--The Cubs went for a college closer with their first pick in Thursday's amateur draft. RHP Andrew Cashner, out of Texas Christian University, went to the Cubs with the 19th pick overall. The Cubs say Cashner's fastball ranges from 92-98 mph. It's not certain if the Cubs will groom Cashner to close when and if they sign him. It's possible they could make him a starter in the minor leagues. The Cubs drafted him last year, but he did not sign. With their second pick, the Cubs went with SS Ryan Flaherty out of Vanderbilt. Flaherty hit 14 homers with a .411 on-base percentage this season.
--RHP Sean Gallagher, who starts Friday against the Dodgers, has a 3-1 record and a 4.55 ERA. Manager Lou Piniella said Gallagher's arm is stronger than what he first thought and that now all the rookie has to do is work on his second and third pitches. Piniella said that's happening in the bullpen between starts. --SS Ryan Theriot went 3-for-5 with a double Thursday night. He is 8-for-17 on the road trip and now has 25 multi-hit games. Theriot has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games and is batting .444 (16-for-36) in that stretch.
--1B Derrek Lee went 2-for-13 in the three-game series at San Diego this week. His struggles continued with an 0-for-4 effort Thursday at Dodger Stadium, including two strikeouts. Lee had the only RBI, a sacrifice fly, in Wednesday's 2-1 loss.
--3B Aramis Ramirez has gone 42 consecutive starts without an error after committing four errors over his first 15 games.
--RHP Bob Howry had 10 straight scoreless appearances, covering 10 1/3 innings, entering Thursday before giving up Jeff Kent's game-tying homer in the eighth inning of the Cubs' 5-4 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS: 1908 -- All Cubs fans know this is the year their team last won the World Series. This year's Cubs had the best record in baseball (35-21) on June 1. That's the first time they've done that since... 1908.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "If I would switch someone like (Carlos) Marmol, I think I'd just go home, sit in the sun and enjoy the ocean breezes down in Florida." -- Manager Lou Piniella, on whether he'd consider moving star reliever Carlos Marmol to the starting rotation.
