Wrigley aloof-tops

The Cubs are 7-2 since the All-Star break and are feeling pretty good about themselves. They've put that atrocious first half behind them and figure their best Baseball is still to come. Good for them. That's the mind-set they must have if they're going to win this division. But is anyone else feeling it? The Cubs won their third consecutive game, beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Aramis Ramirez is back, and he's starting to heat up. He hit a two-run home run Saturday and has homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Alfonso Soriano also is starting to heat up. He had three hits, including a solo home run, and has hit safely in his last eight games. Kosuke Fukudome had an infield single, extending his hitting streak to a career-high eight games. Even Milton Bradley joined in the fun, hitting a pinch-hit home run from the left side of the plate. That has to be a good sign, doesn't it? Rookie Kevin Hart got his second consecutive victory, going six innings and giving up one run. The Central Division remains up for grabs, and the Cubs are close enough to the St. Louis Cardinals to ruffle their feathers. If that's not an exciting thought for Cubs fans, then what is? Cheering in moderation Although the game Saturday drew a crowd of 41,364, it was as lifeless a crowd as I've seen at Wrigley. Fans barely could muster a reaction when Bradley came to bat in the eighth inning. The announcement of his pinch-hit appearance was greeted with a few half-hearted cheers balanced by a few ho-hum boos, as if the crowd collectively was saying, ''Whatever.'' It's not yet August, but the season has taken an emotional toll on the faithful. To believe or not to believe? To invest one's self fully or not? At present, the majority seems to be choosing a wait-and-see approach. And who can blame them? Don't get me wrong. The crowd still cheered when the Cubs scored. People are programmed to do so. But that doesn't mean they did it with feeling. Fans realize that although the team has won seven of nine since the All-Star break, six of those victories have come against the Washington Nationals and the Reds, teams that won't be competing for a pennant any time soon. Fans appreciated Hart's swell outing against the Reds but also realize that Ted Lilly has been put on the disabled list with shoulder and knee issues. Fans know that Ryan Dempster, though due back soon, is still out with that broken toe. They realize that Rich Harden is Mr. Iffy. They know that starting pitching has been the team's strength but is no longer an automatic. Fans realize the offense has shown signs of breaking out of its seasonlong slump, but you'll have to forgive them for curbing their enthusiasm. They have reason to be leery. This isn't the first time the offense has shown a few positive signs, but the good never lasts. And fans aren't alone in their concern. Soriano's recent hot streak has manager Lou Piniella searching for some wood to knock. ''He's stroking the ball, I'll tell you what,'' Piniella said, rapping three times on a faux-wood table. ''I like his approach in the sixth hole. I really do. He's stroking the ball.'' Soriano having success in sixth Crazy, isn't it? For years Piniella refused to drop Soriano in the lineup. No matter how loudly all of Cubdom yelled, begging for a change at the top of the batting order, Piniella wouldn't make the switch. Soriano was his leadoff hitter, and that was that. Not to dwell on the past. The Cubs are hoping to move full steam ahead. A productive Soriano is part of that equation. And he has taken to the sixth spot just fine, thank you. ''I never had a first half like this one,'' Soriano said. ''But now I have to work very hard and do the best I can to help the team win.'' It figures the offense would begin to look healthier just as the pitching staff faces its biggest crisis of the season. A week ago, general manager Jim Hendry was looking for an arm to buttress the bullpen. With Lilly out, the Cubs could use a veteran starter, as well. It's tough to imagine a rookie replacing Lilly. So how should fans feel about this team now? After trading for Matt Holliday, the Cardinals automatically became the division favorites. But Hendry has indicated time and again that no such quick fix is in store for the Cubs . If that's the case, the team will have to look within. Does it have what it takes? The players seem to think so. Cubs fans are far less certain. Comment at suntimes.com.