Section 438 in the upper deck during the rain delay

The water seen here being swept by the ground crew was completely gone by game time, a tribute to the crew and the new drainage system

Sean Gallagher lays down a perfect bunt in the second inning. Check out Miguel Montero's pink catching gear. The chest protector looks like a life vest.

Another lesson learned Sunday: don't do this!

Daryle Ward celebrates his game-winning double

Click on photos to open a larger version in a new browser window. All photos by David Sameshima

And just what did we learn today from today's 6-4 Cub win over the Diamondbacks, their second come-from-behind win in a row, completing a sweep over a team that came into Chicago with the best record in baseball?

First, mea culpa to everyone I was talking to in the game thread saying "CALL THIS GAME NOW!" I figured there was no way they'd play this afternoon, given the horrendous weather all morning -- pouring rain, strong winds, feeling like it was 2003 again; so I stayed home during the morning hours (had lunch, did the Sunday Tribune crossword, kept track of weather radars) instead of going to claim my bleacher seat. Watching the webcams (thanks, ballhawk!) we saw that the seats were claimed by about 12:30, so when I arrived Mike, Phil & I sat with, appropriately, I thought, on Mother's Day, some longtime bleacher season ticket holders who are moms, Judy & Colleen, in their seats in right-center field next to the concession stand. Judy's daughter is in her 20's and married, but Colleen had her three young kids in tow. They spent most of their time slopping hot dogs, cokes and cotton candy all over the place, calling each other "idiot", and racing in and out so many times it made my head spin. (The oldest, to her credit, at least attempted to keep score.) Mike said it was "almost as good entertaiment as what was on the field, and free!"

Well, at least before the Cubs mounted their two comebacks, it might have been the best entertainment of the day (No, I'm not including the idiot who ran onto the field, jumping out of the bleachers -- the last guy who tried that broke both his ankles -- who was tackled by security and the off-duty cops who patrol for those sorts of things). But the Cubs, who had given the lead to Arizona in the first inning after two were out and no one on base (I hate those!), took it back with some small ball in the second -- a walk, a single, a sacrifice by Sean Gallagher, and a wild pitch.

The long-ball gave them the lead in the third, in the form of Derrek Lee's opposite-field HR, his tenth.

The lead was coughed up in the fifth, with yet another lesson learned: here was a textbook example of how certain statistics mean absolutely nothing, in this case pitcher ERA's. Sean Gallagher, who I thought threw pretty well before running out of gas in the 5th, gave up hits to three of the first four batters he faced in that inning (after allowing only two hits and two walks through four), and then intentionally walked Chris Young to load the bases while Chad Fox finished his warmup tosses.

Fox shouldn't have bothered. He walked the first two hitters he faced, Conor Jackson and Justin Upton, forcing in two runs. After that Fox settled down and retired the next two hitters, and threw a scoreless sixth, even while issuing another walk.

Thus Fox's ERA goes down, and Gallagher's goes up through no fault of his own. Fox, I think, really doesn't belong on this roster. He's a feel-good story, but that's about it. And I was beginning to be of the mind that Lou didn't know what he was doing, NOT using Fox in a five-run blowout in the 9th inning yesterday, then using him in a key situation today.

Which leads to another lesson learned, and this one was taught both to me and D'backs manager Bob Melvin. After Reed Johnson tied the game with his first Cub HR (hit into the teeth of a 25-MPH wind blowing in from LF), Lou brought in Carlos Marmol yet again (I thought he could have stuck with Michael Wuertz in the 8th; Wuertz threw exactly four pitches in dispatching the D'backs in the 7th) -- I swear, Marmol's arm is going to fall off if Lou keeps this up -- Marmol took care of Arizona easily, and the Cubs came up in the last of the 8th down by two runs.

After Aramis Ramirez singled... well, something happened, and I'm not sure what. Did someone miss a sign? Or did someone not give a sign? Aramis took off for second base and surprised everyone in the ballpark, most of all Arizona catcher Miguel Montero, who nearly flung the ball into the center field ivy; Ramirez was safe for only his 12th career SB, his first since 2006 (and only his fourth since becoming a Cub nearly five years ago).

That's when the fun began. Kosuke Fukudome laid down a perfect bunt that hugged the wet grass down the 3B line (hey! a use for rainy days after all!), which put Ramirez on third with nobody out. After Geovany Soto's "swinging bunt" advanced Dome to second, Lou schooled all of us. Daryle Ward had been on deck to pinch-hit for Marmol, the seemingly "obvious" PH move, but instead, Lou sent up Alfonso Soriano (who got a huge ovation; I suppose, for yesterday's 4-for-5).

Bob Melvin ordered Soriano intentionally walked to load the bases. Then, Ward batted for Felix Pie. Melvin either forgot to have a lefthander up or doesn't trust his bullpen lefties, because Ward slammed Tony Pena's second pitch in the gap right in front of my Sunday perch, winning the game. Sometimes Lou appears to be not-so-slick because, well, some of his postgame comments may not seem as articulate or funny or pithy as some other managers. But oh, he's smart, thinking two steps ahead of the other guy. Bob Melvin and the rest of us: lesson learned.

