Manager Lou Piniella continued to make good on his promise to give his regulars a breather now and then.
Monday, it was first baseman Derrek Lee, shortstop Ryan Theriot and second baseman Mark DeRosa all having a seat at the start of the game. "We'll be using our bench a little bit," Piniella said. "We've been doing that all homestand, and we've been doing that for the last week or so. (Monday), we just used three of them."
Daryle Ward replaced Lee. Ronny Cedeno started in place of Theriot, and Mike Fontenot started at second base over DeRosa.
The Cubs have a day game after Monday night's game, and Henry Blanco may start in place of Geovany Soto. Before Thursday's off-day, the Cubs will have played 20 games in 20 days, and Piniella wants to keep his players strong for the final push.
Lee came into the game 1-for-7 in the Pittsburgh series after a 4-for-20 swing through Milwaukee last week.
ASTROS 2, CUBS 0 (7-1/2 innings, rain): RHP Ryan Dempster gave up five hits and two runs in five innings, and then a two-hour, 45-minute rain delay came, ending Dempster's night. The game was called when lightning threatened Wrigley Field with one out in the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs managed five hits, with CF Jim Edmonds' double being the only one for extra bases. RHP Chad Gaudin worked two scoreless innings, and LHP Neal Cotts was perfect in one.
