Piniella tells fans not to worry

ST. LOUIS -- During a mini state-of-the-stat chat Saturday, Cubs manager Lou Piniella urged fans to look at the big picture instead of just the snapshots.

"One thing that I've learned about Chicago is that you're either really up or you're really down," Piniella said before Saturday's 9-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. "I've come to learn that in a very short period of time. You've got to stay a little more even, especially here earlier in the year as you're sorting things out."

Piniella cited the areas he felt need to be addressed. The Cubs took care of one of them Saturday by sending left-handed starter Rich Hill to Class AAA Iowa.

"The big problems, let's get our bullpen functioning the way we thought it would coming out of spring training," the manager said. "I think that's probably the biggest.

"The Hill thing was always something that was there. Now, we're sending him out, so hopefully, he can get himself back here, and soon.

"And offensively, just get a little more consistent. We've put 13 on the board. We've put 19 on the board. And then we put a lot of games 3 or less. Try to spread these runs out a little bit if we can."

Ramirez sore: Third baseman Aramis Ramirez did not play Saturday, one day after getting hit on the left wrist by a pitch from Adam Wainwright.

"It's a little better, but I can't play today," said Ramirez, who was sporting a bandage on the wrist and getting treatments of ice. X-rays Friday night proved negative. "It's more swelling than anything else. That's what keeps me from holding my hand around (a bat).

"I was worried at first. It got me pretty good on my wrist."

Mark DeRosa played third base Saturday, and Kosuke Fukudome took over Ramirez's cleanup spot in the lineup.

Chin up: Alfonso Soriano was back in left field Saturday, one day after turning two flyballs into adventures and watching them drop.

"Sometimes you have a bad day," said Soriano, who admitted he needs to do some outfield work coming off the calf injury that put him on the disabled list.

"I've got to go, especially when we go to the visiting (parks); those ballparks we don't play in much, I think I want to take maybe one day of the series to work."