Piniella not about to bat Theriot ninth

ST. LOUIS -- Ryan Theriot admitted Friday that he said, "Hmmm," when he saw the St. Louis Cardinals batting a position player ninth and the pitcher eighth.

There's been talk that Theriot, who has hit first or second, would be an ideal No. 9 hitter as a "second leadoff man."

The point is moot with the Cubs because their manager, Lou Piniella, has stated he won't bat a position player ninth.

"I'd bat wherever they tell me to bat," Theriot said. "I don't care. It doesn't matter to me. First, second, eight, nine, two. I tried to talk Lou into hitting me third the other day, and he laughed at me and walked away.

"Listen, managers are doing what they can to win ballgames, shuffling lineups to get the matchups in their favor."

In Friday night's game, the Cardinals batted pitcher Adam Wainwright eighth and shortstop Brendan Ryan ninth. Adam Kennedy also has hit ninth this year.

"It sparked a few rallies, as well," Theriot noted. "It also could keep rallies going. I hadn't really noticed it, but all of a sudden, they were doing it and got some runs early on, and I said, 'There might be something to this.' "

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa used that alignment in 1998, when Mark McGwire was batting third during a 70-homer season.

"That's a strategy I learned in the American League," La Russa said last month at Wrigley Field. "Your third hitter becomes a fourth hitter. Kennedy hit ninth in Anaheim. I asked him if he was the worst hitter in that lineup. He said no."

Lee a go: Derrek Lee pronounced himself good to go Friday after testing his sore left knee in batting practice. Lee fouled a pitch off the knee Wednesday at Houston.

The oddity is that he fouled the ball off the back of his knee.

"It's just kind of a bad spot, on the knee where you bend," Lee said. "It's just tough to really run and bend down. I was afraid I wouldn't be effective if I was out there, especially defensively. It's really freak. I've never done it before. I don't know how I did it."

He's back: Lefty Sean Marshall will make his first start since Aug. 31 in the second game of today's day-night doubleheader.

"It's not like I forgot how to pitch," Marshall joked.

The start will be Marshall's 19th of the season. He made his first professional relief appearance Sept. 9 in a 10-5 loss at Pittsburgh. Marshall is 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA.

"I had some bullpen work in between; I threw some long bullpens to tune back up," he said.