No doubt Jones has caught on

Keeping an even keel has been the guiding philosophy for Jacque Jones through a season that started out badly but has soared since the All-Star break. And Jones' approach was no different while assessing his game-saving catch in the eighth inning Sunday against the Houston Astros.

''Just a regular, normal catch,'' he said of his diving grab of a ball about to fall between left fielder Alfonso Soriano and shortstop Ryan Theriot. ''You've got to make plays to win.

''It's magnified because we're in the race -- or I should say in first place. All the guys are making plays. It was cool just to know [the runner at second] didn't score and we gave ourselves a chance.''

Jones, who was cheered wildly after he got to his feet with the wind knocked out of him, said he has been shading to left field lately because Soriano isn't fully recovered from his strained quadriceps. On that play in the eighth, none of the three was sure of the catch, so no one called for it.

Jones' bat has been as potent as his defense. He hit .349 in August to lead the Cubs, with 11 doubles and 21 RBI in 26 games.

''I said all along I knew I could play,'' he said. ''I've been here [in the majors] for eight years. It was a matter of timing, and the question was when the time would be, and it's now, when we need it.''

Jones sees the same progression in the whole team:

''The first two months, it was everyone saying we weren't doing anything right. But it's a lesson about the rigors of the season.

''It's a long season. A team might have started out hot, and where are they now?''

The game was delayed briefly in the bottom of the fourth because umpire Joe West wanted the lights turned off when the Cubs were batting. Stadium lights aren't supposed to be turned on in mid-inning.

The game was delayed again before the fifth to turn the lights back on.

''The Cowboy [West's nickname] thought he was an electrician today,'' Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. ''I told the Cowboy he was a good umpire, but he's not an electrician. Thank God he doesn't run Chicago's power, or we'd be in darkness.''

Catcher Jason Kendall had a swollen hand Monday, a day after being hit by a pitch.

''It's fine, nothing broken,'' he said after getting treatment and sitting out Monday's game on Piniella's direction. ''Skip just wanted to be cautious.''

Outfielder Cliff Floyd also sat out because of back pain.

Outfielder Angel Pagan, out since Aug. 8 with colitis, has been sent to Mesa, Ariz., to the Cubs' offseason facility to begin workouts. Pagan can be activated at any time because rosters have expanded.

''He's getting some work in and gaining some strength back,'' Piniella said. ''We told him to call us when he's ready.''

Piniella doesn't believe the team needs to add many more extras after Pagan.

''I don't want too many more,'' he said. ''Truthfully, we have enough people here to make it work. The last thing you need is to have too many.''

Soriano's leadoff homer Monday was his sixth of the season and 38th of his career, ranking him fourth on baseball's all-time list. His last came June 23 against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Soriano also became the first Cub to reach 20 homers this season, after not getting his first until May 1.

Pitchers Kerry Wood and Ryan Dempster arranged to get a ''7'' from the Wrigley Field scoreboard and an old seat bearing the number 7 to present to Astros veteran Craig Biggio after his final appearance at Wrigley on Sunday. Biggio, who wears No. 7, is retiring after the season. He is a likely future Hall of Famer with more than 3,000 hits.

CUBS RECAP

Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Furcal ss 5 0 1 0 0 2 .279

Hu ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Pierre cf 4 2 1 0 1 0 .290

Ethier rf-lf 5 1 2 0 0 1 .289

JKent 2b 3 1 1 2 1 1 .296

RMartinez 2b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .185

LGonzalez lf 3 3 2 0 1 1 .279

Kemp rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .333

Martin c 2 2 2 2 1 0 .297

c-Lieberthal ph-c 1 0 0 0 0 1 .239

Loney 1b 4 1 2 3 1 1 .311

La Roche 3b 5 1 1 2 0 1 .200

Loaiza p 3 0 1 2 0 1 .333

Proctor p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

d-Saenz ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .180

Houlton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

Totals 38 11 13 11 5 11

CUBS AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

ASoriano lf 3 2 2 1 0 1 .298

Monroe lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .200

Theriot ss 2 0 1 1 1 0 .281

Fontenot 2b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .279

DeLee 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .310

Cedeno ss 0 0 0 0 1 0 .118

ARamirez 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .316

Ward 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333

Murton rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .273

DeRosa 2b-3b 4 0 2 1 0 0 .286

JJones cf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .269

Eyre p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Wuertz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

