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STREAKING

1. Alfonso Soriano, LF: Yes, we did find a Cub who had a decent week. Soriano finally found his home run mojo, hitting three during the week after enduring a six-week drought to begin the season. For all the talk about trading or releasing the 36-year-old veteran, his retiring teammate Kerry Wood singled him out as a player he admired for fighting through injury and attrition in order to play every day. Besides going deep three times last week, Soriano hit .360 with 6 RBIs. Soriano has a nagging knee problem that may result in a trip to the disabled list at some point this season.

2. Anthony Rizzo, Iowa Cubs 1B: The only other Cub who had a good week plays in the minor leagues. Rizzo got all the headlines this past weekend as manager Dale Sveum said the team will consider calling him up when the Cubs begin interleague play in American League ballparks on June 8. Rizzo has dominated the Pacific Coast League with 15 home runs, 14 doubles and a .365 batting average. Bryan LaHair will have to move to the outfield when Rizzo is called up.

SLUMPING

1. The other 24 players: A total offensive melt down has contributed to the Cubs’ seven-game losing streak. They have only scored In four of their past 36 innings over four games. That statistic includes two meaningless games in which the Cubs scored four runs in the ninth inning of blowout losses. Sveum has promised a shakeup of the lineup that may find Starlin Castro back as the leadoff hitter. The strength of the team has been the starting pitching which is beginning to break down due to lack of run support.

CHICAGO -- It was another typical 2012 Wrigley Field crowd Sunday and a typical Chicago Cubs effort -- decent but with conspicuous bare patches.

While the Chicago White Sox headed south with some momentum following their three-game sweep in the first of two crosstown series, the Cubs had simply notched their sixth straight loss, their fans left with the same gnawing emptiness they are expected to tolerate for the unforeseeable future.

There are no real surprises here that in late-ish May, the Cubs are scraping the bottom of the National League Central with one of the worst records in baseball. We knew it was going to be this way, didn't we? But after being handled as easily as the White Sox made it look this weekend, you get the feeling that Cubs fans, still showing up in respectable if not sellout numbers, did not necessarily think it would feel quite this bad quite this soon.

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The harsh reality of Anthony Rizzo's inevitable ascension to the major leagues dictates that baseball vagabond Bryan LaHair will be faced with changing positions or teams one more time.

The 29-year-old first baseman knows that at the very least he has earned playing time on an everyday basis.

“Whatever role I have I am going to accept it,” the affable LaHair said. “If (Rizzo ‘s promotion) is going to make our team better, then that’s what I am all about. I am all about wins.”

LaHair has played 14 games in the outfield during his brief major league career but said that no one on the coaching staff has approached him about any position shift or taking any fly balls during batting practice as of yet.

“I can handle whatever they want,” LaHair said. “Just so I play somewhere.”

The former journeyman has convinced even the most hardened baseball observers that he deserves 500 at-bats in the big leagues this season. The question is: Will all of those at bats take place for the Chicago Cubs?

Before Sunday’s game, Cubs manager Dale Sveum confirmed that Rizzo could be with the Cubs by June.

“That’s definitely going to be talked about,” Sveum said. “ He has done everything he can down there (hitting .350 at Triple A- Iowa ). When you bring a guy like that up he has to play every day and that is the million dollar question, how do we get that playing time.”

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CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo's much-anticipated debut in a Chicago Cubs uniform could come in less than three weeks.

The power-hitting and slick-fielding first baseman, who has been tearing up the Pacific Coast League with 14 home runs and a .353 batting average at Triple-A Iowa, could come in handy when the Cubs start playing at American League ballparks in a few weeks.

“Yeah that’s definitely going to be talked about,” manager Dale Sveum said when asked if it’s time to bring up Rizzo to help with a struggling offense. “He’s done everything he can down there. But once again, when you bring up somebody like that he has to play every day. That’s a million-dollar question now: How do we get that playing time?”

Rizzo isn’t about to send current first baseman Bryan LaHair to the bench and according to Sveum, Rizzo will not play anywhere but first. That would mean that LaHair moves to the outfield, but at the expense of who? Left field would be the logical spot, but that move isn’t so easy.

Despite the begging and pleading from fans, the Cubs aren’t about to quit on Alfonso Soriano right now, not when he is still owed his $19 million this year and $38 million over the next two seasons after that.

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CHICAGO -- Some people might save a bottle of champagne, or perhaps a cigar, for a major accomplishment.

Adrian Cardenas saved his first trip to Chicago for such an occasion.

