Another squeeze? Cubs show they can play small

Will teams have to alter their scouting reports on the Cubs?

For most of this season, the power-laden Cubs have had trouble manufacturing runs and scoring when they don't hit the ball out of the park.

But twice in this series against the Phillies, they've scored runs while attempting suicide squeeze bunts.

In Thursday's series opener, they wound up with Starlin Castro stealing home as Ryan Dempster couldn't bunt a ball wide and in the dirt. Then, in Saturday's 4-1 loss, they took a 1-0 lead in the seventh when Ryan Theriot squeezed home Castro, who was off with the pitch.

"We're trying, we're trying, we're trying," said manager Lou Piniella. "We'll use it."

The 20-year-old Castro was heads-up on both plays, and he earned praise from Piniella for going from second to third on pinch hitter Xavier Nady's groundout to short to set up Saturday's squeeze. Castro took a chance, but Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had to go left to field the ball, and he could not have gotten Castro.

Theriot then executed perfectly.

"We put it on, and it all worked out," Theriot said. "Starlin's really fast, so it helps out as well. That's two in the last few days that he's been able to score on. I guess the right situation came up, and it worked out."