Fontenot showing he aims to win job at second base

MESA, Ariz. - Mike Fontenot is making a big push to win the Cubs' second-base job.

One of the few players in camp who has been steady at the plate all spring, Fontenot went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double Monday during a 9-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals that ended a six-game losing streak.

"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

The 28-year-old Fontenot also walked, scored twice and drove in 2 runs before 8,987 fans at HoHoKam Park. He is competing for a starting role with Aaron Miles, who played shortstop Monday and finished 1-for-3 with a run, bumping his batting average to .222.

Miles, 32, agreed to a two-year contract with the Cubs on New Year's Eve. In addition to playing second base, he is expected to spell Ryan Theriot at shortstop.

"Fontenot is tearing the ball up right now and he is looking like one of these guys like (Chase) Utley and (Dan) Uggla," Miles said, referring to a pair of NL all-star second basemen. "He had a great year last year based on the amount of at-bats he had."

Miles isn't conceding anything yet to Fontenot, who is hitting .367 with 7 extra-base hits and 6 RBI. But he is fine with whatever role is ahead of him.

"I am here to contribute on the level I am going to," said Miles, who batted .317 in 134 games for St. Louis last season. "I am versatile in that way, and I am happy to be a contributor in any way."

Fontenot, who hit .305 with 9 home runs and 40 RBI in his first full season with the Cubs, has been revved up for this opportunity since the day Mark DeRosa was traded to Cleveland.

"You always want to play no matter what, and I am always trying to put together a good at-bat whether or not I am getting a chance to start," Fontenot said. "I'm going to go out there and play the way I always do, but it makes it better at the end of the day if you know you have a chance at a starting job."

Piniella was not happy as the Cubs lost eight of nine before Monday's game. But the offense came to life with 12 hits against the Royals. Alfonso Soriano homered, Derrek Lee had his first extra-base hit (a run-scoring double), and Aramis Ramirez raised his average to .318 by going 1-for-3.

"I was pleased with the hitting," Piniella said. "That's what I have been stressing on a little bit."

Miles said most of the players didn't know about Piniella's pointed comments Sunday regarding the offense but said they weren't all that necessary because the players also were getting tired of losing.

"That's the way you want your players and the way you want your managers," Miles said. "The minute you accept losing you become a loser. Even though it is spring training, we don't need Lou down our throats to say that. We are looking at each other to get it going."

The Cubs' pitching also was solid as Chad Gaudin and Jeff Samardzija, two contenders for fifth starter, combined to allow 1 run over 5 innings. Gaudin yielded 1 hit in 2 innings with a strikeout, and Samardzija followed with 1 earned run in 3 innings, allowing 2 hits with 2 strikeouts.

"I think we are going in the right direction," said Samardzija, who has a 6.75 ERA in 8 innings. "I threw a couple of good changeups and a couple really good splitters."

Right-hander Rich Harden is expected to make his Cactus League debut Tuesday against Seattle, and because of Wednesday's off-day, opening-day candidate Ryan Dempster and fifth-starter candidate Aaron Heilman also will get their outings in.