Called up to the major leagues Monday for the first time in his career, Cardenas marveled at how big Lake Michigan is and admitted that it is his first ever visit to the city. The promotion came nearly three months to the day that he was claimed off waivers by the Cubs from the Oakland Athletics.

“I had a chance to come here this offseason when I got claimed and I elected not to, sort of because I realized if I had the opportunity to get here I wanted the first time to be for a call up,” Cardenas said. “It worked out.”

The proverbial kid in the candy store, Cardenas spent the afternoon taking in the old ballpark at Clark and Addison.

“It’s awesome," Cardenas said. “The ivy, I pushed it a little bit and didn’t realize it was that thick. I tried to stick a ball in there to see what happens. I’m just a little overwhelmed. Anything I say right now would be cliché so I’ll spare you the clichés. But it’s great.”

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Like the guy blocking his path to the major leagues, Anthony Rizzo had a hot start to the season, and on Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs named the young first baseman their minor league player of the month for April.

The Cubs' top hitting prospect, Rizzo, 22, batted .384 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs in 22 games with Triple-A Iowa in April. He also posted a .430 on-base percentage and a .663 slugging percentage, good for a 1.093 OPS.

Rizzo ranks among the Pacific Coast League leaders in home runs (first with seven), RBIs (tied for first with 24), total bases (third with 58) and batting average (fifth at .374).

The Cubs, who acquired Rizzo from the San Diego Padres for pitcher Andrew Cashner in the offseason, have repeatedly said they will not rush Rizzo to the major leagues. Bryan LaHair is making that plan a little easier after posting a big April himself, batting .390 with five home runs and 14 RBIs.

Iowa's Frank Batista was named the organization's minor league pitcher of the month. Batista, 23, combined to toss 9 2/3 scoreless innings in eight relief appearances between Double-A Tennessee and Iowa in April. He limited opponents to a .176 batting average, striking out 11 and walking two. Batista began the season with Tennessee, his first-ever stop above Single-A, and recorded five saves in six scoreless outings) to earn the promotion to Iowa.

CHICAGO – Three things Bryan LaHair isn’t scared of (not necessarily in this order): Left-handed pitching, playing the outfield and the footsteps of Anthony Rizzo.

LaHair showed he can be one cool customer when he worked a walk in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night after a 12-pitch at-bat when he fouled off six consecutive pitches. But late-game situations against nasty closers aren’t the only thing he is unfazed about.

LaHair hasn’t been used against left-handed starters this season and is 0-for-6 with five strikeouts against lefties this season, but he would still relish the opportunity to hit off them.

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The trade of centerfielder Marlon Byrd appears to have very little to do with the eventual promotion of five-tool prospect Brett Jackson from the minor leagues.

Cubs management, led by president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, has been steadfast in its approach of not bringing minor league prospects to the big leagues before the organization believes they are major league-ready to play every day at that level.

The fact that the team was willing to move Byrd had more to do with his contract status and Boston’s needs rather than getting Jackson a spot on the Cubs’ 25-man roster.

Give the 34-year-old Byrd credit for being a great teammate and mentor to Jackson. It was the elder statesman who took Jackson under his wing and tutored him on the nuances of the game on and off of the field this spring. When Jackson was sent to minor league camp in late March he exchanged cell numbers with the veteran and thanked Byrd for all of his help.

Byrd believes Jackson is ready to play in the major leagues from what he saw of him for six weeks this spring. Which leads us back to the fact that the Cubs will not be ready to promote Jackson until he has had a sufficient number of at-bats in Iowa.

At age 23 the rule of thumb for the young outfielder should be to get 500 at-bats at Triple A in order to round out a minor league career that started in 2009 after Jackson was the 31st player chosen in the June draft.

The Cubs want to put their best players on the field, and will not be afraid to start the arbitration and free-agent clock for Jackson, however that rule only applies when it makes good baseball sense.

Regardless of what veterans get moved, it appears the Cubs brass will stick to their guns and make sure proper player development has already taken place before moving Jackson -- or first baseman Anthony Rizzo -- into the big time.

MESA, Ariz. -- Theo Epstein did not sugar coat it when it came to describing the talent in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system.

“We need more talent; we lack impact talent,” Epstein said. “We have a number of interesting guys, especially at the lower levels, but every organization has a number of interesting guys at the lower level.”

It was obvious that the Cubs were extremely interested in the players from Cuba who were recently available. They missed on outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who signed with the Oakland Athletics, but landed left-handed pitcher Gerardo Concepcion.

