All for one and one for all!
If there's any guy who can provide an accurate gauge as to what's going on with the Cubs these days, it's low-key Ted Lilly.
"What do I think?" Lilly said after the Cubs beat the New York Mets 8-1 Tuesday for a two-game sweep. "My observation has been you've got a bunch of guys who are not talking about what they're doing individually. It's a pretty fun club to be a part of, obviously, because we're winning.
"But the attitude and mentality of the club, you hear guys talking, whether they went 0-for-4 or whatever the case was, they're talking about us winning games. So it's really encouraging for me."
Lilly might have been the pitcher in need of the most encouragement, and he got it Tuesday from his own performance and with a little help from his friends.
The 32-year-old lefty improved to 1-3 and lowered his ERA from 9.16 to 7.30 by giving up 4 hits and 1 run over 6 innings.
He became the fifth Cubs starting pitcher over the last five games to earn a victory as the team improved to 14-6, the first time it's been at that mark since 1975.
And he started looking like the Lilly of old.
"I don't know what my velocity was, but I felt like I was a little bit more aggressive with it," said Lilly, who has battled arm-strength issues early but hit 90 mph with his fastball Tuesday. "I wasn't as flat as I've been in the past, a little bit more on top of my fastball."
Just as they did in Tuesday's 7-1 victory over the Mets, the Cubs got contributions up and down the lineup. They hit Mets starter Nelson Figueroa with 3 runs in the fourth inning, 1 on a double by Ronny Cedeno and 2 on a single by Reed Johnson, who has become invaluable as a leadoff man.
The Mets got 1 in the sixth, but Cedeno capped the eighth with his first career grand slam. Cedeno was playing shortstop in place of Ryan Theriot, who is nursing a sore lower back.
"And they're producing, and they keep telling me they want to stay in the lineup," said manager Lou Piniella, whose team won seven of eight on the homestand. "Cedeno, what a nice couple days he's had here against the Mets.
"As long as he doesn't talk World Series, I'm happy."
After getting a big single in Monday's victory, Cedeno said the Cubs were thinking about the World Series. He was a bit chastened but no less happy about his own performance Tuesday.
"No, I take it back," he said. "I was so happy last night. To talk about the World Series, no.
"Just try and enjoy my opportunity and make good abs (at-bats). I think I'll be OK. I feel more comfortable because I'm getting to play every day."
Cedeno set a career high with his 5 RBI. Mark DeRosa extended his hitting streak to nine games. Kosuke Fukudome reached base five times, and Johnson upped his Wrigley Field average to .368 (.14-for-38). A newcomer to the Cubs, Johnson also is feeling the April magic.
"I think we should be excited as a team right now," he said. "It's tough when you get off to a slow start. When guys dig themselves holes, when teams dig themselves holes, it's tough to get out of those holes. It's definitely good to get off to a hot start. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling. We'll see how long we can ride it out.
"We know that over 162 games, there's going to be some bumps in the road, but we're not worried about that right now. We're just going to enjoy it while it lasts, and we'll go from there."
Cubs 8, Mets 1
At the plate: Ronny Cedeno hit his first career grand slam in the eighth inning to break open a 4-1 game. Kosuke Fukudome reached base all five times he came up. Felix Pie had 2 of the Cubs' 14 hits. The Cubs were 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position, and they left 13 runners stranded, but they got the right hits at the right times.
On the mound: Ted Lilly (1-3) posted his first victory and lowered his ERA from 9.16 to 7.30. It was his first "quality start" as he lasted 6 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 run. Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol held the Mets while the game's outcome was still in question.
-- Bruce Miles