Arrival of Trachsel sends Marshall to the bullpen

The Cubs' pitching alignment will change in the next week, with Steve Trachsel making his first start Tuesday against the Dodgers as Sean Marshall moves to the bullpen. How long that alignment remains is uncertain.

''We're skipping Marshall this time, and he'll be available in the bullpen beginning [today],'' manager Lou Piniella said.

As for the pitching plans beyond the four-game series, ''we just don't know,'' Piniella said. ''Let's leave it at this for now, and then we can make up our minds.''

Piniella said he didn't discuss the changes with Marshall, who is 7-7 with a 3.98 ERA in 18 starts, but the lefty is accepting the situation.

''I haven't been told, but I'll miss a turn and then pick up a game later, I think,'' Marshall said. ''We'll see. I'll adjust to it. It's a good numbers thing and beneficial to help us win. I can adapt.''

Marshall, who came from Class AAA Iowa in May, has thrown 97 1/3 innings. He pitched 125 2/3 innings as a rookie last season.

''We've skipped people from time to time this season,'' Piniella said. ''Marshall has pitched well, but we traded for Trachsel and he's had experience in these [playoff-race] situations. It also gives us some arms in the bullpen from the left side that we haven't had many of.''

As much as he has praised the contributions of his young players, Piniella is making clear September will be a month for his veterans.

''We'll stay with them more,'' he said. ''When we needed a lift during the season, we played the kids and they did a real nice job. But now, the more we can keep the veterans on the field, the better.''

Piniella has no plans to change the bullpen roles that have fared so well of late, with Carlos Marmol setting up the final innings for Bob Howry and Ryan Dempster.

''It's been a formula that works,'' he said. ''I'll add Kerry Wood to that mix now, too. We brought him along well, and he worked hard and he's getting better. He's also got that experience I'm talking about.''

Over the last 15 games, the Cubs' bullpen has a 1.65 ERA, limiting opponents to a .168 average and going 7-for-7 in save situations.

Despite his preference for veterans, Piniella is quick to give credit to the 24-year-old Marmol for making the bullpen a force. The right-hander retired pinch-hitter Mark Loretta for the last out of the eighth inning, stranding an inherited runner at second, to get credit for the win Sunday and improve to 5-1 with a 1.46 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings in his second big-league season.

''He gives us a good power pitcher with a good arm, and he was able to give us stability in the bullpen,'' Piniella said. ''He gets us to our short people, and when Dempster was out, he was able to help at the end. I don't know where we'd be without him.''

Marmol is a converted outfielder and catcher.

''A lot of pitchers have made that transition,'' Piniella said. ''Whoever made that [decision] made a wise move.''

Radio broadcaster Ron Santo was back at Wrigley Field with a new prosthetic left leg after a crack in his old prosthesis forced him to leave Saturday's game early.

Santo, who lost both legs to diabetes-related circulatory problems, said it took only two hours to make the repair.

''I stayed home and listened to the end of game,'' he said.

The Cubs have received permission to begin selling playoff tickets, with season-ticket holders getting first dibs.

Those purchases will be completed by next Monday, with information to follow on availability to the public.

CUBS RECAP

Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Pence cf 3 1 1 1 2 0 .322

Biggio 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .253

McLemore p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

Borkowski p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

TreMiller p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

Scott rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .255

Berkman 1b 3 2 1 2 1 1 .278

CaLee lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .301

Wigginton 3b 4 1 2 1 0 1 .280

Burke rf-2b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .221

Bruntlett ss 3 0 1 1 1 2 .240

Munson c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .248

WWilliams p 2 1 1 0 0 0 .091

a-Anderson ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

d-Loretta ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .274

Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

Totals 33 5 6 5 5 9

CUBS AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

ASoriano lf 4 1 2 1 0 1 .295

Theriot ss 4 1 1 1 1 0 .280

DeLee 1b 4 1 3 3 0 0 .312

ARamirez 3b 3 0 1 0 1 2 .318

Fontenot 2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .282

CFloyd rf 2 0 0 0 1 1 .284

c-Murton ph-rf 1 1 1 1 0 0 .274

Pie cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .211

DeRosa 2b-3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .284

JJones cf-rf 3 1 0 0 1 2 .268

Kendall c 3 1 0 0 0 0 .300

RHill p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .135

Wuertz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

b-Monroe ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .222

Wood p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

Eyre p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Marmol p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

e-Patterson ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .143

Dempster p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Totals 32 6 8 6 5 7

