Home-Cooking Sends Cubs on the Road on Fire!

The Cubs are one HOT team.  They just completed a 10-game road stand with an 8-2 record; the last time the Cubs have won eight games on a homestand was way back in 1978.  This team, everyone included, is just too hot for any team to handle right now.  With everyone clicking on all cylinders, the Chicago Cubs are atop the MLB Pole-Position.  Did I mention they are hot?  Okay, enough of the much-deserved love-fest for now, let's get down to the real business.  The Cubs, at 27-17, now sit atop their perch of the NL Central Division by 2.0 games.  After a homestand that saw great pitching performances by starters (Dempster is 5-1) and bullpen alike (are you ready for some Marmolade?), Soriano hit .525 with 7 HR and 16 RBI, some helpful acquisitions and call-ups (Jim Edmonds, Micah Hoffpauir), and every player contribute, things are only looking up on the North Side.  Just to appreciate the dominance of the Cubs' performance thus far, consider that they are leading the entire Major Leagues with 255 runs scored (Boston is second with 239), a .373 team OBP leads the majors, and have a pitching staff that is currently ranked in the Top 3 in the NL in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts.  As far as individual performances, the aforementioned Alfonso Soriano is on one of his patented hot-streaks, in which he has launched 7 HR in just 6 games while hitting .525 over the last 10 games (video here and here).  The rookies Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukudome have been on-base machines, playing like they are the only two rookies in the league that deserve the ROY award (there homers can be viewed here and here).  Pitching wise, Carlos Marmol has been absolutely filthy, striking out 40 batters this year over just 28.0 innings.  Ryan Dempster, meanwhile, has 5 wins and is third in the NL with a 2.35 ERA, just ahead of the fourth place Carlos Zambrano's 2.45 ERA.  There have been a hand full of surprises, as well; such as DeRosa's versatile defense, Sean Gallagher's emergence over this homestand as a viable 5th starter, and the bargain-acquisition by Hendry of veteran Jim Edmonds to share playing time in center while Felix Pie develops in the minors.  Now, on to Houston where the Cubs can continue the fun and give themselves a little separation in the Central between themselves and the 2.5 game-back Houston Astros.