[bears9]

The last time the Cubs won eight games on a 10-game homestand was 1978, a season when they finished 79-83 and in third place in the NL East under manager Herman Franks.

The Cubs have higher aspirations this season, though manager Lou Piniella remains a believer in patience and reserved optimism.

''There's a lot of baseball to be played and a lot of things can happen,'' he said Sunday. ''We're a little more of a marked team now because people have predicted things for us. If people feel that way, they should load up in Vegas. But I don't think that. I prefer to be a little more cautious, a little more sane and play these games one at a time.''



The homestand gave the Cubs three straight series victories against Arizona, San Diego and Pittsburgh and saw them outscore opponents 60-33. It came after a 2-4 road trip that dropped their record away from
Wrigley Field to 8-9.

Lou not ready to celebrate :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Cubs