--Catchers Geovany Soto and Henry Blanco have combined to throw out 23 of 84 attempted basestealers. The 27.4 percent rate ranked ninth in the majors. Last year, Cubs catchers ranked 29th, at 11.5 percent.
--3B Aramis Ramirez returned to the lineup Sunday after missing two starts because of a bruised left hip. Ramirez has 83 RBIs, the only Cubs player with at least 80. --RH reliever Jeff Samardzija struck out the only batter he faced, running his scoreless-innings streak to 10, dating to Aug. 1. RHP Carlos Marmol has a scoreless streak of 15 innings dating to the All-Star break.
--Derrek Lee's single in Saturday night's game was the 1,500th hit of his major league career.
--RHP Ryan Dempster improved to 14-5 with a 2.92 ERA. He is one victory shy of his career best, set in 2001 while with Florida. "Pretty impressive," is how manager Lou Piniella described Dempster's season so far. "I'll tell you this: His stuff right now is as good as it was earlier in the year. That's saying a lot."
--CF Reed Johnson tied his single-game career high with four hits. Johnson doubled twice and singled twice, driving in three and extending his hitting streak to five games.
BY THE NUMBERS: 27.4 -- Cubs catchers Geovany Soto and Henry Blanco entered the week having thrown out 27.4 percent of runners trying to steal (23 of 84). That placed the Cubs ninth in the major leagues. Last year, Cubs catchers ranked 29th, throwing out just 11 percent, or 15 of 116.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Don't I still smell like a brewery?" -- Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward, after crushing a three-run homer last Friday in Florida to lift the Cubs to come-from-behind 6-5 victory. Ward had been 4-for-40 as a pinch hitter, and his teammates doused him with beer after the game.
