The Cubs began the season with great expectations after last year’s surprising success and no one in the clubhouse has lowered them three games into a 162-game campaign.
After the Cubs fell, 5-3, to Cincinnati on Thursday to drop their first road series, losing pitcher Matt Clement said it’s too soon to worry about performances.
“You can look at it from two perspectives,” Clement said. “From the team’s (perspective), it is one series and we’re 1-2. It’s not like it’s the end of the world. We’d have loved to come in here and win two of three or sweep ’em even. But (Cincinnati) is a good team. We can’t just throw our hats on the field and win.”
Clement endured the worst spring training of his major-league career, going 0-3 with an 8.84 earned-run average.
Sammy Sosa hit his 540th career home run and drove in all three Cubs runs. The Cubs hit a combined .214 from the fifth through ninth innings during the three-game series.
“Guys are going to hit. It’s just a matter of time,” Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. “Don’t start worrying yet. We have 159 games to go. That’s a long, long way to go.”
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Weekend series: Cubs at Braves
FRIDAY
6:35 p.m., WGN
RHP Carlos Zambrano,
13-11, 3.11 ERA in 2003
vs. LHP Horacio Ramirez, 12-4, 4.00 ERA in 2003
SATURDAY
6:05 p.m., Fox Sports Net
RHP Kerry Wood,
1-0, 7.20 ERA
vs. RHP Jared Wright,
2-5, 7.35 ERA in 2003
SUNDAY
12:05 p.m., WGN
RHP Sergio Mitre,
0-1, 8.31 ERA
vs. RHP Russ Ortiz,
0-1, 11.57 ERA
