Chicago Cubs

New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said today that pitcher John Lackey will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2012 season. Lackey had elbow soreness during the season, and recently saw a specialist, Dr. Lewis Yocum. "John Lackey will go ahead and have Tommy John surgery," Cherington said during the news conference at which he was introduced as the successor to Theo Epstein, who has left to become president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs.

After seeing his third pitch of the night fly high for a home run, Chicago Cubs left-hander Travis Wood figured his night couldn't get any worse for him. He was right. It was the Cubs' flimsy offense that again let the team down Tuesday night, wasting a solid start by Wood in a 2-1 loss to the Houston Astros to extend their losing streak to a season-high eight games. "I don't know what we have to do to win one game and hit more, because right now we are struggling," said Alfonso Soriano, who provided the Cubs' only run of the night with his fourth homer of the season.

Dusty Baker likened his offense to the inconsistent April weather. On Saturday, it was cold. The Cincinnati Reds were shut down by Paul Maholm and managed just six hits in a 6-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, who stopped a six-game slide. Baker's club scored one run for the seventh time this season and has managed only 12 runs in the team's nine losses. "It's not like we didn't have chances," the manager said. "We had some chances to come back in that game. We could have pecked away and got a little closer.

Bridget Houlihan rifled through her gift bag and pulled out a gray T-shirt with a circular Chicago Cubs emblem on the front and FOLLOWER emblazoned across the back, resting on a row of logos from the top social media websites. "This is awesome," she said. Baseball thinks Houlihan is pretty sweet, too, and major league teams like the Cubs are hoping to entice more fans like her to come out to the ballpark. Social media nights have become a common part of the promotional schedule, and some of the best ticket deals and giveaways can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Starlin Castro sounded almost defiant after the latest loss. No matter how bleak things appear to be, he insisted better days are coming for the Chicago Cubs. Jake Peavy pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning, Adam Dunn hit his 14th homer and the Chicago White Sox beat the crosstown Cubs 6-0 Sunday to complete the sweep. It was a fitting finish to a miserable weekend for a team that matched a season high with its sixth straight loss. "It's tough for us," Castro said.

Bridget Houlihan rifled through her gift bag and pulled out a gray T-shirt with a circular Chicago Cubs emblem on the front and FOLLOWER emblazoned across the back, resting on a row of logos from the top social media websites. "This is awesome," she said. Baseball thinks Houlihan is pretty sweet, too, and major league teams like the Cubs are hoping to entice more fans like her to come out to the ballpark. Social media nights have become a common part of the promotional schedule, and some of the best ticket deals and giveaways can be found on Twitter...

Left fielder Jason Bay has left the New York Mets’ game against the Chicago Cubs with a stiff right calf. Bay was replaced by Fernando Martinez in the seventh inning. It was unclear when the injury occurred but the weather in Chicago on Tuesday night was unseasonably cool.

Albert Pujols got the 2,000th hit of his career, doubling down the third-base line in the eighth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. In his 10th season, Pujols is the 263rd player in major league history and the fifth Cardinal to get to 2,000. The double came off Chicago reliever Carlos Marmol and drove in a run, giving St. Louis a 9-2 lead. The crowd of 42,042 responded with a standing ovation. Pujols tipped his helmet to the fans.

Gordon Beckham hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning Friday and the Chicago White Sox overcame the loss of star Paul Konerko to beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in what was the final major league game for Cubs reliever Kerry Wood. Beckham's solo shot and a two-run blast from Konerko in the first were the only runs allowed by Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija (4-2). Konerko suffered a laceration above his left eye and swelling when he was hit by a Samardizja pitch in the third inning and had to leave the game.

Red Sox reliever Chris Carpenter, who was obtained from the Chicago Cubs as partial compensation for general manager Theo Epstein, says he will have elbow surgery. Carpenter said on Twitter on Wednesday that Dr. James Andrews will remove a bone spur from his elbow. The Red Sox did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Carpenter Tweeted: "Stayin positive and prepared to work harder than ever to come back as soon as I can this season!" The 26-year-old right-hander appeared in 10 games for Chicago last season.

