"I know that,"
But with Barrett on the bench Wednesday night, and no extracurricular activities going on, the Cubs were able to enjoy a controversy-free 3-2 victory over Seattle, ending the Mariners' five-game win streak.
A trio of
Less than a month ago, manager
"It really was a wise decision by our front office," Piniella said. "It was their recommendation."
Dempster closed out Wednesday's victory with his 14th save, giving the Cubs their second straight victory in a one-run game.
Marshall (3-2) allowed two runs on seven hits, issuing no walks in what turned out to be his longest outing as a Cub. He has allowed two or fewer runs in all five of his starts after missing
"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about tonight," he said. "The better I pitch, the more confidence I'm building up. I'll just try to do the same thing next week, the following week and, hopefully, the rest of the year and a couple of more years after that."
Marshall gave Hill credit for calling a good game, saying he only shook him off two or three times, and adding that the Mariners got hits every time that he did. Cubs pitchers have a 1.65 ERA and the team is 4-1 in the five starts with Hill behind the plate, which has earned him more starts as Piniella rests the struggling Barrett.
While the Cubs are six games below .500, Piniella pointed out St. Louis won the World Series last year despite finishing only four games above .500.
"Eighty-three wins won this division, and it won a world championship," he said. "We're [5½] games behind. Whether you're above .500 or below .500, the goal is to win the division."
At this rate, a team with a sub-.500 record could make it into the postseason for the first time in history, assuming the
While the Cubs still are waiting for their first prolonged hot streak, Piniella has grown increasingly frustrated with his role as spokesman for the team, especially after tough losses. For the second time this season, he declined Tuesday night to address the media after the 13-inning defeat to the Mariners.
"I was tired," Piniella explained. "Thirteen innings. I had a bad headache."
Piniella didn't say whether it was his team or the media that gave him the headache, but a telling comment he made to the Seattle Times suggested it might have been the latter.
"I tell you what, you get in that [interview] room after a game, and you've lost a tough ballgame, they take their damn belt off," he said.
psullivan@tribune.com