After losing seven consecutive games, the last two to the Milwaukee Brewers, a different Cubs team took the field yesterday. Who were these guys? Who cares? They won 15-3.

How do you start to explain this team? You can’t. There is no rhyme or reason to how these guys are playing right now, and there are so many things going on with the team, it makes it harder still to comprehend how a team can be so bad for a few games and suddenly break free like they did yesterday.

The team is now without Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot, who were traded to Los Angeles last week for Blake DeWitt and two minor leaguers, who was inserted into the lineup upon his arrival to the Cubs. Manager Lou Piniella returned to the dugout on Tuesday after taking three days to attend a family funeral in Florida. Derrek Lee rejected a trade to the Angels before the trade deadline, reportedly angering some in management.

Carlos Silva experienced a rapid heartbeat in Denver, was taken out of the game in the first inning, spent a night in a Denver hospital being monitored and is currently on the disabled list awaiting word from his doctors about when he can play again.

Carlos Zambrano returned to the team and supposedly made his apologies to his teammates. He was used as a pinch hitter in Denver over the weekend and in relief yesterday, but will return to the starting rotation on Monday in San Francisco. And Aramis Ramirez has been in and out of the lineup with a sore thumb. The team is also playing with many rookies especially in the bullpen. That’s a lot for a team that has struggled to have to deal with.

Statisticians will tell you what the team should look like on paper, but these changes and distractions have been showing in poorly executed play on the field. Perhaps now that Lou and a hopefully calmer Z are back the team can turn its full attention to the game and winning.

Everyone knows this team is going nowhere this year, and evidence of fan apathy is really settling in. Promotions for available bleacher seats are ongoing, but Tuesday night, those sitting in the bleachers had room to stretch out. Empty seats in the stands are starting to become the norm. The Cubs aren’t likely to go on a huge winning streak and suddenly find themselves in contention for a playoff spot, but they need to start winning in order to keep from ending up in the cellar.

Used with permission of the author.

Miriam Romain is a Chicago-based sportswriter and national columnist covering the Chicago Cubs for Examiner.com. The Windy City native is also the Associate Editor for SBNation Chicago and has been published in the Maple Street Press Cubs annuals. In her free time, Romain is working on a book titled “Summers At Wrigley With My Dad.”

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC