While watching the Cubs 7-2 loss to the Dodgers on Thursday night, I had an eerie feeling of déjà vu.  While it was in a different city, with a different player at the plate and a different player on the hill, I felt I was watching the exact same scenario unfold.

A grand slam by the Dodgers to all but end the Cubs' chances of a deep playoff run.

In 2008, it came in Game 1 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field.  The Cubs led 2-0 thanks to second inning Mark DeRosa home run when the Dodgers came to bat in the fifth inning.  Ryan Dempster proceeded to walk the bases loaded (his fifth, sixth and seventh walks of the game), before giving up a granny to James Loney on a 1-2 pitch.

Just like that, the energy was sucked out of Wrigley Field, and even though the Cubs were only trailing by two runs, you could read the same expression on everyone's faces: "Not again."  The Cubs lost that game 7-2 as well, never led the rest of the series, and were swept out of the playoffs for the second straight season.

Fast forward back to Thursday night.  The Cubs, who just two weeks ago were tied for first place in the NL Central, have taken a nose dive and fallen to six games out of first place.  They enter a crucial four-game series with the Dodgers, who their rival Cardinals have just beaten two of three times.

With the score tied at 2-2, the Cubs' Angel Guzman allows base hits to the first two batters, and after a sacrifice, James Loney is intentionally walked to face Russell Martin.  One pitch, and déjà Grand Slam.

Couple the Cubs loss with a Cardinals win in St. Louis and the Cubs are now seven games back in the division with just 43 games left to play.  Their once precious lead in the loss column is now a five game deficit, and the Cubs and Cardinals only have three games remaining on the slate, and that series is in St. Louis.  And don't even think about the Wild Card, as the Cubs trail the Rockies by six games with San Francisco, Atlanta and Florida all in front of them too.

Despite the horrific play in Colorado, the destruction by Philadelphia and even losing two of three to the lowly Padres, including another Kevin Gregg masterpiece, I was still looking for ways the Cubs could make a comeback.  After Thursday night, the parallels are just too similar to last season, so I think it's time to be realistic rather than optimistic.

An ugly incident occurred last night at Wrigley Field, when a full beverage was dropped on the head of Philadelphia Phillies' centerfielder Shane Victorino as he made a catch in the fifth inning.

As a Cubs fan who was in attendance, but not in the bleachers, I stood up and booed when this occurred, as did many people sitting around me.  True Cubs fans know this is unacceptable, despicable, and not the least bit funny.

Bleacher Bums, as they are called, have a reputation of being loud and obnoxious, and rightfully so.  Anyone who would pay $50 (face value) to sit on a bench with no back for a full game, plus the two hours before the game to get good seats is a bit nutty.  Trust me, I've done it multiple times.

But make no mistake, the fans who sit in the bleachers are great Cubs fans, throwing visiting home run balls back, riding opposing outfielders for a misplay, and most importantly, never leaving Carlos Lee alone.

That's why it's upsetting as a Cubs fan when one guy, who likely had too much to drink, goes and ruins it for everyone.

So for those of you thinking or saying things like: "I hope other fans get back at the Cubs" or "The Cubs should be penalized by MLB", need to just slow down for a minute.  It's a natural and acceptable reaction to be angry, but direct the anger towards the one stupid moron, not an entire fan base and organization.

Even though they apparently ejected the wrong fan, Cubs Security was over there in a flash to take care of the situation.  The Chicago PD is apparently conducting a manhunt for the offender, and plans to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella apologized after the game, saying: "That shouldn't happen, it's not good sportsmanship. ... We apologize to Victorino and the Phillies for that."

And if you had interviewed the majority of fans like me, well, you'd have this article as my response.  So, to the rest of the MLB teams and their fans, please don't group true Blue Cubs fans like me with the few select individuals who do dumb stuff like this.  We really are better than that.

An ugly incident occurred last night at Wrigley Field, when a full beverage was dropped on the head of Philadelphia Phillies' centerfielder Shane Victorino as he made a catch in the fifth inning.

As a Cubs fan who was in attendance, but not in the bleachers, I stood up and booed when this occurred, as did many people sitting around me.  True Cubs fans know this is unacceptable, despicable, and not the least bit funny.

