Daryle Ward was so sure he would play in the majors that he practiced his signature as a kid. He may get a few autograph requests after his latest big hit. Ward delivered a pinch-hit, two-run double in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs rallied again to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 Sunday after the anticipated showdown between Carlos Zambrano and Randy Johnson got wiped out.

Alfonso Soriano's warming up, even if the weather isn't. He looked like his old self Saturday and hopes he's put his season-long struggles behind him. The Cubs star had four hits, including a go-ahead double in a six-run seventh inning, and showed some flair on the bases to help Chicago beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2.

The Cubs thought they were awash in starting pitching when the season started. Now, they're in a bit of a scramble.

Manager Lou Piniella made sure his "Big Three" of Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano will pitch this weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lilly did his part Friday by pitching seven innings and allowing just one run in a 3-1 victory.

After this weekend, anything is possible in the long run. Right-hander Jason Marquis, who last started May 4 at St. Louis, will open Monday's series at home against the Padres. Right-hander Jon Lieber, who got shelled in Cincinnati on Wednesday, will start Tuesday.

Lieber opened the season in the bullpen, and he pitched effectively in relief.

Nothing special about Joey Votto's first homer, a hanging slider that he pulled into the seats in right field for a modest 1-0 lead. What followed was breathtaking. Jon Lieber became only the second pitcher in Chicago Cubs history to give up four homers in an inning, and Votto connected three times in all as the Cincinnati Reds powered their way to a 9-0 victory Wednesday.

In the first five weeks, Carlos Zambrano has been the Chicago Cubs' constant. Zambrano had his way with Cincinnati's slumping lineup, allowing only three hits in eight innings, and Ronny Cedeno singled home a pair of runs that sent the Chicago Cubs to a 3-0 victory on Tuesday night. The Cubs won for only fourth time in 12 games, a span marked by inconsistency all-around.

The bases were loaded with two outs. Derrek Lee was doing that slow, purposeful walk to the plate. A sickening thought was darting through Dusty Baker's mind. No, the Reds manager thought. Please, no. Baker watched Lee rescue many a game for the Cubs when he managed in Chicago. Baker feared it was going to happen again, in one of those games that can wreck a team's season.

Two days after Jason Isringhausen left to merciless boos from the home crowd, he walked off the mound in triumph. Shaking off recent woes that left him wondering for a time whether to ditch his favored cut fastball, the St. Louis Cardinals' closer needed only 12 pitches to retire the top of the Chicago Cubs' order, putting the finishing touch on a 5-3 victory on Sunday night.

The top offense in the major leagues surfaced again on Saturday. Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella only asks that his team try to minimize the lows. Mike Fontenot hit a three-run homer and had a career-best four RBIs, leading Chicago to a 9-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Geovany Soto added a two-run double in a four-run sixth for the Cubs, who finished with 12 hits and are averaging six runs...

A rare longball from singles-hitter Skip Schumaker took Jason Isringhausen off the hook. Schumaker hit a game-winning two-run homer off Chad Fox in the 11th inning, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. A career extra outfielder before this year, he was floored by the mob scene that met him at home plate.