Fox's big bat helps Cubs stop bleeding ... for now

A quality performance by the starting pitcher is nothing new for the Cubs. They've gotten that throughout this miserable West Coast road trip.

The significant difference in Sunday's 3-1 victory over Los Angeles - which allowed the Cubs to avoid their first four-game sweep at Dodger Stadium since 1965 - was Jake Fox starting in left field. Fox went 4-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBI to spark the Cubs' dormant offense.

Following the game, however, manager Lou Piniella refused to commit to Fox in the lineup when the Cubs return home Tuesday to face Washington. Slumping Alfonso Soriano sat out for the second straight day with a sore left knee.

"I said I'll play my veteran players and they're going to have to get it done," Piniella said. "I'll lean as much as I can on the veteran players here and see what they can do and how far we can go."

Leaning on the veterans has led the Cubs to their current spot, trailing St. Louis by 8 games in the NL Central and 7 games behind wild-card leader Colorado. They went 2-5 on this trip to San Diego and Los Angeles.

"If we come out and play with the same intensity we had today, come out with that same fire, that same fuel, I think you'll like what you see down the stretch," Fox said. "This game is a good game to build off because it shows that we went through a rough patch, but we're not out of it. We're not laying down and folding."

The other Cubs' hero Sunday was pitcher Ryan Dempster (7-7), who allowed just 3 hits in 7 innings. He left after walking Russell Martin to start the eighth.

"When you get ahead of hitters, especially a lineup like that - they don't ever give you a break and you've just got to try and pound the strike zone as much as possible," Dempster said. "I was able to mix speeds, kind of go back and forth between hard and soft."

Lefty John Grabow worked out of some trouble in the eighth, thanks to a strange turn of events. With runners on first and third and one out, Orlando Hudson lifted a pop up that dropped into short center field when Ryan Theriot lost the ball in the sun. But the play was waved off because third base umpire Wally Bell called for time just before the pitch so that the Dodgers could send in a pinch-runner. Hudson then grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Carlos Marmol finally got his first save opportunity after taking over the closer's role from Kevin Gregg on Tuesday. Marmol recorded a perfect ninth inning, ending the game with 2 strikeouts.

Fox got the Cubs on the board in the second inning with a solo home run. They broke a 1-1 tie with a pair of runs in the sixth. Aramis Ramirez led off with a rare triple as his flyball struck the wall and bounced away from Manny Ramirez. Kosuke Fukudome followed with an RBI double and Fox drove home the third run with a single. The Cubs outhit the Dodgers 12-3.

"We need to start scoring runs," Piniella said. "Like I told the team (Saturday) night after the game, it's got to turn, it's got to get better. Just relax and don't give in to it."

The Cubs announced Carlos Zambrano will be activated from the disabled list and start Tuesday when they open a homestand against Washington. Outfielder Reed Johnson has been slow to heal from a broken left foot and isn't expected back until next month.