Cedeno has grand finish to homestand

By Paul Sullivan | Tribune staff reporter

9:38 PM EDT, April 22, 2008

Ronny Cedeno learned a valuable lesson Monday night after coming up with a clutch two-out hit to help the Cubs beat the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.

Don't mention anything about the World Series in April, at least if you're a Cub.

Cedeno's grand slam and five RBIs helped catapult the Cubs to an 8-1 victory over the Mets on Tuesday, their fifth straight victory and seventh in eight games on the homestand.

"Cedeno, what a nice couple of days he has had here against the Mets," manager Lou Piniella said. "A grand slam home run, the [RBI double] he hit down the right-field line and [Monday's] big two-out hit. As long as he doesn't talk 'World Series,' I'm happy."

Piniella was referring to Cedeno's comment from Monday night, when the shy shortstop from Venezuela casually mentioned the Cubs were "thinking about the World Series." By Tuesday afternoon, Cedeno was backing off.

"I'm taking it back," he said with a smile. "I was going too fast. I was so happy with last night, so I was talking about the World Series. It's very early. We're doing great. We have to keep going and play hard."

Ted Lilly won his first game in five starts, Kosuke Fukudome reached base five times and leadoff hitter Reed Johnson added two RBIs in a 14-hit attack as the Cubs swept the Mets in the two-game mini-series.

With a 14-6 record, the Cubs are off to their best start since 1975, when Jim Marshall was manager and the rotation consisted of Bill Bonham, Rick Reuschel, Ray Burris and Steve Stone. That '75 team was 28-21 and in first-place on June 5, but went 47-66 the rest of the way to finish in a tie for fifth place in the NL East.

The biggest dilemma facing Piniella these days is how to keep everybody from getting ahead of themselves. He cautions fans about not getting too "crazy." He wants his players to think in the present instead of the future, while continuing to ignore the Cubs' dubious past.

But what's wrong with getting a little wild in April when your team is off to its best start in 33 years as it tries to end a 100-year championship drought?

"We should be excited as a team right now," Johnson said. "It's tough when you get off to a slow start, when guys dig themselves holes, when teams dig themselves holes. It's tough to get out of those holes."

The Cubs are operating on all cylinders, hitting .286 as a team while the pitching staff has limited opponents to two or fewer runs in four of the last five games. Lilly pitched five scoreless innings before being nicked for a run in the sixth. Bob Howry, Carlos Marmol and Kevin Hart finished it out throwing an inning apiece.

Cedeno's eighth-inning grand slam off Jorge Sosa made everyone a little crazy, but Lilly maintains the team is too focused on each game to take anything for granted.

"I know Ronny made mention of what's going to be going on in October," Lilly said. "But we understand October is a long way away. What I get is that guys are going out there prepared to play every day, whether we win or lose. We certainly have some momentum going right now, and when we go through a little bit of a rough stretch, I think we'll be OK, just because of the collective mind-set of the club."

psullivan@tribune.com