The biggest difference between last season’s Cubs, which had one of the best records in the MLB, and this season’s team has been the continually faulty play of the bullpen.

Without Kerry Wood, the bullpen has struggled mightily as Carlos Marmol has been much worse than last season.

The Cubs failed to back up another stellar start by Randy Wells, who took a no-hitter into the seventh and a shutout into the eighth inning, but was pulled in the eight after 83 pitches.

Despite the strong performance by Wells, the Cubs still lost the game 6-5 in extra innings, mostly thanks to yet another bullpen collapse.

Wells has started off his career with a bang, although he has yet to win a game.  Through the first five career starts, Wells still has a 1.69 ERA with a WHIP under 1.

Also, despite the low ERA, the Cubs are just 1-4 in Wells’ five starts, scoring a combined 13 runs through five games.  Wells hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any one game.

This game seemed different from the start, however, as Alfonso Soriano led the game off with a home run in the first.

Wells also helped his cause in the second inning when he knocked in Geovany Soto to get his first career RBI.

The game stayed at 2-0 until the sixth, when Derek Lee doubled in Kosuke Fukudome.  Later in the inning, Mike Fontenot hit a sac-fly to drive in Lee.

Another home run in the eighth, this one by Lee, brought the Cubs to a  comfortable five run lead, however, the game turned from there.

Wells allowed his first run of the game via a Garret Anderson home run in the bottom of the eighth.  Soon after, the game was given to the bullpen.

Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg allowed a combined three runs in two innings of work, two of which came in the ninth inning as Jeff Francoeur hit a two-out, two-run home run to tie the game in the ninth.

Neither team was able to jump ahead until the 12th inning when Yunel Escobar singled in Chipper Jones against Aaron Heilman to take the win.

The loss drops the Cubs to an even 25-25 through their first 50 games, a mark that they likely felt that they would be much better than at the start of the season.

Joe Willett

Photos from AP