Huge homestand on tap for Cubs
PHOENIX -- There was just no getting Cubs manager Lou Piniella to bite on how important this week's upcoming series with the Milwaukee Brewers is.
"I think it's a little early," Piniella said Sunday before repeating it for emphasis. "It's an important series, but it's early. We're still in August. What you're starting to see is Cincinnati is (6½) out, and Pittsburgh is 9. The whole division is getting closer.
"It's an important series. Putting it in perspective, it's still August. Look, this homestand is an important stand for us. We've got 10 games at home. Within our division, Milwaukee and Houston, and then we've got the Dodgers coming in. It's going to be a (heck) of a 10 days. We've got to make some hay on this homestand."
The Brewers (65-65) got swept over the weekend in San Francisco. The high-water mark for the Brewers this year was 14 games over .500. They were last there on July 2 at 48-34.
The Cubs will go with pitchers Rich Hill, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly against the Brewers.
Milwaukee will start Jeff Suppan on Tuesday night, and they're undecided beyond that. If Ben Sheets comes off the disabled list, he'll likely go Wednesday. The other options are Claudio Vargas and Yovani Gallardo.
Cubs outfielder Cliff Floyd sees the race going to the wire.
"If it doesn't, I'd be shocked," Floyd said. "If it does, then I think it'd be what everybody expected. We're not running away from anything. We're going to (battle) our way to the end. If we're supposed to win it, trust me, we will be there. We'll see. It's a good month and 10 days of good baseball. Everybody should enjoy it."
Blanco starts: Catcher Henry Blanco made his first start since coming off the disabled list last Tuesday. A cervical herniated disc had Blanco on the shelf since late May.
Against the Diamondbacks, Blanco went 1-for-3 with a second-inning double.
Jason Kendall entered the game at catcher on a double switch in the sixth inning. Kendall has seized the No. 1 catching job since coming over from Oakland in a July 16 trade.
"He's done well," Lou Piniella said. "He's familiarized himself with our pitchers. He's swung the bat well. He's been a good addition."
Marmol aid: Carlos Marmol pitched 1¿ scoreless innings in relief of Jason Marquis on Sunday. Marmol has a 1.53 ERA and has given up 34 hits in 53 innings with 72 strikeouts.
"He's meant a whole lot, a whole lot," said Lou Piniella. "It's allowed us to use our bullpen in different ways. He's given us a totally different look than we had out there prior to. He's done an outstanding job. With him coming, this bullpen has really come together."