Kevin Gregg News

The Cubs are starting games off with a surprisingly strong rotation that figures to get even better with right-hander Matt Garza's return Tuesday.

When it was announced that the Cubs had picked up Kevin Gregg in the middle of April, North Side fans shuddered at the flashbacks of seven blown saves and a 4.72 ERA back when the veteran righty was the Cubs closer in 2009.

Owners who wrote off Phil Hughes after a pair of stinkers to open the season may not have realized the Yankees right-hander had pitched brilliantly over his past four starts.

Leading Off The show is a little heavier at the top than normal. We actually have something to talk about in The Brian Roberts Watch , and the Medical Wing fills up a bit more .

Has the Chicago Cubs ' bullpen mess become so dysfunctional, the team so desperate for anyone in their system to do anything in the ninth inning, that they've had to dive into the pool of MLB exiles to depths that not even the Detroit Tigers would dare go? Yes, strap in, Cubs fans, because this is going to be quite a ride.

When you look at the number on paper, it's hard to believe -- the Orioles have won 100 straight games when holding the lead after the seventh inning.

"They didn't come a lot last year," manager Dale Sveum said with a laugh. "They come in for the good trips - Hawaii, the beach " Cincinnati isn't exactly a tourist destination for anyone besides chili-lovers. But Hoyer's appearance was meant to show support for Sveum, who has received his first real dose of criticism for the team's horrid start.