They also are reported to be extremely interested in Cuban outfield prospect Jorge Soler, who has yet to be granted free agency. Some reports have even said the Cubs have already come to contract terms with Soler, but general manager Jed Hoyer sternly denied that.

Looking at what is on hand, outfielder Brett Jackson would fit into that dynamic prospect mold that Epstein talked about, and so would first baseman Anthony Rizzo, whom Epstein and Hoyer acquired from the San Diego Padres this winter.

Although there are arms at Triple-A Iowa with major-league experience such as Randy Wells and Travis Wood, a hard-throwing, late-inning bullpen prospect -- or three -- is on the wish list.

“We need some more impact talent, and we need some guys who have ability and can break through,” Epstein said. “It would be really nice to get a breakthrough player this year and have somebody move from that interesting prospect category to that potentially impact category. So we’ll see. There’s a lot of work to do.”

First baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Brett Jackson were among the cuts from Chicago Cubs camp on Friday.

Ticketed for Triple-A Iowa regardless of his spring performance, Rizzo batted .364 with two home runs in 33 at-bats this spring. Bryan LaHair (.200 in 40 at-bats this spring) will start the season at first base for the Cubs.

The Cubs want Jackson to get more time in Triple-A and play everyday which won't happen with the roster the way it's currently constructed. Jackson batted .276 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in 29 at-bats this spring.

The Cubs also cut infielders Adrian Cardenas and Bobby Scales, outfielder Jim Adduci, pitcher Jay Jackson and catcher Michael Brenly.

Cardenas and Rizzo were optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Jay Jackson, Scales, Adduci, Brett Jackson and Brenly were assigned to minor league camp.

The roster now stands at 40.

MESA, Ariz. -- The Chicago Cubs found themselves in a rare low-scoring game this spring and fell 3-2 to the San Francisco Giants on Friday. The Cubs’ scoring came on solo home runs from Anthony Rizzo and Blake Lalli.

The good: Matt Garza's start wasn’t off-the-charts fantastic, but he is moving in the right direction as the season approaches. The right-hander went four innings, giving up two runs on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts. He gave up four runs in just 1 1/3 innings of his previous start and two runs in two innings of his Cactus League debut. One sign of consistency: He has pitched a scoreless first inning in all three of his outings.

The bad: Aggressive base running or unnecessary risk? Down a run with no outs in the ninth inning Joe Mather tried to go from first to third on Brett Jackson's sacrifice bunt when he noticed nobody was covering third. The Giants scrambled back into position and Mather was cut down. One out later San Francisco wrapped up the victory. Manager Dale Sveum has said he doesn’t have a problem with calculated gambles.

Outside the box: Rizzo says he isn’t worried about where he starts the season (Triple-A or the major leagues), but with a home run and a single Friday he’s igniting the debate on who should be the starting first baseman. There is still no reason to think Bryan LaHair won’t end up with the job, but Rizzo will continue to apply some heat if he hits like this. He's batting .400 on the spring.

Up next: In Phoenix, Cubs left-hander Paul Maholm (0-0, 4.50) will face Oakland’s Travis Schlichting (1-0, 2.84). In Las Vegas, Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija (1-0, 3.00) will face Rangers left-hander Derek Holland (1-0, 3.60) Both games are scheduled for a 3 p.m. CST start.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. –The Cubs held on to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Tuesday and are now 4-1 in road games and 4-1 against National League opponents.

The good: Despite relying heavily on a fastball, Chris Volstad still pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits. Volstad has now pitched six scoreless innings in two outings this spring as he tries to stake a claim to one of the open spots in the rotation.

The bad: Bryan LaHair didn’t have much luck in a game started by another left-hander. LaHair struck out all three times he came to the plate and now has a .150 batting average (3-for-20) this spring with seven strikeouts. Andy Sonnanstine gave up three runs on five hits in one inning of work, but one hit came on a bunt and another when Blake DeWitt hesitated on a throw from third base.

Outside the box: Anthony Rizzo still figures to be destined for Triple-A Iowa, but he’s making everybody stand up and take notice. Rizzo came on as a replacement for LaHair at first base and hit a two-run home run, his first in a Cubs uniform. He also smothered a ground ball at first on an in-between hop in the ninth inning to help preserve the victory.

Up next: Cubs right-hander Randy Wells (0-0, 0.00) will get the start Wednesday against Brewers left-hander Randy Wolf (1-0, 0.00) in the 3 p.m. CST start from HoHoKam Park.