Kerry Wood hit another batter (didn't he do this a lot as a starter, too?), but got out of the inning with a slick DP turned by Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot and Derrek Lee.

Learned my lessons today: never question Chicago weather, because there was no typhoon today; after it stopped raining it wasn't too cold, though quite windy. And never question Lou Piniella. He's the right guy for this job.

Finally, maybe a lesson learned for some of you who questioned me when I picked the Diamondbacks to finish fourth in the NL West. Yes, they're a good team with good young talent. But they sure didn't impress me this weekend. Savor this sweep; the Cubs just gave notice that they will need to be reckoned with as this season continues what is beginning as a fascinating one.

Click here for my scorecard from today's game

Or, "Rain Delay Theater".

---

---

What is it about the Cubs and Mother's Day? Every year when the Cubs are scheduled at home on this day, the weather is horrendous. Here are some examples from the last few years alone:

• 2002: The game was delayed by rain over two hours and they might as well have not bothered. The Brewers beat up on Jon Lieber and three other pitchers 13-4.
• 2003: This is what we who were there not-so-affectionately call the "Typhoon Game", played in 48-degree weather with the wind blowing at about 40 MPH and a steady rain. They managed to play four innings with the Cardinals leading 11-9 when the umpiring crew -- headed by who else, Cub-hater Bruce Froemming, finally called it. Here's what I wrote about it at the time on my old blog. The Cardinals' Eli Marrero suffered a severe ankle injury which pretty much ruined the rest of his career.
• 2004: Well, at least it was warmer, 80 degrees at game time. This game had three rain delays and went 13 innings; the result was also better. The Cubs won, 7-5 over the Rockies.

Ugh. That's enough. I think whoever the new ownership of the Cubs winds up being, ought to petition the commissioner's office to never, ever, ever, EVER again schedule the Cubs at home on Mother's Day, especially because the weather's going to be crappy again today. In fact, I'd say there's a pretty good chance that today's game will be postponed. The Cubs and Diamondbacks have common off days on July 7 and July 17 -- look for a possible rescheduling on one of those dates, if there's a rainout today.

In fact, let me get on my BCB soapbox for a moment. At this writing -- 10:15 am CDT -- it is absolutely pouring rain in Chicago, 46 degrees and very windy. Yes, I realize there is a lot of money at stake for a postponed game, and yes, I also realize that the new field at Wrigley has a great drainage system. But it is supposed to rain steadily till at least 4:00 this afternoon, and after that it'll be cold and raw. Why not call the game NOW and play it on one of the open dates in July? Then there's no money lost and they can play in better conditions.

Meanwhile, Ryan Dempster has donated 50 tickets to military families disrupted by the war in Iraq for today's game:

"We always do it for Father's Day," Dempster said on Friday, "but I think Mother's Day is just as important."

Dempster started the ticket program a few years ago, and usually hosts families on Father's Day. Because the Cubs will be on the road then, Dempster decided to switch to Mother's Day. The families invited include some whose moms are serving overseas.

Today's Starting Pitchers

C. Zambrano Cubs vs. R. Johnson Diamondbacks 5-1 W-L 2-1 1.80 ERA 5.06 38 SO 28 14 BB 11 3 HR 4 vs. Ari -- vs. Cubs

---

---

---

---

I'm going to write about this pitching matchup as if the game will be played, but of course I'm hoping it won't be.

Since this is probably the last game Randy Johnson will ever pitch in Wrigley Field (barring a postseason Cub/D'back rematch this year), rather than the traditional batter vs. pitcher numbers, I thought I'd talk about Johnson's first appearance in Wrigley Field, nearly 20 years ago on September 20, 1988, when he was a 25-year-old rookie for the Montreal Expos. (Yes, that's right, the Expos. Johnson was shipped to Seattle the next summer for Mark Langston, as the Expos, contenders, wanted a starting pitcher.) Anyway, Johnson, in what was only his second major league start, threw a complete game with 11 strikeouts. But that's not what was remarkable. In the 7th inning, he singled for his first major league hit. And the Cubs' 1B in that game was Manny Trillo. Trillo is generously listed as being 6-1 (he's probably closer to 5-11). Johnson is, as you know, 6-10. I wasn't at this game, but seeing the shot of Johnson on TV, standing at 1B next to Trillo, made Trillo look like a little kid, an indelible memory of Randy Johnson, soon headed to the Hall of Fame.

As for Z, he's been solid all year long, and unlike his last appearance against the D'backs last October, I'm guessing Lou would very much like Z to throw at least seven innings today. He is 1-2, 4.88 in four career regular season starts against Arizona.

Today's game, as Friday's was, on WGN and FSN Arizona. For other games see today's MLB.com Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday (2007 version)

MLB.com Gameday (2008 version)

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Today's overflow comment thread will post at 2:45 pm CT.

Discuss amongst yourselves.