Lou's focus is on the bullpen after 5-game trip

MILWAUKEE - All things considered, the Cubs emerged from their five-game road trip and stretch of 20 games in 20 days beat up and battered, but hardly buried.

Their 4-2 victory Sunday over the Brewers at Miller Park gave them a 3-2 trip and a record of 10-10 over the long stretch.

They improved their overall mark to 17-14, keeping them within 2½ games of the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central.

"It wasn't easy," manager Lou Piniella said. "We get a day off tomorrow. A much-needed day off."

And there is so much to consider with these Cubs, who seem to be in a constant state of flux:

• They're without corner infielders Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee. Ramirez is on the disabled list and likely out for two months with a dislocated left shoulder. Lee had an MRI Sunday on his troublesome neck. Both are keys to the heart of the order.

• The beleaguered bullpen issued 3 walks Sunday, but the relievers held the Brewers scoreless over the final 4 innings to preserve the victory for Sean Marshall (1-2).

In 90 innings pitched, Cubs relievers have walked 64 batters. That compares with 70 walks in 1852/3 innings for the starters.

Piniella made it clear where his focus lies.

"For us to play good baseball this summer and for us to have a chance to compete in this division, we've got to get our bullpen straightened out," he said. "And that's going to be priority No. 1, to get our bullpen straightened out so that when we play these close games, we can stay in them and give our offense a chance to come back.

"And at the same time, when we have leads like we had today, we can hold on to them."

Piniella said he will work within the organizational framework, but that he wouldn't mind seeing relievers come up from the minor leagues to get a chance.

"Truthfully, from what I've seen here so far this year, it hasn't worked very well," he said.

Marshall gave up runs in the first 2 innings as the Brewers went up 2-0, but the Cubs scored 4 in the third, keyed by Alfonso Soriano's 10th homer of the year, a 2-run monster blast to center off Jeff Suppan.

Marshall got some important help from Angel Guzman, who worked 2 perfect innings, striking out two. Guzman could take over a more important role, perhaps supplanting Aaron Heilman in the seventh.

"We're bringing him along just the way we want, and we're going to start putting a little bit more of a responsibility on him," Piniella said of Guzman. "I hope that he responds the way we anticipate, because he's throwing the ball nice and easy, with good movement. He looks nice and confident out there."

That's all fine with Guzman.

"It's big time for me," Guzman. "It's important for me to show them I can help the team in whatever the role is."

Piniella also said he'd like to take a look at rookie Randy Wells in the pen after starter Carlos Zambrano comes off the disabled. Marshall also is a possibility to return to the bullpen, especially if lefty Neal Cotts doesn't get his act together.

"You need more than two or three pitchers," Piniella said. "We've got to have five pitchers here that are consistency doing the job. And now we can start putting this thing together the way that we want."

<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p> <p class="News"><b>Sunday's grade:</b> B. Sean Marshall got his first win of the year by gutting out 5 innings. The bullpen walked three but got the job done. Angel Guzman stepped up in the pen with 2 scoreless innings.</p> <p class="News"><b>Bunching them up: </b>The Cubs batted around in the third, bunching 5 hits. Alfonso Soriano hit his 10th homer, making four times in his career that he has reached 10 in 30 or fewer games.</p> <p class="News"><b>They're hot:</b> Kosuke Fukudome tripled, singled and walked to extend his hitting streak to four games. His OBP is .449. Milton Bradley extended his streak to five game, with a single. He has reached base in 14 of his 15 starts.</p>