MESA, Ariz. -- If you’re a Chicago Cubs fan you already have a good sense of fantasy baseball, North Side style. With that in mind, fast forward to July 1. Imagine a lineup that has shortstop Starlin Castro batting second, outfielder Brett Jackson third and first baseman Anthony Rizzo fourth.

That sounds pretty good, and it could become a reality if Jackson and Rizzo take care of business at Triple-A Iowa this spring.

"I envision the group of us playing together in the major leagues and having success," Jackson said. "I really look forward to playing with a lot of the guys I have come up with in the minors."

Jackson has five-tool talent, and Rizzo could be the next great young slugger in the National League.

"What I can control is my work ethic and how I go about my business every day," Rizzo said. "What I can’t control is when they decide to promote me to the major leagues."

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MESA, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum moved quickly Thursday to diffuse the notion that there is a battle for the starting first base job.

Bryan LaHair is his guy and that’s all there is to it. That means power prospect Anthony Rizzo will have to be content with opening some eyes in March before heading to Triple-A to start the season.

“It’s [LaHair’s] job; it’s not his job to lose,” Sveum said. “The guy has earned the right to have it, and he’s earned the right for me to have a lot of patience too if things aren’t getting off to a good start.”

Sveum also said that LaHair won’t be asked to play any outfield, at least not during the spring.

“He’s our first baseman, and he’s going to play first base,” Sveum said. “I’m not going to put anything in his head that way. He’s our first baseman, and that’s the bottom line. If anything was to happen somewhere along the line we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

The 29-year-old LaHair, who saw 20 games of action with the Cubs last year, hit 38 home runs with 109 RBIs at Triple-A Iowa last season.

MESA, Ariz. – Anthony Rizzo has never set foot inside of Wrigley Field, but that didn't stop him from envisioning a World Series celebration inside the cozy ballpark.

Rizzo, the Cubs' new power-hitting first-base prospect, has heard all the talk that he's supposed to open the season at Triple-A Iowa (he's ignoring it) and that the major league team is supposed to be in rebuilding mode (he's not worried about it).

But he's still thinking World Series, because quite frankly, that's what he does. If you aren't thinking championship when the season starts then why the heck are you even out there.

Asked what he thought of when he heard that he was traded to the Cubs, Rizzo said the memory is crystal clear.

“It was trying to win a World Series; the history of this organization and the drought this team has been in,” Rizzo said.

Does he dare put a five-year timetable on winning it all?

“Why not this year?” he said so matter of factly that it didn't seem as if it was the first time he expressed that thought. “But there is no timetable. Every year you go out and do the best you can do to win.”

Still, not everything about Rizzo is about a singular focus that he doesn't have his light-hearted moments too. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound slugger admitted that after the trade, he also had other thoughts.

“Wrigley Field and ‘Rookie of the Year,' popped into my head,” he said.

No, not that rookie of the year.

“I'm saying the movie ‘Rookie of the Year' popped in my head, not being rookie of the year,” he said about the family film that was released a month before his fourth birthday.

Winning the actual rookie of the year might prove difficult if his path to the major leagues remains as many are predicting. Rizzo is expected to start the season at Triple-A, but he could be in the major leagues by midseason, leaving him precious little time to pick up any postseason hardware.

Bryan LaHair is expected to win the first base job out of spring training, but Rizzo plans on making the decision difficult on the Cubs coaching staff as well as management. Yet he has no expectation that even his best this spring will land him at Wrigley Field on Opening Day.

“If I go out and hit 1.000 in spring training, I can't decide wherever I go,” said Rizzo, who hit 26 home runs and drove in 101 runs while batting .331 at Triple-A Tucson last season.

Part of what helps him to be so comfortable in his own skin is that general manager Jed Hoyer is obviously very high on him. Wherever Hoyer has gone -- from Boston to San Diego to Chicago -- he has made sure to bring Rizzo along. Of course, for Rizzo there is an inherent pressure that comes with being the general manager's project.

“There is pressure that comes along with every player,” he said. “At the end of the day you have to perform on the field. It's really nice and an honor that they have the faith in me that I will be a good player, but at the end of the day you have to perform.”

And ultimately that performance could lead to a World Series, delivering a fan base what they have wanted for generations.

“[It's] ‘when' not ‘if,'” he said about winning it all. “If you're saying ‘if,' who knows if it's going to happen. You're going to have to have that mindset that we're going to do it and we're going to win. Wherever I am I want to win every day and make the playoffs with that team and be an All-Star and go to the playoffs.

"That's got to be the mindset from Game 1 to Game 162. No, I'm sorry, Game 173, or however many it takes.”"