Starting staff has it really on a roll
Cubs starters are having a blast lately, not only dueling it out with opposing pitchers, but also trying to one-up one another on a daily basis.
On Saturday it was Ted Lilly's turn, and the lefty responded with his 11th win of the season, just one behind
Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano.
"It's a really fun thing," Lilly admitted. "As the starters in general, we expect a lot out of each other.
"The other guys (in the rotation) are happy we won today, but even that being the case, we expect more.
"They want more out of me and that (attitude) goes around. It's fun having those kind of expectations out of each other."
Lilly's teammates have taken note of the competitiveness of the staff and like what they've seen.
"You've always seen that over the years like with (Curt) Schilling and Randy Johnson in Arizona; when you have aces on good teams always trying to one-up each other," said outfielder Reed Johnson. "It seems we have four or five guys rolling and trying to compete with each other. Each day you're going to find something special out of that pitching staff.
"They're the reason we're here right now, they've been pitching so well, especially when we weren't hitting."
That's more like it: After struggling mightily just before the all-star break, a "more focused" Carlos Marmol has been a different pitcher in the second half.
The Cubs' reliever tossed a scoreless ninth inning Saturday against Pittsburgh, and has yet to allow a run in seven outings (8 total innings) since the all-star break.
"He's committed to throwing the fastball and the slider; he's moving the fastball to either side of the plate and the slider has a good bit to it," said catcher Geovany Soto. "He's really mixing his pitches and he's throwing strikes.
"That's the guy we want to see ... and there he is."
Return of Wood? Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said after Saturday's game that blister-bothered closer Kerry Wood would "probably" throw on the side today leading to speculation that Wood might see action as soon as the Houston series which starts Monday.
"I feel bad for him," said Carlos Marmol, who has been the main man since Wood's been out. "But he's going to be all right."
Marmol laughed when he was asked if there would be a competition for the closer's job upon Wood's return.
"That's his job" Marmol said. "My job is to throw in the seventh and eighth innings. That's my real job."