I really don't like the desert

I don't why I always feel uncomfortable when the Cubs head to Phoenix. Maybe it is watching year after year as Randy Johnson dominated the Cubs. Maybe it is because games in that awful stadium look so artificial. 

What is scary about tonight is that Dan Haren's 1-3 record really doesn't paint an accurate pitcher on how well he has pitched this year, reaffirming Justin's belief that win-loss record means absolutely nothing for a pitcher. Haren has posted an ERA of 1.38 so far, and has received a total of one run of support in three games. Yikes.

The good news is that the Diamondbacks haven't been playing well so far this year at 7-11. Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton, and Chris Young have struck out a combined 54 times this year, so if Ted can establish a strong fastball and use his curveball at the right times, he should have some success. 

I just wanted to get my thoughts on Derrek Lee out there. The past two years he has had issues with neck spasms, and he will most likely be back within the next week. However, it really is not the worst thing that he isn't getting at bats right now. Despite Micah Hoffpauir's fielding issues, there really is no question he is driving balls a lot better than D-Lee is this season. It isn't the end of the world that Hoffpauir gets at-bats while he is hot and Lee is not. However, the Cubs success hinges in no small part on Derrek getting healthy and starting to swing the bat at least to the level he did last year.