Cubs' Ramirez to get a breather in minors

The Cubs optioned effective reliever Neil Ramirez to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday to avoid overusing the right-hander, manager Rick Renteria said.

Ramirez boasts a 0.96 ERA in 28 innings over 33 appearances this season, including 9 appearances since July 1 capped by a key hold in the eighth inning of Friday's 7-6 victory over St. Louis.

The plan is for Ramirez to throw sparingly in the minors before returning to Chicago in early August, according to Renteria.

"We're just going to give him a blow. That's all this is," the manager said. "We've been using everybody extensively. We've had conversations within the organization since the beginning of spring training about a lot of our arms and how we've used them a lot. We want to have the opportunity and the ability to give them a break during the course of the season.

"We've really ridden these guys quite a bit, and it's just maybe the appropriate time for us to do this right now, so we proceeded with Neil. I'm sure it won't be the last person we (rest).

"We have quite a few arms out there that we've been riding quite a bit. This is a very, very short, hopefully, breath for him. We want him to just take a step back, regroup, then be back with us."

The Cubs recalled right-handed pitcher Blake Parker in a corresponding move, marking the 29-year-old's fourth stint with the team since his 2012 debut.

In parts of three seasons, Parker is 2-2 with a save and a 3.72 ERA in 58 innings over 61 appearances. In 28 games at Iowa this season, Parker had a 1.29 ERA in 28 innings with 40 strikeouts and 9 walks. He leads the Pacific Coast League with 21 saves.

Against St. Louis on Saturday, he pitched 2 perfect innings with 4 strikeouts.

Good call:

Manager Rick Renteria got his money's worth in the sixth inning when he sent left-handed hitting Nate Schierholtz to the plate to face Cardinals starting pitcher Shelby Miller, a right-hander.

Schierholtz ripped a 1-0 offering for a home run just inside the foul pole to tie the game at 2-2. It was the first pinch-hit home run by a Cub since Schierholtz last pulled the trick in Arizona on July 23, 2012.

"I treat every pinch-hit about the same: just look for a good pitch and don't miss it," Schierholtz said of his fourth career pinch-hit homer.

"I was able to put a good swing on it. I wasn't trying to do too much. It was just a product of getting the right pitch to hit."

Happy for Big Frank:

New Cardinals catcher A.J. Pierzynski shared his unique perspective on the state of mind of former White Sox teammate Frank Thomas in the days leading up to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Pierzynski was among the invited guests at Thomas' weekend celebration in Cooperstown, N.Y., before he signed with the Cardinals and departed to catch Game 2 of the weekend series against the Cubs.

"It's the happiest I've seen Frank in an awfully long time," Pierzynski said. "It was nice to see him with a smile on his face and enjoying it. … Usually, when you see Frank he's kind of a little tense and uptight sometimes, but he was actually letting loose. That's the Frank that I know compared to everyone else."