e-Soto ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .143

HBlanco c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .174

CZambrano p 1 0 1 0 0 0 .265

Ohman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

a-Patterson ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .250

Gallagher p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

b-Pie ph-cf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .215

Totals 35 3 10 3 3 5

Los Angeles 010 343 000--11 13 2

CUBS 101 001 000-- 3 10 2

a-doubled for Ohman in the 5th. b-lined out for Gallagher in the 7th. c-struck out for Martin in the 8th. d-struck out for Proctor in the 9th. e-walked for Wuertz in the 9th.

E--Furcal (18), Hu (1), DeLee (4), ARamirez (8). LOB--Los Angeles 7, CUBS 8. 2B--Pierre (19), LGonzalez (23), Loney (14), La Roche (3), ASoriano (33), Patterson (1). HR--ASoriano (20), off Loaiza. RBI--JKent 2 (74), Martin 2 (81), Loney 3 (40), La Roche 2 (5), Loaiza 2 (2), ASoriano (45), Theriot (41), DeRosa (63). SB--Cedeno (2). CS--JKent (3). S--Loaiza. SF--Martin. GIDP--Monroe, DeLee 2.

Runners left in scoring position--Los Angeles 3 (Furcal 2, Loaiza); CUBS 5 (Fontenot 2, Murton, DeRosa, HBlanco).

Runners moved up--JKent, Loney, La Roche.

DP--Los Angeles 3 (La Roche, JKent and Loney), (La Roche, JKent and Loney), (La Roche, Lieberthal and Loney); CUBS 1 (HBlanco and Theriot).

Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Loaiza W, 1-0 7 9 3 3 1 3 96 3.86

Proctor 1 0 0 0 1 1 13 3.98

Houlton 1 1 0 0 1 1 15 4.86

CUBS IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Zambrano L, 14-12 4.1 7 8 8 5 6 96 4.35

Ohman 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 22 4.96

Gallagher 2 5 3 3 0 0 30 8.59

Eyre 1 0 0 0 0 2 16 4.87

Wuertz 1 0 0 0 0 3 12 3.66

Inherited runners-scored--Ohman 2-2.

Balk--Loaiza.

Umpires--Home, Ed Hickox; First, C.B. Bucknor; Second, Joe West; Third, Ed Rapuano.

T--3:00. A--41,070 (41,160).

HOW THEY SCORED

cUBS first Soriano homered. One run. Cubs 1, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS SECOND Gonzalez singled. Martin singled, Gonzalez to second. Loney grounded out, Gonzalez to third, Martin to second. LaRoche grounded out, Gonzalez scored. One run. Dodgers 1, Cubs 1.

CUBS THIRD Zambrano singled. Soriano doubled, Zambrano to third. Zambrano was out advancing, Soriano to third. Theriot singled, Soriano scored. One run. Cubs 2, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS FOURTH Kent walked. Gonzalez struck out. Kent was caught stealing. Martin walked. Loney walked, Martin to second. LaRoche doubled, Martin scored, Loney to third. Loaiza singled, Loney scored, LaRoche scored. Three runs. Dodgers 4, Cubs 2.

DODGERS FIFTHPierre walked. On Lee's error on a pickoff attempt, Pierre to second. Ethier infield single, Pierre to third. Kent grounded out, Pierre scored, Ethier to second. Gonzalez walked. Martin singled, Ethier scored, Gonzalez to second. Ohman pitching. Loney doubled, Gonzalez scored, Martin scored. Four runs. Dodgers 8, Cubs 2.

DODGERS SIXTHGallagher pitching. Pierre doubled. Ethier flied out. Kent singled, Pierre scored. Gonzalez doubled, Kent to third. Martin hit a sacrifice fly, Kent scored, Gonzalez to third. Loney singled, Gonzalez scored. Three runs. Dodgers 11, Cubs 2.

CUBS SIXTH Martinez in as second baseman. Ramirez struck out. Murton singled. On Loaiza's balk, Murton to second. DeRosa singled, Murton scored. One run. Dodgers 11, Cubs 3