Bleacher Bums, as they are called, have a reputation of being loud and obnoxious, and rightfully so.  Anyone who would pay $50 (face value) to sit on a bench with no back for a full game, plus the two hours before the game to get good seats is a bit nutty.  Trust me, I've done it multiple times.

But make no mistake, the fans who sit in the bleachers are great Cubs fans, throwing visiting home run balls back, riding opposing outfielders for a misplay, and most importantly, never leaving Carlos Lee alone.

That's why it's upsetting as a Cubs fan when one guy, who likely had too much to drink, goes and ruins it for everyone.

So for those of you thinking or saying things like: "I hope other fans get back at the Cubs" or "The Cubs should be penalized by MLB", need to just slow down for a minute.  It's a natural and acceptable reaction to be angry, but direct the anger towards the one stupid moron, not an entire fan base and organization.

Even though they apparently ejected the wrong fan, Cubs Security was over there in a flash to take care of the situation.  The Chicago PD is apparently conducting a manhunt for the offender, and plans to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella apologized after the game, saying: "That shouldn't happen, it's not good sportsmanship. ... We apologize to Victorino and the Phillies for that."

And if you had interviewed the majority of fans like me, well, you'd have this article as my response.  So, to the rest of the MLB teams and their fans, please don't group true Blue Cubs fans like me with the few select individuals who do dumb stuff like this.  We really are better than that.

Since the beginning of the season, the NL Central has been the tightest overall division race in all of baseball.  Currently, four teams are within five games of first place, and as recently as June 28^th, all six teams were within that same striking distance of the division title.

With approximately two months two go in the regular season, we are not much closer now to determining the division winner than we were back in April.   As a Cubs fan, I want to know whether I should be setting myself up for a September or October disappointment this season, so I decided took a closer look at the past performance and remaining schedules of each team in the NL Central to try and predict a winner.

Below is a quick snapshot of each team in order of current standings:

Chicago Cubs (57-49)

56 Games Remaining (29 Home, 27 Road)

.485 Remaining Opponent Win Pct

The first advantage the Cubs have is the lead in the loss column.  With the most games remaining of anyone in the division (thanks to rainouts), the Cubs' destiny is in their own hands.

The Cubs will play more than half of their remaining games against teams under the .500 mark, with 30 games coming against teams currently with losing records.  Half of those games are against divisional opponents, as the Cubs face Houston and Cincinnati for one more series apiece, and three more series against last place Pittsburgh.  These are the games the Cubs must win to have a chance.

Divisional games will play an important part in the Cubs' quest to win the Central, as they play 16 of their 25 remaining divisional games in a row from September 7^th to September 23^rd, including six straight road games against St. Louis and Milwaukee to close out the stretch.

Based on their current home and road winning percentages, the Cubs are predicted to finish the year at 87-75.  In order to reach this number or improve on it, the Cubs will need to win some series on the road, as they are just 24-30 away from Wrigley Field this year.  Road matchups against Colorado, LA Dodgers, NY Mets, and San Francisco will be crucial in the Cubs' quest for the crown.

St. Louis Cardinals (59-51)

52 Games Remaining (27 Home, 25 Road)

.472 Remaining Opponent Win Pct

While the Cubs may have more games remaining, the Cardinals have a more favorable schedule down the stretch.  The Cards have 30 of their final 52 games against divisional opponents, with six games each against Houston, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.  Combine these with seven games against San Diego and three against bottom of the barrel Washington, that makes for a division-low .472 opponent winning percentage.

The Cardinals' additions in June and July of Mark DeRosa, Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday have made their offense a formidable foe to go along with their strong starting pitching.  The Cards have a run differential of +31 so far this year, which should only improve as a result of their additions.  Look for this to come into play against strong pitching teams like the Dodgers, Cubs, Braves, Rockies and Marlins.

The final factor that could propel the Cards above their current pace of 87-75 is their .500 record on the road.  St. Louis is the only team in the NL Central with a .500 or better record away from home this season, and they will need to maintain this in the final weeks of the season as they embark on a nine-game trip to Houston, Colorado and Cincinnati.

