Cubs have gone 8-10 in their last 18

We all know about the players who are hurt now with the Cubs so no sense going over that.

Their mediocre performance has not been the fault of Moises Alou, Aramis Ramirez, Todd Hollandsworth, Michael Barrett, or Jose Macias (0.348 / 0.348 / 0.522 in his last 46 PAs). Ramirez has contributed nine extra-base hits, sixteen runs and fifteen RBIs since he started pissing on his hands May 10th. Ramirez is on fire and his team isn't winning more than eight of eighteen. That sounds vaguely familiar to me.

Todd Walker has been a little disappointing and the bench - Goodwin, Bako, Jackson, some other scrubs - have put only stones into the team's stone soup.

Derrek Lee has been wretched, hitting 0.227 / 0.282 / 0.364 over his last 71 PAs. No idea why he's slumping. Ramon Martinez has been even worse - 0.213 / 0.273 / 0.295 - but he's Ramon Martinez so we know why he's slumping. No wonder Rey Ordonez was called up.

Glendon Rusch has been a big surprise to me in his last four starts, holding all opposing batters to a 0.269 / 0.306 / 0.344 line while walking a stingy number. It's surprising he only has one win to show for it. Matt Clement and funny beard have been outstanding. Carlos Zambrano has been excellent. Sergio Mitre has been awful.

The bullpen has been solid but Joe Borowski has been torched to the tune of 0.276 / 0.371 / 0.586. He has been striking out few and walking many.

8-10 is not a terrible record for a nineteen-game stretch. Obviously the Cubs have had some ups and downs, but it's not like the sky is falling. Prior's return will remove Mitre from the rotation and Rusch has been dandy while Wood's away. Obviously they want Lee to find his stroke and they'd love to get Sosa back and in his old form. I doubt Alou and Ramirez will keep up the blistering pace. Hollandsworth may also cool off. The Cubs are not playing that far below their abilities, I think, and are closer to a .500 team - in this division - than most people think. No doubt, however, that they have a vicious set of starting pitchers and should be able to win any given series if Baker can stack the rotation for it. Over the long run, if Rusch continues to pitch this well, they may be able to do just fine with Jimmy Anderson out there should they face another stretch when injuries sideline any two of Prior, Wood, Maddux, Zambrano, and Clement.