After loss to Astros, Piniella ready to shake things up

Twelve games into the season and Cubs manager Lou Piniella already is talking shake-up - at least against left-handed pitching.

After watching his team blow a 2-0 lead and lose 3-2 to the Houston Astros in 10 innings Sunday at Wrigley Field, Piniella had seen enough.

Even though the Cubs' two most dependable relievers - Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall - let a victory for starter Ryan Dempster slip away, Piniella was more concerned with his team's offense.

Cubs batters managed 6 hits against Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez and 1 more against the bullpen. Both Cubs runs scored in the third inning on Marlon Byrd's two-out single, but that was it as the Cubs fell to a lackluster 5-7 for the season after losing two of three to the 3-9 Astros.

"I'm going to change the lineup around a little bit," Piniella said. "See if we can spur this offense on a little bit. I think I'm going to put Byrd in the leadoff spot and move (Ryan) Theriot to the eighth spot against left-hand pitching and see if that does a little more for us. Move (Jeff) Baker to the 2-hole. Shake it up a little bit."

The Cubs will get a chance to see Piniella's plan in action as early as tonight in New York, where the Mets will send lefty Jonathan Niese against them. In the four-game series at Citi Field, the Cubs also will face lefties Wednesday (Oliver Perez) and Thursday (Johan Santana).

Byrd batted second Sunday and had a double and a 10th-inning single in addition to his basehit that gave the Cubs their 2-0 lead in the third.

"I'll show up and play," Byrd said. "That's it. I'm always ready, 1-9, wherever he wants to put me."

Theriot has been the Cubs' leadoff man. He went 0-for-4 and saw his eight-game hitting streak end.

"I guess it's worth a shot; see what happens," he said of moving down. "I've always hit lefties pretty good throughout my career. I hit the ball hard today, didn't have much to show for it. We'll see. If it gets everybody clicking and gets the bats going, it's a good thing."

Dempster worked 72/3 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 run. From the end of the third inning, he had a stretch of 13 outs in a row.

He gave up an infield single to Tommy Manzella leading off the eighth before getting 2 strikeouts. After Dempster walked Michael Bourn and ran his pitch count to 120, Piniella brought in Marmol for a potential four-out save. Marmol gave up a run-scoring single to Jeff Keppinger before striking out Pedro Feliz.

In the ninth, Hunter Pence singled with one out and stole second. He scored, and Marmol suffered his first blown save after 14 conversions, when Geoff Blum doubled to tie it.

"It's the game," Marmol said. "You're not going to be perfect every day. Tomorrow's a new day. Try to get it tomorrow."

Marshall (0-1) gave up a leadoff double to Jason Michaels in the 10th. After a bunt and an intentional walk, Feliz brought home the game-winner on a sacrifice fly.

Even though he was deprived of a win, Dempster sympathized with the bullpen.

"Especially 1-run games," said Dempster, a former closer. "I started that eighth inning and could have done a better job of pitching there in the eighth. The two-out walk put a runner in scoring position and kind of put him (Marmol) in a tough situation. It's going to happen. It's going to happen again this year, hopefully not a lot just because I know how it feels. I know how he feels right now. The nice part about him is he'll get the ball again, hopefully tomorrow, and go right back out there and we'll bounce back and get a 'W.' "

<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p>

<p class="News"><b>Wasted quality:</b> Ryan Dempster turned in the Cubs' seventh quality start by working 72/3 innings and giving up 4 hits and 1 run. He threw 120 pitches, 75 strikes. In the quality-start games, the Cubs are 3-4 with the starting pitchers having a 1.17 ERA. </p>

<p class="News"><b>Tough day:</b> First baseman Derrek Lee had his eight-game hitting streak end with an 0-for-5. Lee struck out twice, including at the end of the game to leave a man on base. </p>

<p class="News"><b>Closing it:</b> Astros reliever Matt Lindstrom worked the bottom of the 10th and struck out pinch hitter Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot before giving up a single to Marlon Byrd. Lindstrom then got Lee on a foul-tip strikeout to earn his second save.</p>

<p class="breakhead">Scouting report</p>

<p class="News">Cubs vs. New York Mets at Citi Field</p>

<p class="News"><b>TV:</b> Comcast SportsNet Monday and Wednesday; Channel 9 Tuesday; Channel 26 Thursday</p>

<p class="News"><b>Radio:</b> WGN 720-AM</p>

<p class="News"><b>Pitching matchups:</b> The Cubs' Randy Wells (1-0) vs. Jonathan Niese (0-1) Monday; Carlos Zambrano (1-1) vs. Mike Pelfrey (2-0) Tuesday; Carlos Silva (1-0) vs. Oliver Perez (0-1) Wednesday; Tom Gorzelanny (0-1) vs. Johan Santana (1-1) Thursday. All games begin at 6:10 p.m.</p>

<p class="News"><b>At a glance:</b> The Cubs were 3-3 against the Mets last year, 1-2 in New York. Manager Jerry Manuel already is on the hot seat in the Big Apple. The Mets played a 20-inning game Saturday night in St. Louis and had to play Sunday night before returning home. Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran is on the DL after spring knee surgery. Jason Bay is 14-for-39 with 5 homers vs. Zambrano. </p>

<p class="News"><b>Next:</b> Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, Friday-Sunday</p>

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<li><a href="/story/?id=374203">Lilly's return will force a starter to bullpen <span class="date">[4/18/10]</span></a></li>

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