Spot-starter Warren solid in Cubs loss

Adam Warren provided a small bright spot Wednesday on an otherwise disappointing day for 41,262 at Wrigley Field who watched the Cubs fall 5-3 to Cincinnati - losing the series and their sixth game in the last seven.

Making his first start with the Cubs, Warren did all he could to prevent the loss, handing a 3-1 lead to the bullpen after striking out 6 and walking none in his 5 innings.

Warren got better as the game went on, retiring the final 11 batters he faced.

"He pitched really well," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That actually obviously was pretty warm out there. Getting through 5 was a great piece on his part."

Warren, whom the Cubs acquired in the offseason for Starlin Castro, made 17 starts for the Yankees a year ago while finishing 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA.

He opened this season pitching well out of the bullpen, going 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his first 15 appearances before struggling with a 9.00 ERA in his last 10 games.

The Cubs sent him to Triple-A Iowa to stretch him out and give their starting rotation an extra day of rest during this current stretch of 24 straight game days. After 2 starts at Iowa, Warren was ready for his shot.

"The biggest thing for me even going down and getting a couple starts was getting back to my identity as a pitcher," Warren said. "I kind of got away from that a little bit in the bullpen. I wanted to get back to throwing all four pitches both sides of the plate. I feel I did a good job of doing that. Part of that is getting ahead in the count instead of always being behind. I think that's what helped me today."

Cincinnati's only run against Warren came from the first batter of the game when Zack Cozart ended a 10-pitch at-bat with a home run to left-center.

Warren worked out of a jam stranding runners at second and third in the second, then didn't allow a runner his final 3 innings.

"He (Cozart) had a great at-bat," Warren said. "I was pounding the zone, trying to set the tone early. I tried pretty much everything and sometimes you have to tip your hat."

Wednesday marked the first time in 84 games the Cubs used a sixth starter, the fourth-latest in their history. Only the Cardinals have used just five starters this season.

Warren said he has 'no idea' if he will get another start after the break, but he stated his case.

"Got better game in progress," Maddon said. "I thought the quality of pitches continued to get better. I talked to him about that after I took him out. He did an outstanding job."

"I just wanted to go out there and prove I could do that and that was the first step today," Warren said. "Our five starters are doing great so you don't want to take anything away from those guys and just leave it at that. If they want to give those guys another breather I see it as an opportunity for me. If not I'll be ready to come in relief."

Being able to handle both roles is a big reason the Cubs traded for Warren, and it could be important to helping them snap out of a 5-12 stretch in their last 17 games.

"I think a lot of my value comes in being versatile, going back and forth between starting and relieving, being able to throw multiple innings out of the bullpen," Warren said. "It's nice to be able to give the starters a break in a long stretch or eat up the five innings. It's nice to get out there and get some quality innings."