At-bats will come if Ward can stay healthy

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Cubs manager Lou Piniella was asked Sunday about getting Daryle Ward more at-bats this season.

"Look, we can talk about all the at-bats in the world," Piniella said. "We've got to keep him healthy. That's part of it. We can play him some in right. We can play him some at first. We're going to have to rest these people. With Ward, you get a really nice bat in the lineup."

Ward answered his manager twice in Sunday's 13-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

First, Ward went 4-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI. Second, he vowed to be in good shape.

"Yeah, I'm going to be healthy," he said. "Early in camp, I just had back spasms. It wasn't anything I could do about that. But as far as keeping my legs in shape and things like that, I'm going to be doing a lot of work on days that I don't get to play to keep myself ready for when I get a chance to play."

Ward got 110 at-bats last season as hip and calf injuries put him out of action at different times. He said he might have to "butter up" Piniella to get more playing time this year. Ward led the Cubs with 54 pinch-hit appearances last year, batting .268 (11-for-41) with 11 walks.

Piniella said he might be open to some buttering up.

"I like Snickers bars and 'Babe' Ruths," Piniella said, referring to Baby Ruth candy bars. "I even like a Hershey bar. We're going to try to get him more (at-bats), especially if he's swinging the bat the way he is."

The 85 percent solution: If Alfonso Soriano is running at 85 percent, as he estimated Saturday, he seems to be getting the most of that percentage.

He took off running from first base on a pitch to Kosuke Fukudome on Saturday.

In Sunday's game, he went from first to third on a single by Eric Patterson. The ball was lost in the sun by left fielder Mark Teahen, and Soriano hustled into third, just beating the throw.

"We haven't asked him to run yet," Lou Piniella said. "I would think a week or 10 days from now, he's going to have to try it."

Pie time: Felix Pie continued to make his case for starting in center field. He doubled, walked and singled twice against the Royals and appears to be winning the job over rookie Sam Fuld.

"Fuld, he's struggling," Lou Piniella said. "He's showing the effects of a first major-league camp. He really has. It's an adjustment period for him. He's been pressing a little bit."

Pie also had a nice game Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"He's opened up ground on Sammy," Piniella said. "Remember, this is Sammy's first major-league camp, and Pie's been here three or four years now. It's a big difference. There's a big, big separation in experience. And it's showing."

DeRosa a go: Second baseman Mark DeRosa will start in today's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix. He has not played because of treatment to correct an irregular heartbeat.

"We need to start getting our regular players more at-bats: (Derrek) Lee, (Kosuke) Fukudome," Lou Piniella said. "We brought (Geovany) Soto here today. He wasn't supposed to come today, but we brought him here to catch him here today. DeRosa hasn't gotten an at-bat yet."

Cubs 13, Royals 1

Cubs' record: 5-7

At the plate: DH Daryle Ward went 4-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI. Felix Pie doubled, singled twice and walked. Nonroster man Micah Hoffpauir singled, doubled and tripled. Eric Patterson hit a 2-run homer in the ninth.

On the mound: Ryan Dempster worked 4 innings, giving up 1 hit and 1 run. He threw 43 pitches, 27 for strikes. Kerry Wood pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Carmen Pignatiello, Michael Wuertz and Neal Cotts also pitched a scoreless inning apiece. Carlos Marmol finished with a scoreless ninth.

Next: The Cubs travel to Phoenix to play the Milwaukee Brewers (3:05 p.m., Comcast SportsNet). Rich Hill pitches for the Cubs against Dave Bush.