Now it's come to this: The Cubs have a three-headed monster as closer.
The three are right-handers Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry and, perhaps surprisingly, Jeff Samardzija. "Why not?" manager Lou Piniella replied when asked Monday if Samardzija was part of that mix.
With right-hander Kerry Wood out indefinitely with a blister on his right index finger, Piniella has had to go to a closer-by-committee system, of sorts.
Marmol is Piniella's first choice, although he's been inconsistent of late. Howry appears to have been nosed out by Samardzija, a hard-throwing fastball-splitter pitcher who earned a two-inning save Sunday. Piniella said he'll have to be careful with how he uses Samardzija, who started in the minor leagues except for a brief stop in the 'pen this year.
But Piniella tends to fall in love with pitchers who make a good first impression, and Samardzija has done that.
"Awfully tempting, isn't it?" Piniella asked.
CUBS 6, BREWERS 4: Derrek Lee drove in his third run of the game Monday with a double to right field in the ninth inning, breaking a 4-4 tie. Mark DeRosa added a run-scoring single later in the inning. LHP Ted Lilly gave up seven hits and three runs in six innings, including back-to-back homers to J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun in the sixth. RHP Chad Gaudin picked up his second victory in two days, and RHP Carlos Marmol earned his fifth save.
