Close, but I'll take it

So the Cubs are back on track after taking the final two games of the three-game series against the Cardinals, winning 4-3 Wednesday and 3-2 last night.

Rich Harden's return could not have come at a better time. CC Sabathia? Please. I'll take my man Rich Harden, who has pitched as well if not better than the Brewers rental who is going to skip town after the season anyway.

But could we not do it with so much drama? Kerry Wood had danced around danger in his past three or four appearances, but he came through again last night -- thanks to some bad baserunning by the Cardinals.

And kudos to Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome, who pretty much saved the game with two outstanding defensive plays in the eighth inning.

Now it's time to sit and wait. Hurricane Ike has its eye set on Houston, so the Cubs flew back to Chicago to wait out the storm. Eventually these games with the red-hot Astros will have to be played though. They've talked about alternate sights -- wouldn't it be great to fill up Nationals Park with 40,000 Cubs fans?

But the Astros say this series will be played in Houston. Smart for them -- if they play this series anyplace else, and Milwaukee, St. Louis and Atlanta have been mentioned, it won't matter that the Astros are the home team. Cubs fans will cheer them into submission.

In any case, the Cubs have a 5 1/2-game lead on the Brewers, who are desperately trying to hold on to at least the wild card. They need to start worrying about the Astros approaching in their rearview mirror.

Go Phillies.

Harden photo courtesy US Presswire