img src=”http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2009/03/28/pvzF4fm2.jpg” alt=”Cubs starter allows four runs, three in first, in final extended tuneup” hspace=”5″ vspace=”5″ align=”left” /
TUCSON, Ariz. — It was probably better that Lou Piniella stayed back in Mesa on Saturday than watch the Cubs and Ryan Dempster.
Dempster did rally from a rough start and was in line for the win until the Colorado Rockies rallied with a six-run eighth inning for a 10-6 win.
Dempster gave up three runs, including a solo homer by Garrett Atkins in the first. The Cubs right-hander walked the leadoff batter in the first and again in the fourth, and both eventually scored. For the game, Dempster was charged with four runs, eight hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out four.
quot;It was a grind out there today, but I got through it,quot; Dempster said. quot;Plus, I had Reed Johnson throwing everybody out.quot;
More on Johnson later. Dempster, who will follow Carlos Zambrano in the Cubs#039; rotation, also would#039;ve made Piniella nervous when he dashed around the bases after hitting a triple in the fifth.
quot;It was fun,quot; Dempster said of his hit. quot;As soon as I saw [the outfielder] drop it, I said I might as well try. [Third-base coach Mike] Quade was telling me to stand up at third, and here comes the throw, so it was kind of funny.quot;
Dempster didn#039;t slide, but let#039;s just say his footwork needs some help.
Piniella had stayed back to get over the flu that has been infecting several of the players. Dempster was battling a bug that hit on Wednesday. Did he give Piniella the bad germs?
quot;He probably gave it to me,quot; Dempster quipped.
This was the right-hander#039;s last long tuneup before the regular season starts. What happened on the mound? Dempster didn#039;t warm up well and just didn#039;t feel right at the beginning.
quot;I was getting mad at myself, too,quot; he said. quot;The idea is to keep executing pitches, and I was getting frustrated when I shouldn#039;t have been getting frustrated. You just make adjustments. Luckily, we came back and scored some runs, and you try to go out and keep making pitches, and I actually started throwing the ball really well toward the end.quot;
He retired the side in order only once, and that was the fifth. Having to deal with runners on base is something that can be simulated but is a better learning experience at real game speed.
quot;To go through the beginning of the game and struggle like that and find yourself and get back to your game plan of going out there and taking it one pitch at a time feels kind of good,quot; he said. quot;I got some real good work in. To go out and throw some high-stress pitches with runners on and different things like that, I got to throw everything up there.quot;
Dempster got some help from Johnson, who picked up two outfield assists, including a perfect throw to third in the sixth to get Ian Stewart, who tried to advance on Troy Tulowitzki#039;s fly ball.
quot;The parts where you#039;re walking guys, it just shows that your defense behind you, whether it#039;s ground balls, fly balls, heck, even balls off the wall, there#039;s a reason they#039;re big leaguers because they#039;re playing really good defense,quot; Dempster said. quot;Reed#039;s always been an exceptional defender. He#039;s made some unbelievable plays behind me.
quot;You throw a ball over the plate with good conviction and let them hit it, and good things end up happening.quot;
Eventually, they did.