SAN DIEGO -- General manager Jim Hendry arrived from Chicago to join the Cubs
before Saturday night's game. But he didn't bring John Wayne and the calvary
with him, as much as some people want the Cubs to get smoking reinforcements who
can put a stop to the recent massacre.
"You want to always look like there is something out there that is
immediately going to make you better, when the reality is that we just need a
lot of our own guys to do a better job,'' Hendry said. "The last five or
six days have been awfully tough. We are going to have to step it up and put
this bad stretch behind us soon.''
Cubs starter Sean Marshall followed Carlos Zambrano with a second consecutive
exceptional pitching performance against the San Diego Padres.
PADRES
2
CUBS
1
The two lightweight offenses hemmed and hawed for the second night in a row,
as well, refusing to make much ruckus with Juan Pierre and Jacque Jones both
going hitless in five at-bats.
The Padres waited until the 10th to explode, winning 2-1 on Rob Bowen's homer
off Bob Howry, their second consecutive extra-inning victory. That sent the Cubs
to their fifth consecutive defeat and was the Padres' seventh victory in a row.
The Cubs have won once in their last eight games and scored six runs in that
time.
Marshall had a no-hitter through five innings. But Eric Young's one-out
single was followed by Mike Cameron's infield single, and Brian Giles tied the
score at 1 with his RBI single to right.
Marshall finished the sixth by escaping a bases-full threat. Those three
consecutive singles by Young, Cameron and Giles were the only hits off him, but
it was enough to keep him from winning.
Aramis Ramirez erased two growing deficits with his leadoff homer in the
fourth. That halted the Cubs' scoreless-innings streak at 28 and was their first
homer in eight games, putting them ahead 1-0.
But as far as driving in runners in scoring position, the Cubs' troubles
continued. With the help of four stolen bases in the first three innings against
starter Jake Peavy and catcher Mike Piazza, there were scoring chances early
that fizzled.
Even when Michael Barrett tripled with one out in the fourth, he went nowhere
as Jerry Hairston fouled out and Marshall grounded out.
Todd Walker began the eighth with a single. Jacques Jones struck out after
bunting the first pitch foul on a sacrifice try. After Ramirez singled, Walker
got no further than second as Matt Murton looked at strike three and Barrett
grounded out.
Scott Eyre had an emotional eighth. With two out and Young on second, Geoff
Blum's roller was hugging the first-base line when Eyre picked it up, believing
it had swerved foul. Umpire Jerry Meals called it fair, and Eyre had a heated
exchange with Meals.
Eyre fell behind Mark Bellhorn in the count before battling back to strike
him out with Young on third. Eyre pumped his arm in celebration and stared
daggers at Meals as he walked to the dugout.
Pierre had a tough game. He was 0-for-5 when he grounded into a double play
to end the Cubs ninth. Jones had an equally challenging night. He was 0-for-5
with four consecutive strikeouts after he whiffed in the 10th with Ronny Cedeno
on second.
Ramirez followed with a ground out to make Cedeno the 10th man left on base
for the Cubs.
Hendry wants his team back to normal.
"I'm hoping that what we have seen the last five, six days is not going
to be the norm,'' he said. "Hopefully we'll get back on track and hold our
own until Derrek [Lee] comes back and the pitchers [Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and
Wade Miller] come back. Maybe we add somebody when we can. The harder you try to
force a quality addition, the harder it is to do.''
Even if he can make a deal, it wouldn't be for a front-line player who could
make such an impact that it would change the club's complexion. That guy isn't
going to be available.
Hendry has inquired about Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielders Jeff
Conine and Kevin Millar, both of whom are right-handed hitters. But they are off
to slow and underachieving starts and would not seriously upgrade the Cubs'
offense.
