Harden to skip turn in rotation

After allowing 5 runs on 71 pitches over 3 innings in a 9-5 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday night, Cubs starting pitcher Rich Harden was thankful there was still time left in the season for him to atone.

"I've got three starts left here and I've got to get it done," Harden said following his fourth consecutive start in which he failed to go 5 innings.

Um, doesn't look like that's going to happen.

"We're going to skip Harden on Monday and put (Tom) Gorzelanny in the rotation; he'll be pitching against Milwaukee Monday and I would think probably in San Francisco, too, on Saturday," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

Does it mean this is just to give Harden a break, or is the team shutting him down for the season?

"We're going to skip him a turn for sure and then we'll see," Piniella said. "There's nothing wrong with him at all. This will freshen him up a little bit."

Harden seemed fine with that.

"I'm still feeling good," Harden said. "We'll see. Yeah, just take a couple of days off - not shut me down."

Thank you: In a classy pre-game ceremony, approximately 60 Medal of Honor recipients - the nation's highest military award presented for valor in combat - were honored Thursday at Wrigley Field.

Of the estimated 42 million men and women who have served the United States in the armed forces since the Civil War, only 3,447 have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Today, there are fewer than 100 living recipients.

He said it: Cubs manager Lou Piniella on the upcoming road trip: "Just play as well as we can the rest of the way and win as many games as we can and finish as strong as we can, that's all. And that is what we're going to try to do. These guys have been playing; we've just been getting beat up a little bit here the last three games or so ... and a little bit prior to that."