--LHP Sean Marshall rejoined the Cubs on Monday after throwing in a minor league game Sunday in Arizona. Marshall pitched five innings, as the Cubs wanted to get him work. As the fifth starter, Marshall will be skipped the first time through the rotation. Instead of pitching in Milwaukee this weekend, Marshall will work next week at Wrigley Field.

--LF Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a home run. It was the 50th career leadoff homer for Soriano. He's third on the all-time list behind Rickey Henderson (81) and Craig Biggio (53).

--3B Aramis Ramirez led off the second with a homer. It was the 250th homer of Ramirez's career and his 174th as a Cub, tying him with Andre Dawson for 10th on the Cubs' all-time list. Ramirez made his sixth straight opening-day start. He became the first Cubs third baseman to start at least six straight opening days since Ron Santo started 13 in a row from 1961-73.

--1B/OF Micah Hoffpauir passed his first test as the Cubs' main pinch hitter. The 29-year-old rookie lined an RBI single to right in the ninth to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. The Cubs let veteran PH Daryle Ward go in the offseason and entrusted their left-handed pinch-hitting role to Hoffpauir, who hit 25 homers in Class AAA last year and two with the Cubs in limited duty.

--RF Milton Bradley was OK after turning his left ankle on the first base bag as he ran out a popup in the eighth inning. Bradley stayed in the game. Although Bradley didn't get a hit, he walked in the third and demonstrated good patience at the plate in his other at-bats.

--CF Kosuke Fukudome began the season 0-for-4, including a called third strike and a double play. Right-handed-hitting Reed Johnson likely will start Tuesday against Astros LHP Wandy Rodriguez. If Fukudome shows signs of not coming out of the funk that ruined a good start to the 2008 season, manager Lou Piniella may be tempted to give Johnson the bulk of the playing time, regardless of the opposing pitcher.

ROTATION:

1. RHP Carlos Zambrano

2. RHP Ryan Dempster

3. LHP Ted Lilly

4. RHP Rich Harden

5. LHP Sean Marshall

BULLPEN:

RHP Kevin Gregg (closer)

RHP Carlos Marmol

RHP Aaron Heilman

LHP Neal Cotts

RHP Luis Vizcaino

RHP Angel Guzman

RHP David Patton

LINEUP:

1. LF Alfonso Soriano

2. CF Kosuke Fukudome

3. 1B Derrek Lee

4. RF Milton Bradley

5. 3B Aramis Ramirez

6. 2B Mike Fontenot

7. C Geovany Soto

8. SS Ryan Theriot

RESERVES:

INF Aaron Miles

C Koyie Hill

OF Reed Johnson

OF Joey Gathright

1B/OF Micah Hoffpauir

MEDICAL WATCH:

RHP Rich Harden (chronic right shoulder problems) had the double whammy of coming down with a bad case of food poisoning late in camp. The Cubs were looking at a total of four spring starts for Harden, who is slated to start the fourth game of the regular season. The velocity on the fastball was in the low-90s, and both he and the Cubs say the shoulder is healthy.

INF Aaron Miles (sore right shoulder) nursed the injury through the spring. The Cubs want him to fill in at second base, third base and shortstop. But the shoulder limited him mainly to second base for the second half of the Cactus League season.