13-6: Ronny Cedeno is Clutch?!

It's been a wacky season thus far, boys and girls. The Cubs are in first place in April (!?), Carlos Zambrano is Mr. Cool Cucumber, and Ronny Cedeno is clutch. That's right, I said it. Ronny Cedeno is clutch. Let that sink in a moment. Digest it. His last four plate appearances with the bases loaded, Cedeno is 4 for 4. How the holy purple fuck did that happen? In the 8th inning last night, the Cubs loaded the bases with no one out. DeRosa and Soto Rooter both struck out, bringing Cedeno to the plate and at that point I believed Aaron Heilman was going to wiggle off the hook the Cubs had snared him on. Not so. Cedeno had an impressive at bat, fouling off several pitches before finally notching a 2 run base hit, extending the inning for Felix Pie, who deposited one in the seats. Nice.

Now I've bagged on Cedeno in the past. Will probably bag on him again if he continues to make mental mistakes. But it was nice to see the kid work the count, foul some pitches off, and be rewarded for the effort. After DeRosa and Soto both flailed away, Ronny's patience stood out in stark contrast. Nice job, Ronny. Stop airmailing first base and I'll give you more love, brother.

El Toro Loco was up to his usual tricks on the mound. He looked really sharp, allowing just one run through seven. This guy truly is an ace now, people. Has maturity finally caught up to the Bull? It's starting to look that way. He's still fiery, but it's a focused intensity now. He's working through jams without beating himself. Whatever it is, it's awesome to behold.

Another nice note was Felix Pie's home run that broke the game open. Here's a kid who's struggled, but Lou Pinella and Gerald Perry have worked hard with him. Hopefully that'll pay off. The coolest thing was the shot of Lou in the dugout, almost jumping out of his skin with excitement when Pie hit the ball. That's the kind of passion I love to see, passion Dusty never seemed to exhibit. If there was any doubt that Lou Pinella sparked this team and made them better, that clip erases it all. We may not win it all this year, but I have faith that this team will play their asses off.