Since I said the Cubs should sweep the Reds, I get to complain in this post despite the Cubs taking 2 of 3 in the series.

I'm going to get the praise out of the way first. Carlos Zambrano, you're the man.

Now, moving forward. Last night's ninth inning and today's loss have really got me questioning if Lou Piniella knows the best way to manage this bullpen.

Let's start with the loss. I didn't actually see Ted Lilly pitch, but my understanding is that Lou pulled him after just 2 and 2/3 innings because he had an incredibly well-rested middle relief core. Well, if that was the gamble, it didn't pay off.

I know Lilly's history against the Reds is not favorable-his last outing getting shelled (aside from the miracle comeback game against the Rockies) came against the Reds. But I've seen Ted have a slow start and return to form and I've seen guys like Wuertz and Lieber come in and put games out of reach.

Obviously, the latter happened and it may have cost the Cubs the game. Now there's a chance Lilly doesn't do better than they did, but I would at least put faith in my 9-5 starter. Rather, I have faith in him and not in the relievers, but that's just me.

Second, a poor choice gambling on Carlos Marmol in the ninth Wednesday. I don't know about this finger blister that Kerry Wood had, but nursing a blister versus the longevity of Marmol, who has already pitched 50 innings this season, the latter is much more of a concern. I know Howry pitched poorly in the ninth on Tuesday, but anything other than pitching Marmol and wasting him by yanking him out. Piniella knows that idea backfired majorly.

I think today's loss has at least identified one thing for me: the Cubs relief pitchers are no different after they've been rested than when they haven't been. That's a very general statement, as I would still contend that they are worse when they've pitched too much, but they definitely aren't sharper when they've had a lot of time off. Lou's the kind of manager that likes pitching certain guys in certain situations and not mixing that up, but sometimes that's the right play. Jon Lieber could pitch a ninth inning with a two-run cushion in my opinion, but you'll never see Lou do that.

Looking at the weekend series with the Giants, there is a good opportunity here for the Cubs to prove splitting the four-game series in San Francisco was a matter of road woes. The Cubs will see both Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, the two guys who handed them losses at AT&T Park.

Tomorrow will mark Jason Marquis' return to the rotation and he should savor it because his spot there is a big question mark. All three of these games will have intrigue, however, as Marquis will look to beat Cain this time and has struggled at home too, so that game is critical. Rich Harden making his debut on Saturday needs no context for intrigue and Giants' ace Lincecum who also beat the Cubs in San Fran will face Dempster who is dynamite at Wrigley Field.

So come on, Cubbies, send your 7 teammates to the Bronx with an over-encouraging pat on the ass and get your fans' spirits up for a great second half.