I'm not going to spend too much time on last night's 2-1 loss to the San Diego Padres. Even with the 2:16 game time, those West Coast -- aka graveyard -- games are just brutal. But for those who missed it, last night was Greg Maddux in picture form, throwing seven innings of one run ball for the win.

We've talked about it before. Greg is a markedly different pitcher out in NL West ballparks, and especially at Petco. Outside of that division, he becomes the pitcher that the Cubs shelled back on May 15th. But at Petco? With a great sinking fastball like he had last night, and 400 foot power alleys, he is still a better-than-average pitcher. The Cubs had nothing on him last night, as continually threw the sinker for strikes, and then expanded the strike zone further down and out throughout the game. Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman came in and gave two innings of scoreless relief, but you could tell by the fifth that this was going to be a shutdown sort of night.

Give credit to Ted Lilly though, for also going seven plus, and giving the bullpen that much needed blow. He didn't look long for this world after giving up a lead-off home run to Scott Hairston. 85 MPH fastball inside, that I never actually saw in the air. It just left the bat, and within a nanosecond it was in the stands. He was shaky in the first couple of innings actually, but his fastball seemed to gain velocity thereafter, and he appeared to take a cue from Maddux; expanding the strike zone out and up, frustrating hitters, and collecting eight strikeouts in the process.

So, the Cubs winning streak ends at nine, thanks to Mr. Maddux. It's on to L.A. tonight in a matchup of Dempster vs. Billingsley. Let's start a new streak. The Cardinals were rained out last night in D.C., leaving the Cubs 3.0 games up in the Central.