The Cubs' bullpen will get a new member on Thursday when Jeff Samardzija arrives for the final game of the three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Kevin Gregg will be among the first to welcome him.

Gregg thinks of the bullpen as one unit, not individuals.

"We're a team, and we have to work together," Gregg said. "It's a simple concept. My understanding and the way I believe things work is you have to lean on each other to be successful. Not one guy is going to pick up every situation.

"Everybody will have good days and bad days," he said. "You know the guys behind you will pick you up sometimes. [Saturday] was a great example. [Carlos] Marmol came in and helped out [Neal Cotts], and I came in and helped out Marmol. It kind of dominoes down the line. If we make our pitches and execute our pitches, we won't give in to anybody."

Nobody is going to pitch in all 162 games, even though it seems as if Marmol does. That's why the relievers have to lean on each other.

"What Marmol has done the last couple years is phenomenal," Gregg said of his teammate pitching in 82 games last year. "Hopefully, this year, he won't have to get in that many games, and we can give him enough rest so he's 100 percent every time he steps onto the field and pick each other up."

The pitchers are still learning about each other, such as who needs a little consoling after a bad outing and who needs a kick.

"We all pick each other up, we all keep each other humble," Gregg said. "Everybody down there will get between 60 and 75 games. Innings will vary depending on the role. Take the ball out there 70 times, you're not going to feel 100 percent every time you go out there."

Gregg also is still learning about Lou Piniella, although the Cubs manager is pretty easy to read.

"Lou's intense about the game and he shows it," Gregg said. "There's nothing wrong with that. It's a great thing -- you know exactly where he stands."

Pitching matchup
CHC: RHP Carlos Zambrano (1-0, 5.21 ERA)
Zambrano's final line wasn't pretty on Friday against St. Louis. He gave up three homers and seven earned runs but also lasted seven innings to help give his bullpen some relief. Throughout his career, Zambrano has pitched well against Cincinnati, going 14-9 with a 3.03 ERA and holding the Reds to a .219 average. This is the seventh time Zambrano and Aaron Harang have faced each other. Harang is 3-2 with a 5.11 ERA, while Zambrano is 1-4 with a 6.88 ERA in the six previous meetings.

CIN: RHP Aaron Harang (1-2, 2.70 ERA)
During a 7-0 loss to the Astros on Saturday, Harang was charged with five earned runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out six. Nine of the hits were singles, many of them grounders that squeaked through holes. The pitcher was visibly frustrated with his lack of success and bad luck. Harang is 8-6 with a 4.81 ERA in 19 career games against the Cubs but was 0-3 with a 6.29 ERA last season in four starts.

Tidbits
Kosuke Fukudome has hit safely in nine of his past 11 games and is hitting .381 over that stretch. ... Alfonso Soriano extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single to left in the fifth. He has hit safely in 12 of the Cubs' first 13 games. ... Aaron Miles made his fourth start at second on Wednesday. Mike Fontenot is 1-for-18 on the current homestand. "Mike, he gets streaky at times," Piniella said. "I think once he gets a few more at-bats and the weather warms up, he'll be more consistent." ... The cat that ran onto the field on Tuesday night at Wrigley was taken to a no-kill animal shelter. Two of the stadium security staff were on medication after the cat bit them. ... Randy Wells had a no-hitter over 6 2/3 innings as Iowa beat Albuquerque, 9-1, on Wednesday in Des Moines. Wells faced the minimum over five innings and walked two. Brad Snyder hit two home runs in the game. ... Jake Fox's hitting streak ended on Tuesday at 12 games when he went 0-for-4 in Iowa's 7-0 loss to Albuquerque. ... In other games Tuesday, Steve Clevenger hit his first home run in Tennessee's 8-7 win over West Tenn. Ryan Searle threw six shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out two, in Daytona's 12-0 win over Dunedin.

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Up next
• Friday: Cubs (Ryan Dempster, 1-0, 5.00) at Cardinals (Adam Wainwright, 2-0, 3.31), 7:15 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Cubs (Sean Marshall, 0-0, 4.50) at Cardinals (Mitchell Boggs, 0-0, 4.50), 3:10 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Cubs (Rich Harden, 1-1, 4.20) at Cardinals (Todd Wellemeyer, 1-1, 5.29), 1:15 p.m. CT