Monday-morning QB

I know, awful metaphor. It's neither football nor Monday. Still...

The big question after the Cubs' Game 1 loss is whether Carlos Zambrano should have stayed in the game.

I can't blame Lou Piniella for pulling someone to go on three days' rest if you have a couple-three runs' worth of lead, but that wasn't the case. And if anyone on the staff has the guts to muscle through a long outing (which 85 pitches isn't) and go again on short rest, it's Big Z.

But if you're going to hold somebody back for Game 4, you better make damned sure you get to a Game 4. And then give him an 85-pitch outing if that's what you have to do.

I have no problem with Carlos Marmol being the first call out of the bullpen if Zambrano had to come out, but I say you have to stay with a hot pitcher instead of rolling the dice. Every time you go to the bullpen you take the chance of getting someone who doesn't have his best command that day.

Hopefully Marmol won't take too much flak for the loss, but to paraphrase what Piniella said after the game, when you score a run on four hits you can't expect to win many ballgames.

One out of two in the visitor's ballpark is a successful playoff road trip, so hopefully Ted Lilly can keep doing what he's been doing all year and right the ship.