Young arms pitching in, showing improvement

CINCINNATI - One thing is starting to emerge about new Cubs manager Mike Quade: He's not afraid to use the young relievers in key situations.

Saturday night's 3-2 victory over the Reds was a case in point.

After starter Randy Wells worked 6 solid innings, Quade turned to lefty James Russell in the seventh. Russell gave up a two-out single but otherwise struck out the side.

In the eighth, it was Andrew Cashner. There were no strikeouts, but there were a couple of busted bats and 3 groundouts. All that was left was for Carlos Marmol to save it, which he did.

"Normally, when your bullpen pitches like that, it doesn't matter who you are, you can really manage," said Quade, who is 4-1 since taking over for Lou Piniella. "For those kids to do that, that's really something. That's the kind of progress that we're looking for."

Cashner now has 3 straight strong outings under his belt since Quade took over.

"It gives me a lot of confidence," Cashner said. "I feel like, from top to bottom in the organization, they still have confidence in me."

The Cubs broke on top of old nemesis Bronson Arroyo in the second on a solo homer by Xavier Nady.

Joey Votto homered off Wells in the fourth, but Kosuke Fukudome put 2 on the board for the Cubs with his 11th homer, a 2-run high drive to right in the sixth.

Before the game, Quade was asked to sum up the situation with Cashner and the young pitchers.

"I'm looking for him to get better, with that kind of stuff," Quade said. "We talked to the kids when I came in here on Monday. We are young and all the rest of that.

"That's no excuse. I don't know what the timetable is, but I know that it's time for these guys to get better."

Hi-ho Silva: Mike Quade said the reports were good on Carlos Silva, who worked 22/3 innings Friday for Peoria in a minor-league rehab start.

Silva is coming back from a procedure to regulate his heartbeat. He gave up 2 hits and no runs while striking out one and walking no one.

Silva is scheduled to start Wednesday at Kane County for Peoria, and the Cubs will take it from there as to when he comes off the disabled list.

"We'll take all the arms we can get," Quade said. "His velocity was very good. He was good, and throwing 91-94. His soft stuff off of that has a chance to put him back to what we saw earlier."

Zambrano returns: Carlos Zambrano returned Saturday, but he did not wish to speak with reporters. Zambrano was in Venezuela helping to tend to his seriously ill nephew. He is scheduled to start Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Special job: The Cubs' managing job has worn down some hardened baseball men. Mike Quade was asked what makes it an attractive job.

"The city and the tradition," he said. I've said this from Day One. You're looking for an opportunity to do this at this level.

"We all know the big markets and all the demands that they entail. Specific to Chicago, there's a little added stuff because I grew up here."