Ward on Cloud Nine after grand slam

Daryle Ward was still feeling on top of the world Sunday afternoon when he reported to Wrigley Field -- 24 hours after his grand slam helped give the Cubs a big win over the Cardinals.

"I've still got the smile on my face," Ward said.

Ward got more than his usual number of messages Saturday night and made sure to catch his home run on ESPN.

"I went home and turned on the TV and watched SportsCenter and kind of enjoyed the moment," he said. "It was good to see the reaction of everyone because the feeling was so great."

Being in a pennant race with the Cubs can quickly turn players such as Ward into local heroes. Simply being a Cub and seeing how the fans support the team at home and on the road has been eye-opening for Ward, who has played previously for the Astros, Pirates, Dodgers, Nationals and Braves.

"The fans support here is unbelievable, whether it's at home or on the road," Ward said. "There's such a great following it's almost like a rock band. It's almost like playing for the Yankees, where people are everywhere pulling for them.

"I really didn't pay any attention to that when I was on other teams, but now that I think back when I was in Houston and Pittsburgh, whenever the Cubs came in I would notice they had half of our stadium and think, 'Wow, they have a lot of fans here rooting for them.' You know when you get cheers in someone else's ballpark that there's something special about it."

Ward was back in the lineup Sunday, batting fifth and just hoping to help the Cubs keep the momentum going against the Cardinals.

"These games are unbelievable, the crowd is so loud," Ward said. "We can't even hear ourselves calling for the ball in the outfield."