When Alfonso Soriano’s little pop fly dropped past Marlins second baseman Omar Infante for two unearned runs in the fourth inning Friday, Mike Quade said there “was no doubt in my mind” it would come down to the ninth.
Just call it the way this nothing-comes-easy Cubs season has gone, but it soon was clear the manager would face a tough decision in the ninth inning.
And while he went with Carlos Marmol as Plan A, he was well prepared with Sean Marshall as Plan B.
Before the 2-1 victory was over, he needed Plan B as Marshall got the last out and the save in relief of Marmol, who failed for a second straight game.
And now Plan C is in effect while Marmol takes some time off to figure out his problems and Marshall shares closers’ duty with Kerry Wood.
Lost amid the ninth-inning drama was an eighth-inning mound meeting between Quade and starting pitcher Ryan Dempster, who vocally battled in the dugout the last time Dempster was removed from a game.
This one was much kinder and gentler.
“He’d kill me,” Quade said with a laugh about whether he planned to remove Dempster with two runners on base and two outs while going for a shutout. “It’s one of those rare occasions we were in agreement.”
Dempster (7-6) got out of the inning and got the victory but, these being the 2011 Cubs, it wasn’t easy.
Marmol, who embarrassingly blew the save Thursday while issuing four walks and giving up a double, walked the first batter he faced on four pitches and then gave up a run on two hits.
But he did get two outs, one of them coming on another gift from the Marlins when Marlon Bryd threw out Hanley Ramirez trying to stretch a single into a double.
The left-handed Marshall was called on for the final out against right-handed hitting Mike Stanton, who struck out.
“It’s an anti-numbers move (to face a right-hander) for sure, but Marshall can defy the numbers,” Quade said.
“I like to pitch,” Marshall said. “… You just get the ball and try to get guys out.”
Marshall could get more chances for saves the next few days as Marmol works on mechanics and Quade works to get back to Plan A, which is to have Marmol pitching the ninth.
“We still know he’s a valuable part of this thing,” Quade said. “We’re going to be a much better club once he figures it out.
dvandyck@ tribune.com
Twitter @davandyck
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