Marquis' job appears safe despite faulty tune-up

CINCINNATI -- The Cubs made a few minor roster adjustments before heading to Phoenix on Sunday, but the big moves aren't likely to be finalized until Tuesday.

Don't expect major shakeups or sudden changes to key players' roles. Starting pitcher Jason Marquis (12-9), for instance, has pitched poorly enough down the stretch to put a Game 4 start in question, but despite some media speculation, his playoff roster spot should be safe.

Manager Lou Piniella wasn't happy with Marquis' ugly tune-up Sunday -- four runs in two-thirds of an inning -- but Piniella said that outing doesn't concern him.

The Cubs got their traveling squad down to 31 players when they assigned pitcher Sean Gallagher and outfielder Sam Fuld to the Arizona Fall League and told left-hander Carmen Pignatiello he wouldn't be in the playoff traveling group. Assistant general manager Randy Bush said he told Fuld to stay sharp in case the Cubs have an injury and need another speed guy on the bench.

One of the different looks the Arizona Diamondbacks will get from the Cubs in the playoffs is a lineup that Piniella began using down the stretch in which left-handed hitter Cliff Floyd bats cleanup, with Aramis Ramirez moving down to fifth.

With Arizona's mostly right-handed pitching staff, it keeps the two lefty hitters in the order, Floyd and Jacque Jones (seventh), far enough apart to make it harder to use one lefty reliever against both.

Piniella said when the Cubs face a left-hander, he plans to use Matt Murton in right field for Floyd, with Ramirez going back to the cleanup spot.

Lefty-hitting Daryle Ward, the Cubs' top pinch hitter and a potential key in a series against the righty-dominant Arizona pitching staff, said his sprained left thumb was fine after he tested it with a fourth-inning at-bat Sunday.

Ward's only contact was a foul ball before he struck out swinging at an eye-level pitch, but he said he expects to be fine for Wednesday. Piniella said he likely won't make a decision on Ward until he gets a full round of batting practice Tuesday.

Piniella used the final day of the season to run an eight-man parade of pitchers to the mound for quick tuneups for the playoffs. That included closer Ryan Dempster, whose seasonlong Jekyll-and-Hyde trend continued to the finale.

Despite being among the best performers in the majors in save situations (28-for-31, 3.48 ERA), Dempster was 2-5 with a staggering 5.80 ERA in 35 non-save situations after giving up four runs in his one inning Sunday and being charged with the loss.

Kerry Wood has turned into a dominant bullpen force just in time for the playoffs. Including his three-strikeout inning Sunday, he didn't allow a run in his final eight appearances, striking out 13 with three hits and three walks in 9 2/3 innings.

•   •   Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a home run, the 44th time in his career he has done that, the 12th time this season and the seventh this month. His 14 homers overall this month broke Ernie Banks' 1957 record for September.