3/27 Quick hits

Here’s Friday’s Cubs lineup vs. the White Sox: LF Alfonso Soriano, CF Kosuke Fukudome, 1B Derrek Lee, RF Milton Bradley, 3B Aramis Ramirez, 2B Aaron Miles, SS Ryan Theriot, C Koyie Hill, and P Carlos Zambrano.

Zambrano is batting .667 this spring. “I was thinking of asking Ozzie [Guillen] if they wanted to use the DH today,” Lou Piniella said, “but I realized Carlos was pitching and I would’ve had a nightmare on my hands. I wanted to get Reed Johnson in there against the left-hander pitching. With Carlos, we made the right decision.”

Other notes:

• The umpires asked both managers if they could stop Thursday’s night game in Scottsdale because of the high winds. The game was eventually called after 6 1/2 innings. “It was really windy, the hitters couldn’t see the ball very well,” Piniella said. “Why get somebody hurt?” And the Giants agreed? “They agreed,” Piniella said. “They were ahead.”
• The Cubs outrighted outfielder Brad Snyder to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs’ 40-man roster is now at 37.
• Because of the conditions, Piniella is discounting Carlos Marmol’s outing on Thursday. The right-hander gave up two runs on two hits and hit a batter. It was a tough night to grip the ball. “They went to their mouth more than any time I’ve ever seen,” Piniella said of the pitchers. “They might as well as put a laboratory on the mound and let them wet their hands. They couldn’t grip the ball. … It was a combination of Wrigley Field at times and Candlestick Park.”
• Milton Bradley went 2-for-2 on Thursday, including his third home run. He also argued with the second base umpire who called him out on a close play at second. Did Piniella like to see that intensity? “He was intense all night last night,” Piniella said. “I like intensity, what can I say? I’m sure he’s going to bring a lot of that to the party.”

– Carrie Muskat