Houston 210 020 000--5 6 2

CUBS 001 002 12x--6 8 0

a-struck out for Williams in the 6th. b-walked for Wuertz in the 6th. c-homered for Floyd in the 7th. d-flied out for Anderson in the 8th. e-struck out for Marmol in the 8th.

E--Bruntlett (7), Munson (2). LOB--Houston 7, CUBS 10. 2B--Pence (27), Wigginton (5), Bruntlett (5), ASoriano (32). HR--DeLee (17), off Qualls; Murton (6), off TreMiller; Berkman (27), off RHill. RBI--Pence (53), Berkman 2 (88), Wigginton (10), Bruntlett (13), ASoriano (44), Theriot (40), DeLee 3 (72), Murton (17). SB--Pence (9), Wigginton (2), Bruntlett (6), Theriot (24). SF--ASoriano.

Runners left in scoring position--Houston 5 (Biggio, CaLee, Bruntlett, Munson, Loretta); CUBS 5 (ARamirez, CFloyd 2, DeRosa 2).

Runners moved up--Theriot.

Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

WWilliams 5 4 1 1 3 4 96 4.95

McLemore 0 0 2 1 2 0 14 3.51

Borkowski H, 7 1 1 0 0 0 1 18 5.11

TreMiller H, 11 1 1 1 1 0 1 15 4.93

Qualls L, 6-4; BS, 4 1 2 2 2 0 1 15 3.14

CUBS IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

RHill 5 6 5 5 4 5 108 3.84

Wuertz 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 3.71

Wood 1.1 0 0 0 1 0 22 2.84

Eyre 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 8 4.98

Marmol W, 5-1 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1.46

Dempster S, 25 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 3.33

McLemore pitched to 3 batters in the 6th.

Inherited runners-scored--Borkowski 3-2, Eyre 1-0, Marmol 1-0.

HBP--by RHill (Berkman), by WWilliams (Kendall), by WWilliams (DeLee).

Umpires--Home, Tony Randazzo; First, Gerry Davis; Second, Greg Gibson; Third, Larry Vanover.

T--3:05. A--41,415 (41,160).

Astros first Pence walked. Biggio struck out. Berkman homered, Pence scored. Two runs. Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS SECONDMunson fouled out. Williams singled. Pence doubled, Williams scored. One run. Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS THIRD R.Hill grounded out. Soriano struck out. Theriot walked. Theriot stole second, on catcher Munson's throwing error, Theriot to third. Lee infield single, Theriot scored. One run. Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS FIFTH Berkman was hit by a pitch. Lee flied out. Wigginton doubled, Berkman scored. Burke flied out. Bruntlett doubled, Wigginton scored. Two runs. Astros 5, Cubs 1.

CUBS SIXTHMcLemore pitching. Burke in as second baseman. Anderson in as right fielder. Jones walked. Kendall safe on Bruntlett's error, Jones to second. Monroe pinch-hitting for Wuertz. Monroe walked, Jones to third, Kendall to second. Borkowski pitching. Soriano hit a sacrifice fly, Jones scored. Theriot singled, Kendall scored, Monroe to second. Two runs. Astros 5, Cubs 3.

CUBS SEVENTH Miller pitching. Murton pinch-hitting for Floyd. Murton homered. One run. Astros 5, Cubs 4.

CUBS EIGHTH Scott in as right fielder. Qualls pitching. Patterson pinch-hitting for Marmol. Patterson struck out. Soriano singled. Theriot flied out. Lee homered, Soriano scored. Two runs. Cubs 6, Astros 5.