Lee, Dempster team up to top Dodgers
A couple of Cubs were looking at the calendar in different ways Tuesday after a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on a splendid spring evening at Wrigley Field.
If it's getting near June, it must be time for Derrek Lee to start heating up. Lee, a notorious slow starter, doubled in the fourth inning, had an RBI single in the sixth and hit a big insurance homer in the eighth to drive in 2 more.
Pitcher Ryan Dempster had to flip the calendar back to last month to find his previous victory. That drought ended as Dempster worked 8 innings and gave up 3 hits, earning his first win since April 23.
"I'm just happy we won the game," said Dempster, who is 3-4 with a 3.31 ERA. "Whether I get it or we get it, that's all that matters. What was frustrating about not winning many games was that we weren't winning as a team when I was pitching."
As for Lee, his 3-for-3 night, which included a walk, bumped his batting average from .218 to .231. For his career, Lee is a .317 hitter in June, but he wasn't ready to proclaim himself in a groove yet.
"I don't know; it was one night," he said. "It's a good night. Hopefully it's a start. I've had a lot of slow starts in my career. I wish I understood why. Hopefully I do heat up and start to help this team. It felt good to have a game and contribute to a win."
Manager Lou Piniella watched his team improve to 22-24 with its third win in a row and seventh in nine games. Piniella knows he'll need Lee for those winning ways to continue.
"Yeah, we could really use it, no question," Piniella said. "I've said many times that last year, from about the middle of May on, he was very productive and hope that's the case this year."
Dempster saved his best for the middle to later innings after throwing a total of 48 pitches over the first 3, stranding two runners in the first.
He gave up singles to Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake in the fourth but struck out Xavier Paul to end the inning. After that, he allowed nothing.
"I felt early on I wasn't (hitting) the strike zone as much as I would have like to," Dempster said. "Afterward, I just tried to execute pitches and get ahead as much as possible."
The Cubs didn't get a hit off L.A. lefty Clayton Kershaw until Lee's double. His big homer was an opposite-field drive to right against Ramon Troncoso after Starlin Castro reached on an error by Rafael Furcal. Piniella turned to his bullpen for the ninth, and Carlos Marmol earned his 10th save.
"I've noticed we're playing with a little more intensity," Piniella said. "I've noticed that our defensive play has gotten a whole lot better. That really helps our pitching. And we're starting to get some key hits that allow us to win baseball games. Yeah, I'm optimistic. We've just got to keep playing."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p>
<p class="News">Cubs 3, Dodgers 0</p>
<p class="News"><b>Dempster doings:</b> Ryan Dempster turned in his seventh quality start, working 8 innings of shutout ball and giving up 3 hits. The Cubs are 16-14 in quality-start games, with the starters sporting a 2.25 ERA in those games.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Castro does it again:</b> Starlin Castro reached base on an error by Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal in the eighth inning. He has reached via hit, walk or error in all 17 of his big-league games, hitting safely in 14.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Byrd watching:</b> Marlon Byrd had 2 hits, giving him a team-leading 18th multihit game. He's hitting .356 (31-for-87) at Wrigley Field.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Closing in:</b> Derrek Lee's eighth-inning home run was the 299th of his career.</p>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=383468">Zambrano's return to rotation getting closer<span class="date"> [5/25/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=383471">Pitching prospects get good reviews<span class="date"> [5/25/10]</span></a></li>
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