Afterward, Piniella said, "We've got to do a better job in the middle, before we get to our short people. That's been a problem now for a while."

When the Cubs left spring training, they felt their bullpen was one of the team's strengths. Instead, it's been maddeningly inconsistent. Hart, who won a job in spring training after a strong September last year, has not been as aggressive this year. Wuertz was up and down all April.

Piniella denied that he was contemplating changes, but the Cubs do have viable options. Right-hander Sean Gallagher had a good month as a starter at Class AAA Iowa, and right-hander Jose Ascanio has rebounded from a poor spring training with solid relief work at Iowa. Either or both could give the Cubs a boost and send a message.

CUBS 19, BREWERS 5: The Cubs sent 10 men to the plate Wednesday in the first inning, when they scored six runs, keyed by a three-run homer from Geovany Soto. The catcher hit another three-run homer in the fourth as the Cubs beat the Brewers for the second time in five games this year. Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster ran his record to 4-0 with a 3.16 ERA as he lasted six innings, giving up four hits and three runs. The Cubs were up 12-1 in the fourth and were able to give their regulars a break late in the game.