Cubs win, Sox lose. Not only did the Sox lose, but their new closer Billy Koch blew a save, giving up 4 hits and 4 runs (2 earned) in the bottom of the 8th.

The Sox are now 0-3 after having been swept by the Kansas City Royals, a team that last year finished 62-100. Awesome!

The Cubs looked dead yesterday, but bounced right back today. Maybe Dusty Baker is a miracle worker. I’ll still be thrilled if the Cubs could finish at .500 this year (which would, after all, be a 14-game improvement). Most importantly, the Cubs young nucleus needs to establish itself.

This is the year for Wood, Prior, Clement, Cruz and Zambrano to show that they will be the heart of a consistently excellent pitching staff for years to come.

This is also the year for Patterson, Choi and Hill (when he gets back up) to demonstrate that all the hype about the Cubs’ farm system was merited. If they bust, we’re right back where we started, trying to come up with a new game plan every year with other teams’ leavings.