September 1, 2007

By Jeff Vorva Staff writer

Despite being a team that's been under Dan Ryan Expressway-like construction in most areas all season, the Cubs have had a starting rotation that's been stable since May 22, when Sean Marshall was called up from the minors.

While every other part of the team has gone through changes and overhauls, the rotation -- Marshall, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Rich Hill -- has been constant for three-plus months.

That's about to change.

On Friday, the Cubs traded for veteran starter Steve Trachsel, who was a Cub from 1993-99. General manager GM Jim Hendry, manager Lou Piniella and pitching coach Larry Rothschild all said Trachsel would join the rotation.

Piniella said the Cubs would go into a "modified" six-man rotation but didn't explain what that meant.

It doesn't appear to be a good time for a starting pitcher to go into a slump. Marshall, who was coming off victories, over St. Louis and Arizona, in his previous two starts, lasted just 3 2/3 innings in Friday's 6-1 loss to Houston in front of a Wrigley Field crowd of 41,297.

Astros rookie Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer off Marshall (7-7) in the fourth and a two-run shot off Michael Wuertz in the sixth.

Houston left-hander Wandy Rodriguez threw six shutout innings as the Cubs fell to 13-21 in games in which southpaws started against them.

The Cubs, who went 12-16 in August, remain in first place in the National League Central, xxxx games ahead Milwaukee and xxxx games in front of St. Louis.

Piniella said Trachsel will make his first start with the Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers next week (the Dodgers are in town from Monday through Thursday). Piniella didn't say whether Trachsel would start instead of another pitcher, such as Marshall, or if Trachsel would be put into the rotation and everyone else moved back a day.

Asked why the Cubs wouldn't put Trachsel in the rotation in place of another starter, Piniella was silent. It appeared he wanted to answer but didn't, and he left Friday's news conference without further comment.

Marshall said the arrival of Trachsel doesn't have him looking over his shoulder.

"I just heard about it in the fourth inning," said Marshall, who allowed four runs on five hits Friday. "I'm just pitching to have good starts. Hopefully, I'll get some wins for the team. It's up to the management and up to the skipper on what he wants to do next. I just want to pitch well and stay in there. I like to compete and want to win a few more games."

In the first inning Friday, Marshall faced seven batters and walked three. He allowed one run and left the bases loaded by getting Chris Burke to pop out to end the inning.

Marshall couldn't shake free in the fourth, which was capped by Pence's three-run homer. The inning started when third baseman Aramis Ramirez fumbled Ty Wigginton's grounder for an error. After Burke singled, Marshall got two outs before Pence hit a long drive to left for a 4-0 Astros lead.

Rothschild tried to explain the "modified" six-man plan but didn't get specific.

"We'll sit down and look at it (today) and we'll see," he said. "It's probably going to be a lot of right and left (match-ups) depending on the teams we're facing. But I'll talk with Steve when he gets here and see at that point."

The Cubs' lone run came in the eighth, when pinch-hitter Daryle Ward singled in Ramirez, who had three of the Cubs' seven hits.

It's not often when the Cubs enter September in first place. However, the North Siders haven't played dominant ball of late and know that must change.

"We have a long way to go," pitcher Ryan Dempster said. "I know we're in first and we have a little, tiny lead. But we have a long way to go. They don't give you any trophies or any prizes for being in first on Aug. 31. At least I don't know if they give it. I'm pretty sure they don't.

"We need to worry about winning a bunch of ballgames and, hopefully, be in the lead at the end of the year."