(My Sportsbook) - The best home team in the National League last season, the Chicago Cubs make their Wrigley Field debut this afternoon in the opener of a two-game series with the Colorado Rockies.

Chicago went an NL-best 55-26 at home last season, while winning all four of its matchups as the host versus the Rockies. In fact, the Cubs have won eight in a row at Wrigley over Colorado, which hasn't won there since September 30, 2006.

The Cubs took five of six overall in the 2008 series with Colorado and have won 11 of their last 14 matchups versus the Rockies as well.

Chicago hasn't been so bad on the road this year either. The club has won four of six to start the year, winning its first two series on the road for the first time since 1988.

Everything broke right for the Cubs in Sunday's 8-5 win over Milwaukee. Alfonso Soriano hit the 51st leadoff homer of his career, the Cubs scored four runs in the fourth inning thanks to four bases-loaded walks, and Reed Johnson made a spectacular catch to rob the Brewers' Prince Fielder of a grand slam in the fifth inning.

Johnson had just entered the game the previous inning as a pinch-runner for Milton Bradley, who had to leave the contest due to a groin injury. Bradley, who is hitting just .059 so far this season, likely won't play today. Catcher Geovany Soto also won't start until possibly Wednesday, although he has been available as a pinch-hitter while battling a sore right shoulder. He hasn't started any of Chicago's last four games.

Soriano ended with two runs batted in, as did Derrek Lee and Koyie Hill, while also stealing a base to become the 19th player in major league history to reach 250 homers and 250 steals.

Chicago plays the first of nine in a row at home today, and left-hander Ted Lilly will pitch the opener of that stretch. Lilly won a career-high 17 games last year, but was one of few Cubs pitchers who struggled at home a year ago. In 15 Wrigley starts last season, Lilly went 7-5 with a 4.50 earned run average.

The 33-year-old won his 2009 debut last Wednesday versus Houston, despite allowing four homers and five runs over five frames. He is 2-1 with a 7.56 ERA in four career starts versus the Rockies.

While Lilly had trouble keeping the ball in front of the fence last week, Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez mastered keeping the ball out of play in his first 2009 start last week.

The emerging 25-year-old faced Arizona on Tuesday and hurled seven scoreless innings, working around four hits and three walks while striking out eight. The righty went 12-12 last year with a 3.99 ERA and 172 strike outs.

Jimenez will try to pick up his first-ever win versus the Cubs, as he is 0-2 with a 7.24 ERA in three starts against them.

The Rockies have dropped two straight since winning three in a row, blowing a four-run lead in Sunday's finale of a three-game set with Philadelphia on the way to a 7-5 setback.

Aaron Cook went six innings for the Rockies, giving up three runs on seven hits. However, Manny Corpas gave up a game-tying two-run homer to Chase Utley in the eighth inning before Huston Street (0-1) was taken deep by a pinch- hitting Matt Stairs for another two-run blast in the ninth to suffer the loss.

Clint Barmes plated two runs as part of a four-run first inning for Colorado, while Dexter Fowler hit a solo homer in the second. However, that would be the final time the Rockies would cross the plate.