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Limping Cubs turn to Harden against Cardinals

Sep 11, 2008 - 10:15 AM Chicago Cubs (87-58) at St. Louis (78-67) 8:15 p.m. EDT

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The Chicago Cubs appear to be limping toward the finish line, but can breathe a sigh of relief that Rich Harden will be trotting to the mound.

Harden will take the ball after missing his last scheduled start looking to keep the Cubs on track against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

The Cubs won on Wednesday, 4-3, but have dropped eight of their last 10. Still, the club refuses to panic.

"I don't feel that," Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee told the Chicago Tribune. "I just feel like we're not quite swinging the bats the way we're capable of."

Manager Lou Piniella challenged his players to roll up their shirtsleeves and "kick somebody's (butt)," restoring the swagger to a team that looked like a cinch to win 100 games only two weeks ago.

Despite the losing stretch, the Cubs remain 4 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Milwaukee Brewers (83-63), who have lost three straight and seven of nine.

Harden (4-1, 1.50 ERA), who has been nearly unhittable since joining the Cubs on July 8 in a six-player deal with the Oakland Athletics, is set to rejoin the rotation again after missing one start with discomfort in his arm.

Fellow ace Carlos Zambrano is scheduled to go Saturday after missing one turn. The team received good news upon Harden throwing a successful side session on Monday and Zambrano followed suit the following day.

The 26-year-old Harden has surrendered more than one run once in his nine starts as a Cub. In the same span, he's struck out 10 or more five times.

Todd Wellemeyer (12-6, 3.74) will try to stymie the struggling Cubs' offense, which put up eight runs in its last four losses.

Wellemeyer has won five of his last seven decisions and has held opponents to three runs or less in nine of his last 10 starts.