Cubs' Samardzija being well-received

Jeff Samardzija always has been a pitcher by position.

But now it looks like he's starting to become a pitcher by craft.

Oh, not that the old, dare we say, "football mentality" has ever left the big Cubs right-hander. A little of that was in evidence during Monday night's 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field.

Samardzija got through 7 innings for his fourth quality start of the season. He also watched a hairy and scary eighth inning of "relief" by former closer Carlos Marmol.

What got Samardzija through was some real pitching, mixed in with a little good luck, as he got a lineout double play on his 105th and final pitch of the night.

So is he feeling more and more like a "pitcher" per se?

"Yeah," he said after improving to 4-1 and lowering his ERA from 3.41 to 3.03. "Like I said on my last start, I'm doing a good job of slowing down and really thinking through at-bats and remembering what they did previously. That's all part of pitching.

"The more you face these guys, they get to know you a little more, but you also get to know them a little more, too. You find what works, and you stick with it. You've got to mix it up. These guys are good, and you've got to stay on your toes."

Some of the old football mentality did come out a couple of times.

Samardzija looked extremely unhappy with himself for giving up a second-inning homer to Jason Heyward. When Heyward came up in the seventh with one out and the Cubs leading 2-1, Samardzija hit him with the first pitch on the upper back.

"He came out and got that ball that he hit a home run on that was down and away," Samardzija said. "I just thought he was kind of diving over the plate. I wanted to throw one in there and go back away, and it just got in there too tight."

Umpires warned both teams in the bottom of the seventh when Braves reliever Eric O'Flaherty hit David DeJesus. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was ejected after talking with home-plate umpire Chris Conroy.

The Cubs' offense got back-to-back solo homers from Bryan LaHair (No. 8) and Ian Stewart (3) in the fourth and a 2-run shot by Geovany Soto (3) in the eighth after Marmol threatened to give up a 3-1 lead by walking the first two Braves he faced.

But like the old, frighteningly effective Marmol, he got a lineout and 2 strikeouts and left the mound beating his chest.

"The game is on the line," he said of what changed. "I walked these people, and I've got to throw strikes, that's all."

Marmol also heard the boos from the crowd, but he kept his focus. And manager Dale Sveum said he never said "never" when it came to Marmol closing again.

"Not listening to the fans," Marmol said of how he did it. "But you know what? That made me go because I needed to do better and throw strikes.

"It's hard for everybody. I'm going to continue working and be positive and go out there and pitch like you want your job back."

bmiles@dailyherald.com