Marshall gets the job done

PHOENIX -- Maybe Cubs manager Lou Piniella was too enthralled by Friday night's pitching performance from Sean Marshall.

Or maybe the desert heat had gotten to Piniella by the time the Cubs' 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks was complete.

"I don't even remember how we scored the runs," Piniella said. "Whoever got the runs in did a nice job."

The Cubs got their runs almost every which way except for a home run as they won their third game in four tries on the road trip and improved to 66-61 and increased their lead over Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games.

The main story was the second straight victory by lefty Marshall, who improved to 7-6 with 6 innings of 2-hit, 1-run ball.

"He did a real nice job," said Piniella, who before the game went up and down his rotation and couldn't find a thing to complain about. "I mentioned the fact that our starting pitchers have done a good job of keeping us in the game and giving us a chance to win."

The Cubs staked Marshall to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Micah Owings. Ryan Theriot began what would be a 37-pitch inning for Owings when he worked a walk to lead off.

Jacque Jones (4-for-5) grounded out to move Theriot to second, and Derrek Lee singled home the first run. After Aramis Ramirez struck out, Cliff Floyd dribbled a single down the third-base line. Mark DeRosa (3-for-4) singled to right, making it 2-0.

As much as Owings labored in the first, Marshall breezed. He threw only 6 pitches in working a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. Marshall threw 11 pitches in a perfect second.

"They came out aggressive, too," Marshall said of the Arizona hitters. "It's to my advantage, too, because they popped some balls up and got me some quick innings. I just kind of used that momentum to pitch a little bit deeper in the game, and it worked out well for us."

The first real trouble for Marshall-- and it shouldn't have come as a surprise -- happened with two outs in the third, when Owings launched a first-pitch homer over the wall in left field. It was Owings' fourth homer of the year, and it came one start after Owings had 4 hits, 2 homers and 6 RBI against the Braves.

"That guy seems to be on fire right now," Marshall said. "I tried to throw the ball off the plate, and it just cut back over the middle of the plate. He put a good swing on it."

Marshall got some big-time defensive help from shortstop Theriot in the fifth. Chris Snyder led off with a double and went to third on Marshall's wild pitch. After Mark Reynolds struck out, Justin Upton grounded the ball to the hole. Theriot dived, fielded the ball and threw home to get Snyder.

"When I went down and dived for it, you kind of peek a little bit to see where the runner is at," Theriot said. "I felt like once I caught it, I had a good shot at him at home."

The Cubs got a run in the sixth and broke it open with 3 in the ninth. Ryan Dempster earned his 21st save.