Outlook is dim as Cubs 'implode' in 12-6 loss to Brewers

MILWAUKEE - The lights went out at Miller Park for 20 minutes in the eighth inning of Saturday night's game between the Cubs and Brewers.

One has to wonder whether the Cubs are getting set to turn out their own lights on a couple of relief pitchers in the wake of a 12-6 loss to the Brewers.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella seemed to be making both a promise and a threat before the game.

"We're going to put together a good bullpen before long," Piniella said. "Just give us a little time, and this will get much better from the bullpen side of things."

Afterward, Piniella was asked if Saturday's developments hastened the changes. Cubs relief pitchers walked seven.

"Hasten it?" he said with a chuckle. "I've said all along there's work to do here with our bullpen. Tonight, it just imploded. I don't think there's any other way to describe it."

Once again, lefty Neal Cotts had trouble, as he failed to retire either of the two batters he faced in the seventh inning, when the Brewers scored 6 runs to take a 9-2 lead.

Rookie David Patton had another painful time, coming in for Cotts and giving up 3 hits and 2 runs and uncorking a wild pitch.

Maybe Piniella was issuing a no-confidence vote in his pen when he sent starting pitcher Ryan Dempster to the mound in the seventh after Dempster had tossed 111 pitches.

Dempster got the first out, but Craig Counsell and Ryan Braun followed with back-to-back homers, setting the stage for more bullpen fireworks.

"It (stinks), man," Dempster said. "It (stinks) all the way around. We've just got to keep coming in and preparing every day to win a ballgame ... Pretty frustrating. I was pitching well for the most part of the game. Unfortunately, they don't ask you to pitch part of the game."

The Cubs are in a real bind. Ace starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano is on the disabled list, and Piniella seems to have full trust in only setup man Carlos Marmol and closer Kevin Gregg. Piniella says he can't run those two out there every day, but he had to go with both five times in six days into early last week.

Aaron Heilman, who started the season in dependable fashion, will fall out of favor quickly with Piniella with many more outings like the 2 in Milwaukee, where he walked one and gave up a homer Friday and walked two Saturday.

To top if all off, veteran Chad Fox may have blown out his surgically held-together elbow again, as he left with the trainer after uncorking a high wild pitch.

"It's a shame," Piniella said.

If the Cubs are looking to Class AAA Iowa for help, Jeff Stevens entered Saturday with an 0.00 over 13 innings and a WHIP (walks plus hits per 1 inning pitched) of 0.85. Reliever-turned starter Jose Ascanio was 1-1 with a 1.01 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP.

With Fox likely out, look for one move today and stay tuned in the coming days.

<p class="News"><b>Game tracker</b></p> <p class="News">LOB blues: The Cubs left 12 runners on base for the game. They stranded one in the first inning, followed by two each in each of the next three. </p> <p class="News">K-patrol: Cubs batters struck out 13 times. Alfonso Soriano scored the hat trick by striking out his first three times up. </p> <p class="News">The grade: D. Starter Ryan Dempster was OK through 61/3, but manager Lou Piniella's lack of trust in the bullpen forced him to stick with Dempster longer than he might have otherwise. The bullpen "imploded," according to Piniella. </p>