Starlin Castro sounded almost defiant after the latest loss. No matter how bleak things appear to be, he insisted better days are coming for the Chicago Cubs. Jake Peavy pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning, Adam Dunn hit his 14th homer and the Chicago White Sox beat the crosstown Cubs 6-0 Sunday to complete the sweep. It was a fitting finish to a miserable weekend for a team that matched a season high with its sixth straight loss. "It's tough for us," Castro said.

Roy Halladay threw eight strong innings for his first victory in a month and the Philadelphia Phillies held on for an 8-7 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night. Halladay (4-3) hadn't won since April 16, a span of five starts, and had lost three straight decisions to match a career high, but held the Cubs to three runs and scattered seven hits. The two-time Cy Young winner has allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight of his nine starts this season. Chicago's Welington Castillo's stroked a two-out, three-run double in the ninth against Phillies LHP Jake...

Gordon Beckham hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning Friday and the Chicago White Sox overcame the loss of star Paul Konerko to beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in what was the final major league game for Cubs reliever Kerry Wood. Beckham's solo shot and a two-run blast from Konerko in the first were the only runs allowed by Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija (4-2). Konerko suffered a laceration above his left eye and swelling when he was hit by a Samardizja pitch in the third inning and had to leave the game.

The St. Louis Cardinals kept Ryan Dempster's victory drought alive. Small consolation for a team plagued by sloppy play late and silenced late at the plate while losing their fourth in a row. Alfonso Soriano singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of the Chicago Cubs' 6-4 victory on Monday night. The losing streak is the worst for the NL Central leaders, who committed a season-high three errors. "This team's got a lot of character and we knew it wasn't going to be smooth sailing the whole year," Lance Berkman said.

Alfonso Soriano singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs sent the St. Louis Cardinals to their fourth straight loss at home with a 6-4 victory on Monday night. Bryan LaHair had three hits for the Cubs, including a two-run homer — his ninth overall and fourth against the Cardinals — to break a 1-for-14 slump. Chicago's runs in the 8th and 9th innings came too late to make a winner of starter Ryan Dempster, whose winless streak reached 15 starts dating to last August.

Shaun Marcum pitched seven strong innings and Edwin Maysonet hit his first career grand slam Saturday to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. It was the second straight win for the Brewers, who beat the Cubs in 13 innings Friday in a 5-hour game that ended just past midnight. Saturday's start remained at noon because it was a nationally televised game. Marcum (2-1) gave up just one run on three hits and had six strikeouts. After giving up a run in the first he did not allow a runner past second, retiring 10 of the last 11...

Alfonso Soriano hit his fourth home run this spring and Paul Maholm pitched two innings in his exhibition debut Monday as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-6. Maholm missed a handful of days early in spring because of the flu. He allowed two hits, including a solo homer by Todd Frazier. Red starter Bronson Arroyo gave up hits to the first five Cubs batters, with Soriano's shot nearly clearing the scoreboard in left-center field. Chicago reliever Carlos Marmol allowed three earned runs in his one inning.

All-Star slugger Lance Berkman is out of the lineup again for the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. Berkman, who leads the National League with 27 home runs, was hurt Sunday in the ninth inning at Pittsburgh. He singled to left field and said when he got to first base, he felt a mild strain in his right rotator cuff. He did not play Monday, then started Tuesday but played just four innings before being lifted. The six-time All-Star had an MRI on Wednesday and received a cortisone shot in the muscle.

Corey Hart hit an RBI single in the 13th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. With the bases loaded and no outs, Hart sent Lendy Castillo's first pitch back up the middle to end the game after five hours, four minutes. Castillo (0-1) plunked Rickie Weeks on the left hand and Ryan Braun in the back before Aramis Ramirez hit a flare single to right to bring Hart to the plate. Hart also hit a two-run homer in the ninth to tie it at 7. Vinnie Chulk (1-0)