9/25 Probable pitchers

The Cubs head into the final week still tweaking their rotation. Carlos Zambrano (9-6, 3.56 ERA) will open a four-game series agianst the Padres on Monday and will get one last start Oct. 2 in Houston. Ryan Dempster (14-11, 3.87 ERA) and Randy Wells (8-13, 4.28 ERA) will start Tuesday and Wednesday, but Cubs manager Mike Quade wasn’t sure who would go in which game. Dempster may start Tuesday to let him get two more starts and finish the season Oct. 3 against the Astros. Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild was to talk to Dempster and Wells to sort things out and see if either wanted an extra day.

“Once we make that decision, the rest should fall into place,” Mike Quade said. “I should be smart enough to know to use pencil [when writing the rotation].”

– Carrie Muskat