Normally, at this point, I'd be saying "thank God it's the Pirates." There are few truly great opportunities to rebound quickly from a slump as pitiful as the Cubs' recent 7-game skid, and this is one of them. While the Brewers and Cardinals duke it out in Milwaukee for 3 games, the Cubs get the division's worst team and one that they absolutely love to destroy. This is their best chance to gain back some ground.

If only it were that easy.

Cub fans should have been salivating in anticipation of the first Cubs-Pirates series of the season. In 2008, the Cubs were 14-4 against the Bucs including a 4-game sweep in their first series at Wrigley. They scored 131 total runs in those 18 games. Last season, the Cubs scored 855 runs total. That's 15 percent of their runs scored in about 10 percent of their games.

Of course that was last year, when the Cubs were first in runs scored in the National League, compared to 12th of 16. Wanna know who's 11th? The Pirates. In fact, the Pirates lead the Cubs in most major offensive categories except for home runs. At this point, it's really sobering to mention that widely circulated statistic that the Cubs have never scored less than 4 runs this season and won a game. Need I aggravate that fury by mentioning the Cubs are sixth best in runs allowed? And the Pirates are fifth?

Other stuff you don't want to hear: The Cubs have the third worst team batting average in the NL and the fourth worst on-base percentage.  They've left the third fewest men on base -- because they don't have any to leave. They have the fourth fewest save opportunities. Their pitching? 2nd in both strikeouts and opponent batting average, with starters averaging 6 innings per game, tied for third in the league -- and the offense repays them with a .500 overall record at 21-21.

Now that we've got that all out there, it's the Cubs time to prove why those numbers mean absolutely nothing and it starts with a fresh home stand beginning with a warm up against the Pirates. A warm-up, because the weekend series brings the NL's toughest team into town, and not just any league-best team, but the league-best team that made Cub fans endure torture last October: the Los Angeles Dodgers. Talk about a statement series. This home stand not only closes out May, but will be the most important stand they have had all season.

If the Cubs continue to do nothing offensively in front of a home crowd, look for Lou Piniella to flex his base-chucking muscles.