Soriano (.214) just warming up
''I'm not worried,'' said center fielder Alfonso Soriano, who has one hit in each of the first six games. ''I put more pressure on myself just because I try to think too much. But it's just [six] games, so when I get more games in, I'm going to change what's happening in these [six] games.''
Soriano, a lifetime .280 hitter coming off a 40-40 season, said he might have been a little ''too excited'' as he opened this season by hitting .214 with his new team.
''As soon as I get calmed down a little bit more, I'll be OK,'' he said.
Manager Lou Piniella suggested that being from the Dominican Republic could be a factor for Soriano and other players from warmer winter climates.
''A lot of these Latin kids start swinging a little better when it warms up a little bit,'' Piniella said. ''It's not the easiest thing in the world to hit a 92 mph pitch in 40-degree weather and snowflakes in the air.''
But Soriano traditionally is a fast starter, hitting better in his career in April (.313) than any other month.
''He's been chasing some pitches out of the strike zone,'' Piniella said. ''But he'll get it going.''
PRIOR DEEDS: Enigmatic Class AAA pitcher Mark Prior, who opened the season on the seven-day minor-league disabled list with shoulder fatigue, is scheduled for a bullpen session today before getting his first extended spring training start, probably Wednesday or Thursday.
Despite insisting all spring he is healthy and experiencing no apparent setbacks, Prior has not pitched since March 28 in a major-league exhibition game.
NOT MILLER TIME: Fifth starter Wade Miller's fastball was up in the strike zone Sunday, and the Brewers took advantage, snapping the Cubs' string of four straight strong outings by their starting rotation (3-0, 2.00 ERA in that span).
''I worked hard to get to this point,'' said Miller, who has fought back from shoulder surgery after the 2005 season. ''And I'm ready to put this one behind me. I'm not really concerned about it right now. I feel really good. I'm just ready to move forward to the next one.''
After getting rocked in the second inning, Miller was left in the game to pitch into the fourth to get him enough work to be better prepared for his next start, Piniella said.
LEFTY TEST: The Cubs faced a left-handed starter for the first time this season and had mixed results against Milwaukee's Chris Capuano, who improved to 8-2 against the Cubs in his career with a 3.72 ERA.
Capuano retired the first 11 batters and 16 of the first 17 in the Cubs' all-right-handed lineup. But starting with defensive replacement Jacque Jones' one-out single in the sixth, the Cubs batted around in the sixth for four runs, knocking Capuano out of the game.
SHORT HOPS: The six runs allowed by Miller matched his career total in 50 1/3 previous innings at Miller Park. He was 6-0 with a 1.08 ERA there before Sunday.
• *Ted Lilly, who starts for the Cubs in today's home opener, said he feels completely recovered from the inner-ear infection that bothered him early last week and into his first start of the season Wednesday in Cincinnati.