Milwaukee Brewers (54-54) - 4.0 GB

54 Games Remaining (28 Home, 26 Road)

.488 Remaining Opponent Win Pct

The Brewers likely had higher expectations than .500 at this point in the season, but there is still plenty of time to make a run at the postseason.  The Brewers can be in control of their own destiny as a result of their remaining schedule against the division.

The Brewers face NL Central opponents 34 more times, but more importantly 16 of those games are against the first-place Cubs and Cardinals (7 and 9 remaining respectively).  These 16 games come in the Brewers' final 32 of the season in September and October, culminating with a 3-game series in St. Louis over the final weekend of the season

In order for these games to matter, however, the Brewers need to improve upon their current position of four games back during the month of August.  The Brew Crew have 22 straight games against Sub-.500 teams between now and August 30^th, including 12 of those at Miller Park.

While all these schedule advantages are helpful to Milwaukee, none of it will matter if they don't get their pitching in order.  The Brewers lead the Central with 536 runs allowed, and are second to last in the NL with a 4.82 team ERA.  Without an improvement in their pitching staff, the Brewers might be sitting at home in October.

Houston Astros (53-55) - 5.0 GB

54 Games Remaining (25 Home, 29 Road)

.500 Remaining Opponent Win Pct

The Astros, despite a rash of recent injuries to their club, are just five games out of first place and two games under .500.  Unfortunately for Houston fans, their remaining schedule doesn't do them many favors.

The 'Stros will play just one-third (18) of their remaining 54 games against sub-.500 teams, half of those being Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.  In addition, of their 27 remaining divisional games, only nine come against first-place Chicago and St. Louis combined, meaning Houston will need some help to gain ground in the Central.

The other obstacle the Astros face is having more road games left than home games, something none of the top three teams in the division need to deal with.  The Astros are just 24-28 away from Minute Maid Park, and spend their final seven games of the season on the road in Philadelphia and New York.

While the Astros have been a notorious second-half team this decade, it doesn't seem like they will be able to make another impressive run to the postseason in 2009.

Cincinnati Reds (46-61) - 11.5 GB

55 Games Remaining (27 Home, 28 Road)

.490 Remaining Opponent Win Pct

This is where we reach the teams without much of a playoff chance.  The Reds looked like they might be for real this year, as they were just 1.5 games out of first place as late as June 10^th.  Then injuries struck, the most brutal to starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, who will miss 12 months with Tommy John surgery.

The Reds would need a very favorable schedule to have a chance at the postseason, and it just isn't there.  Only 23 of their remaining 55 games are against sub-.500 teams, and more than half of their remaining games are on the road.  Cincy will have a chance to play spoiler, as they have at least one series left with each of the top four teams in the division.

Pittsburgh Pirates (45-63) - 13.0 GB

54 Games Remaining (29 Home, 25 Road)

.508 Remaining Opponent Win Pct

Another season, another losing record for the Pirates.  The Bucs appear to be rebuilding yet again after gutting their team at the trade deadline.  With 30 of their remaining 54 games against teams above .500, it would appear that a 13 game deficit is too much for the Pirates to overcome.

The Pirates too can play spoiler in the final two months, with a ******** 37 games remaining against NL Central opponents.  The Pirates face the Cubs nine times, Cardinals and Brewers six times apiece, and the Astros twice.  Those 13 games remaining versus Cincinnati will be unlikely to draw large crowds.

So when it comes down to it, in this writer's opinion the NL Central is a two-horse race, with the Cubs and the Cardinals battling it out neck and neck down the stretch.  Milwaukee and Houston are both solid teams, but the Brewers' lack of pitching and the Astros' difficult schedule will likely be too much to overcome.

The Cardinals have given themselves a big boost with the addition of Matt Holliday to protect slugger Albert Pujols, and solidified their lineup with Julio Lugo and Mark DeRosa.  The Cubs added much needed lefty bullpen help with John Grabow and may have picked up a steal with Tom Gorzelanny if he can continue to pitch like he did in Cincinnati on Tuesday.

The two teams have very similar schedules down the stretch, so the division might come down to a three-game series in St. Louis from September 18^th-20^th.  Whichever team comes through that enormous arch in first place will have the upper hand and likely take the division crown.

