The Cubs are up next

The Brewers ran into an Adam LaRoche buzzsaw and the Pirates managed to take three of four from the division leaders (could this have had anything to do with it?) which was all-in-all fun to watch and pretty damn surprising. But the road isn't getting any easier for the Buccos because the Cubbies follow the Brewers into PNC and they're playing every bit as well as Milwaukee is right now, if not better. Jason Marquis and Paul Maholm face off tonight in the series opener as Maholm looks to keep his recent streak of competent pitching alive. The Cubs, meanwhile, are only 4.5 games back of Milwaukee and can make things very interesting with a series win or a sweep over the Pirates this weekend heading into the break. Greg Brown and company will probably try to tell you it's a big series for the Pirates, but they're wrong, it's a huuuuge series for the Cubs.