'The best hands in the game'

Even a day later, the great backhanded scoop by first baseman Derrek Lee in Saturday's eighth inning, a play which got reliever Kevin Gregg out of a bases-loaded jam, was still all the talk in the clubhouse.

"He's got the best hands in the game, and he can hit - that's the crazy part," Gregg told WGN 720-AM. "His defense ... you cannot say enough about it."

Rookie hazing: When the Cubs took the field against Nationals rookie hurler Garrett Mock on Sunday it marked the third straight game they had faced a rookie starter (the streak began with Craig Stammen and Jordan Zimmermann).

The last time the Cubs faced three straight rookie starters was September 27-29, 2005, against Pittsburgh's Zach Duke and Paul Maholm, followed by Houston's Wandy Rodriguez.

Chat room: Cubs manager Lou Piniella told reporters he had "a nice talk" with slumping Milton Bradley and plans on working with him on his hitting in Philadelphia.