For now, I'm going to give my biased edge to the Cubs, as there is a good chance they could sweep their final six home games against Pittsburgh and Arizona, while the Cards are on the road in Cincinnati and then host Milwaukee on the final weekend of the season.

The 2009 season for the Chicago Cubs has not gone exactly as planned. Injuries, power outages, suspensions, "lack of fire", you name it, it's gone wrong for the Cubs so far this year.

One bright spot for the team this season has been midseason call-up Jake Fox. In 23 games over his two stints with the big league club this season, Fox has hit .317 with 3 HR and 12 RBI. Prior to his callup, he was lighting up AAA Iowa, with obscene stats of .409 BA, 17 HR and 53 RBI in just 45 games.  The only knock on Fox is his defense. He has performed decently well playing 3B, LF and RF this year, but he is best suited as a designated hitter.

With Aramis Ramirez scheduled to return from the disabled list on Monday, and the Cubs paying Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley far too much for them to sit on the bench (despite their play), Fox appears to be headed to the bench, or potentially even back to AAA.

Too much offense is a good problem for the Cubs to have, but it won't fix the issues with the bullpen. The Cubs called up Jeff Samardzija from AAA, sending down right-hander Jose Ascanio.  While Samardzija shows promise, his 8.10 ERA during his first stint in the majors this year is part of the reason the Cubs are near the bottom of the league when it comes to the 'pen.

The Cubs bullpen ERA is currently 18th in the league at 4.07. In addition, their K/BB ratio is 1.48, good for 27th in the league, and their WHIP is an ugly 1.50, tying them for 25th in the majors.  In addition, the pen is suffering from a bit of overuse. Closer Kevin Gregg has worked on consecutive days nine times, and primary setup man Carlos Marmol has done it 15 times already this year.

The final issue with the Cubs bullpen is imbalance. After spending the majority of the offseason trying to put a lefty-righty balance into the lineup, GM Jim Hendry has a bullpen with just one left-hander, former starter Sean Marshall.  The Cubs are in sore need of a lefty specialist who can work for one batter or one inning, so manager Lou Piniella is not forced to use Marshall in matchup situations. This problem has cost the Cubs a few games, including last Saturday against the rival White Sox.

In this writer's humble opinion, the Cubs have a surplus of hitters, including one without a position, and a need for a left-handed bullpen arm. Jake Fox has been great so far for the Cubs this year, but at the same time, his trade value might never be higher this season than it is right now.

The Cubs should obviously wait to make sure that Aramis Ramirez is fully recovered and able to play everyday before even thinking of making a trade like this. However, it might not be such a bad idea for Jim Hendry to start working the phones to see if there are any lefties available. American league teams should certainly have an interest in Jake Fox.

In January, the Cubs signed outfielder Milton Bradley to a three-year, $30 million deal to be the new right fielder. The Cubs knew of his injury history, but Bradley's impressive stats were enough to take the risk that he would be able to avoid injury. 

It lasted one spring at bat.

Bradley took himself out of Thursday's game after he drew a walk in the first inning because of mild tightness in his left quad.

"I didn't do too much in the game, I felt it before when warming up, so I let them know it felt tighter than it should have been," Bradley said. "Since we have a quarter of a season worth of games in spring training, I felt the best course of action was to let them know right now. If it's April 6, I play."

So it appears the injury is nothing serious, but Bradley is just being overly cautious and trying to avoid further injury. He expects to return to the lineup this weekend against the White Sox.

However, this does bring up one important question for Cubs fans: Bradley said that if today was opening day, he would have played through the pain. So does this mean Bradley will be playing hurt for most of the year? 

Is he not going to tell the training staff about certain bumps and bruises? 

Will this affect his defense?

If you're a true Cubs fan, this news doesn't faze you, since it was always a matter of when Bradley would get hurt, not if. However, if you're like me, you probably expected it to be on a chilly April day in the Friendly Confines, not in sunny Mesa, Arizona. 

Adam Dunn might strike out a lot, but he's never played less than 152 games in a full season. Oh, and he's hit 40-plus homers for six straight years. 

Here's to praying Bradley plays more than half the games this season.