Harden only comes out at night

Just call Rich Harden the Night Rider.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella will try to start Harden as much as possible under the lights as opposed to under the sun.

The reason? Harden entered Tuesday night's start at Philadelphia 5-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 6 night starts. During the day, he's just 1-5 with a 7.35 ERA.

Thursday's off-day will enable Piniella to start Harden next Monday night at home against the Houston Astros.

"Then, he'll pitch again in Miami the following Saturday (Aug. 1), but that will be a night game, too," Piniella said Tuesday on his WGN radio pregame show. "Yeah, there's some things we can do to help out. If we don't have days off, it's very hard to do, almost impossible."

In 9 starts at Wrigley Field, Harden is 2-5 with a 7.59 ERA.

Busy bullpen: The Cubs' bullpen entered Tuesday having tossed 4 innings in each of the previous four games.

The Elias Sports Bureau reports the last time a Cubs bullpen had to work 4 innings in at least four games was Aug. 24-26, 1999.

The current pen had a 1.69 ERA in this recent four-game stretch. Cubs relievers entered Tuesday with a 2.41 ERA in July.

The bullpen has lowered its ERA each month this year. It was 5.37 in April, 4.11 in May and 2.99 in June.