Cubs fall 6 games back with tough loss

The Cubs aren't about to concede the National League Central to the Cardinals, but the words "wild card" have crept into their vocabulary.

Now, getting to the postseason at all is going to take some doing for the Cubs.

Kevin Gregg gave up 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the final blow coming on Kyle Blanks' 3-run homer as the San Diego Padres rallied to stun the Cubs 4-1 at Petco Park.

Coupled with the Cardinals' 3-2 victory at Los Angeles, the Cubs are 6 games behind St. Louis while they fight an uphill battle with teams from the NL East and West for the wild card.

It all may have been enough for manager Lou Piniella, who told reporters in San Diego that Gregg may have lost his job as closer after his sixth blown save.

"I think we're going to make some changes as far as what we're going to do in the late innings," Piniella was quoted as saying. "We'll have more tomorrow."

Gregg's bugaboo has been the home run ball. He has given up 12 in 561/3 innings, including a tough loss in Florida earlier this month.

The Cubs wasted a nice pitching performance from starter Ted Lilly, who came off the disabled list and pitched 6 scoreless innings.

Aramis Ramirez broke a 0-0 tie in the eighth with an RBI single after the Cubs did nothing with Padres starter Kevin Correia for his 6 innings.

Gregg came on in the ninth and got a quick out before walking David Eckstein. The dangerous Adrian Gonzalez flied out on the first pitch, and the Cubs were one out away from a 1-0 win.

But Gregg blew the save when Chase Headley doubled to the gap in left-center between Jake Fox and Kosuke Fukudome to score a run. Piniella opted to walk Kevin Kouzmanoff intentionally to get to Blanks, who crushed his homer to left-center.

The Cubs' offense did very little, leaving 10 men on base and going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They left the bases loaded in the sixth. Milton Bradley's groundout stranded two in the seventh.

Derrek Lee led off the eighth with a triple to the gap in left-center. Ramirez followed by grounding an RBI single between third base and shortstop.

John Grabow and Carlos Marmol pitched scoreless relief. If Piniella replaces Gregg, Marmol or righty Angel Guzman could get the job.

Before the game, Piniella talked of the other avenue to get to the playoffs. Now, that road may be too tough for the Cubs.

"St. Louis has opened up some ground on us," Piniella said on his WGN radio pregame show. "There's a couple ways to skin a cat. One is the division, and the other one is the wild card. We win enough baseball games, we'll get in the postseason."

Bruce Miles' game tracker

Padres 4, Cubs 1

Keeping count: Lefty Ted Lilly came off the DL and was economical with his pitches, throwing 70 in 6 scoreless innings. His pitch counts in each inning: 12, 19, 9, 10, 12, 8. It was the Cubs' 71st quality start.

Staying constant: Manager Lou Piniella went with the same position-player lineup he planned for Sunday's rained-out game, meaning Jake Fox replaced Alfonso Soriano in left field and Aaron Miles subbed for the ill Ryan Theriot at shortstop.

Web gem: Second baseman Mike Fontenot left his feet to start a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of the dangerous Adrian Gonzalez to end the sixth with two Padres on base.