Rich Harden continued his dominance as a Cub. Mark DeRosa homered for the 4th straight game. Fukudome shows up with a pinch-hit bomb. Jeff Samardzija continues to mow down batters. And the Cubs have the best record in baseball. They moved to 80-50 with Sunday’s win and are 49-19 at Wrigley.

Where are the holes? I suppose you could say Jason Marquis. But for a fifth starter, his numbers aren’t all that bad. But if we are talking playoff roster, Marquis isn’t a concern at all. The Cubs would be set with Harden, Zambrano, Dempster and Lilly.

Phil Rogers says: “With five weeks left in the season, it’s unclear what role Jason Marquis, the Cubs’ Fifth Beatle, could have on a playoff roster. But it would be cruel for him to be cast aside in October for the third year in a row.”

If Marquis ends up with hard feelings, Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella will have done their jobs. Marshall and Gaudin could handle long relief if a Cubs starter gets shelled and heads for an early exit. They are much better suited to that role than is Marquis.

I say that is a nice problem to have. Meanwhile, a playoff berth is not fait accompli. These are the Cubs, after all. And the Brewers refuse to go away. They won their 4th straight on Sunday on a J.J. Hardy 12th inning hit. It their 23rd win in their last at-bat and ninth series sweep this season. Yes, the wildcard seems a certainty at this point. But that would be tremendously depressing after this wonderful season.