“I’ve said a hundred times, it starts with starting pitching, and we’ve got to get our starting pitching together.”

It’s true that in the month of May the Chicago Cubs have earned a dismal 5 and 16 record, with pitching that has been shaky at best. In 21 games, Cubs starters have given up 75 runs, an average of 3.5 per game.

But in that same span, the Cubs offense has scored only 51 runs, an average of just 2.4 runs per game.

Rich Hill sucks, but is it fair to blame our problems on him? Yes, he allowed 20 runs in four starts, but guess how many runs of support he got. You can count them on one finger. That’s right — one run in four games. How many games do you expect the man to win with that, especially knowing that the fewest runs he’s ever given up in a major league start is three?

Hill’s career ERA is 9.21, which means he gives up more than one run for every inning he pitches. So one run isn’t going to win the game when you’ve got Rich Hill on the mound. It won’t even get you through one inning, let alone four frickin’ games.

But, ok, so you’ve said it 100 times. It’s all the fault of our starting pitching. So what are you going to do about it?

By the way, did you recogize that guy on the mound for Florida tonight, Dusty? You know, the one who gave up only one run in seven innings? Yeah, him. Did’ya know you traded him to the Marlins along with Sergio Mitre last year? That’s right. And you know who you got in return? That’s right, Juan Pierre. And do you happen to know how he’s doing this season? Would you believe that your star leadoff man is back to DEAD LAST again in terms of on-base percentage (.276) and sixth in batting average (.240)? Those 14 stolen bases sure have come in handy, though, right? Now guess who has 13 stolen bases, a .345 OBP and is batting .287. Corey Frickin’ Patterson is who.