Dempster sharp after tough start
MESA, Ariz. -- Ryan Dempster was more concerned with the past than the future when he took the mound Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics.
While it seems an unorthodox approach to winning a spot in the rotation, you can't quibble with the results.
Dempster allowed only a single hit and no runs, striking out seven of the 18 batters he faced in his bid to secure a spot in the Cubs' starting rotation.
He left with one out in the sixth inning of a scoreless game.
"It's as good as I've seen him pitch,'' said Cubs manager Lou Piniella, "especially after his last outing.''
A day after Jason Marquis gave up a run on 5 hits in his own bid for a rotation spot, Dempster turned in an even better performance.
But it was the memory of his last outing -- when he gave up 5 runs on 5 hits in a 1¿ innings Friday against the Angels -- that was most prominent on Dempster's mind.
"It felt good to be able to go out and make my pitches and get people out, especially after my last time out there,'' Dempster said. "Mostly I wanted this for myself. What happens with the rotation, happens. It's not my call.''
At the beginning of the week, Piniella figured he'd have the closer role settled before the starting rotation.
But with Kerry Wood's back spasms delaying the decision on the closer and the way his contenders for the rotation have worked out, it may be the other way around.
"It could certainly work out that way,'' Piniella said. "It's amazing what happens when you have competition. But we're going to have to make that decision this weekend. There's no sense delaying it. We've let people compete for these past three weeks, so it's time. Let's do it and get on with the program.''
Where's the offense? Lou Piniella is getting a little antsy about his team's lack of offense.
"We're just not hitting,'' Piniella said. "Look. It's spring training, but at the same time the season is approaching pretty quick. We've got to start swinging the bats. Normally, you come to Arizona and you expect to score runs, but offense has been a scarcity. You expect to put (up) 8 or 9 runs, but we're having trouble getting 4 or 5. That's got to change. This isn't the first time I've rung the alarm on this, so we'll see.''
Fun with Fukudome: Right fielder Kosuke Fukudome picked up his second outfield assist of the spring, gunning down Kurt Suzuki at the plate in the sixth inning. He almost had a second assist, but his throw to the plate in the ninth short-hopped catcher Henry Blanco. Fukudome was charged with an error.
Trade talk blues: Lou Piniella admitted that a late trade could force the Cubs to scramble the puzzle that the team has spent the spring putting into place.
"We could be getting in the situation where something is done right at the tail end and it upsets the apple cart a little,'' Piniella said. "That's not the ideal situation, but it's not just up to (general manager) Jim (Hendry), it's up to the other teams he's talking to, too.''