Patience paying off for Soriano, Cubs

Alfonso Soriano just smiled Tuesday when informed that he had walked three times in Monday's 4-3 victory over Washington.

It marked the first time Soriano had walked three times in a game since May 22, 2007, when the Cubs played at San Diego. Never known for his high on-base percentages, Soriano entered Tuesday with an OBP of .362 and 7 walks.

"That's what I'm trying to be, the same guy who's aggressive at home plate but swing at my pitch, not swing at the pitch they want me to swing at," Soriano said.

As is his custom, Soriano went to the batting cage with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo after the Cubs had taken batting practice on the field.

"It's great. I've been working with him every day in the cage, and I'm trying to do what he wants me to do: be very aggressive but just swing at my pitch. I'm not jumping so much," he said. "Just put my left foot early on the ground and decide what I want to do with the ball. If I put my left foot on the ground early, I see the ball clear.

"That's what I want to do, just feel good at home plate and I think that's where I am right now."

Walking men: Speaking of approaches at the plate, the Cubs entered Tuesday ranked fifth in walks (77) and fifth in on-base percentage (.344).

In their six games leading up to Tuesday, they had averaged 5 walks per game after averaging 3.4 walks in their first 14 games.

"A little patience, which is good," said manager Lou Piniella. "That goes hand in hand with good hitting. You start laying off bad pitches, it's much easier to hit."

Leaning left: Lou Piniella turned to lefty reliever John Grabow with the Cubs down 2-1 in the eighth inning. Piniella was asked before the game if lefty Sean Marshall was the primary left-handed setup man out of the bullpen. Grabow has struggled in the early going.

"I'm using Sean a little bit as a situational lefty, with the good breaking ball against left-handers," Piniella said. "Grabow was coming in the 11th last night if we hadn't scored a run. But I am leaning on Grabow and Marshall more than I am Russell and more than I am with the other two young pitchers that we have in our bullpen."