 games. Soriano was batting .175 (10-for-57) with two home runs and five RBIs before the injury. However, he hit .299 with 33 homers and 70 RBIs in 135 games last season while leading the team with 97 runs scored.
Soriano and the Cubs hope to continue their offensive surge at home for ace Carlos Zambrano (4-1, 2.21 ERA), who has held opponents to three total runs in 21 innings in winning three straight starts.
On Saturday, the right-hander allowed five hits in seven innings of a 7-0 victory over Washington.
"So far, I've been throwing the ball the way I want and throwing a lot of strikes," Zambrano told the Cubs' official Web site.
Zambrano is 9-8 with a 3.99 ERA in 21 career games -- 20 starts -- against the Brewers. He held them to three hits in 6 2-3 scoreless innings on opening day March 31, when the Cubs fell 4-3 in 10 innings.
Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 0.64) didn't pitch in that season-opening series because he was on the disabled list with a left knee injury. But he has returned to make two starts, limiting opponents to one run and 10 hits in 14 innings. The Brewers, though, have dropped both of those games.
Gallardo went seven innings in the team's 3-0, 10-inning loss to Florida on Friday. He gave up two runs in six innings in his only career start against the Cubs last June 29, failing to factor in the decision of Chicago's 6-5 comeback victory.
This is the final meeting between last year's top two finishers in the NL Central until they play a four-game set in Milwaukee from July 28-31.
After recording the highest run total at Wrigley Field in nearly seven years, the Cubs look to continue their strong offensive play at home on Thursday when they close a three-game series against the NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers.
Chicago (17-10) has scored at least seven runs in each of its last six home games, averaging 11.2 runs and batting .362. The Cubs' lone loss in that stretch was a 10-7 defeat to the Brewers (15-12) in the opener of this series on Tuesday, but Chicago made up for it with an explosive performance on Wednesday night.
The Cubs improved to 11-5 at home with a 19-5 rout of the Brewers, recording the highest run total by any team at Wrigley Field since they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 20-1 on May 5, 2001.
The top four players in Chicago's batting order combined to score nine runs, and five Cubs had multihit games, including rookie catcher Geovany Soto, who hit two three-run homers.
"Guys have really helped me with the mental aspect of the game. You have to go through the bad times to learn," said Soto, who struck out in eight straight at-bats during Chicago's previous series. "Hopefully, it'll never happen again."
Though the Cubs' offense didn't look like it needed much help in the team's last outing, it could get a lift with the return of outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who's expected to return after a stint on the disabled list with a strained right calf.
Soriano got hurt in the first inning of a game against Cincinnati on April 15 and landed on the DL for the second time in his career -- both since signing an eight-year, $136 million deal with Chicago before the 2007 season.
Soriano said Wednesday his leg feels fine and he'll be "100 percent" upon his return.
"I feel good," he said. "I said two weeks when (I was injured). I feel very good. My calf is very strong. We'll see what I can do tomorrow and the rest of the season."
The Cubs hope it's more than he did in his first 13 games. Soriano was batting .175 (10-for-57) with two home runs and five RBIs before the injury. However, he hit .299 with 33 homers and 70 RBIs in 135 games last season while leading the team with 97 runs scored.
Soriano and the Cubs hope to continue their offensive surge at home for ace Carlos Zambrano (4-1, 2.21 ERA), who has held opponents to three total runs in 21 innings in winning three straight starts.
On Saturday, the right-hander allowed five hits in seven innings of a 7-0 victory over Washington.
"So far, I've been throwing the ball the way I want and throwing a lot of strikes," Zambrano told the Cubs' official Web site.
Zambrano is 9-8 with a 3.99 ERA in 21 career games -- 20 starts -- against the Brewers. He held them to three hits in 6 2-3 scoreless innings on opening day March 31, when the Cubs fell 4-3 in 10 innings.
Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 0.64) didn't pitch in that season-opening series because he was on the disabled list with a left knee injury. But he has returned to make two starts, limiting opponents to one run and 10 hits in 14 innings. The Brewers, though, have dropped both of those games.
Gallardo went seven innings in the team's 3-0, 10-inning loss to Florida on Friday. He gave up two runs in six innings in his only career start against the Cubs last June 29, failing to factor in the decision of Chicago's 6-5 comeback victory.
This is the final meeting between last year's top two finishers in the NL Central until they play a four-game set in Milwaukee from July 28-31.
