Padres 9, Cubs 5

Ryan Dempster continued his spring struggles, allowing 5 runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings, as the Cubs fell to the Padres on Sunday. Dempster, who is slated to start the Cubs' third regular season game April 6 vs. Arizona, has a spring ERA of 11.19. Not exactly what I'd like to see from my third starter. But manager Dusty Baker seems to have other ideas.

"He threw the ball pretty good," Baker said of Dempster. "It seems like he might be the kind of guy who, if he gets out of the first or second inning, he gets his rhythm going. We're still learning about him."

Hmm...

Here's what Dempster had to say.

"I feel like I've been here forever," he said of spring camp. "We're definitely ready for the season to start and having these games mean something and start playing some games for real."

"[Spring games] matter, but they don't matter," he said. "I want to get ready for the season."

However, I'd rather see Ryan work out his problems as a starter during spring training. With only 6 spring games left and Dempster's ERA over 11, I'm not quite as excited about the season as Ryan. If he's ready to go with an ERA like that, something's got to be wrong with his head.

With Dempster in the rotation and Joe Borowski injured, LaTroy Hawkins will start the season as the closer. Hawkins enjoyed moderate success last season as a closer, saving 25 games. I have no idea about what to expect from him this year, and I'm going to simply hope for the best. I'd like to see a healthy Borowski take over as closer once he returns from injury, and even if LaTroy is successful, he is much more valuable to the team as a dominant setup man.

David Kelton continues to challenge Jason Dubois for the role of 4th outfielder. Knowing Dusty, it is unlikely a rookie will be starting, so I expect Todd Hollandsworth to get the bulk of the playing time in LF. Kelton's pinch-hit two-run homer yesterday seemed to impress Baker.

"He's looking pretty good," Baker said. "He plays well, runs well, throws well. He's playing like he wants a spot. That's what you want to see."

Here's a comparison of Kelton and Dubois this spring (22 games each).

Dubois: 42 AB/8 R/13 H/0 2B/1 3B/4 HR/8 RBI/.310 AVG/.643 SLG
Kelton: 40 AB/7 R/14 H/5 2B/0 3B/1 HR/6 RBI/.350 AVG/.550 SLG

Dubois has superior minor league stats overall and has shown a lot more pop than Kelton, both this spring and in the minors. With 5 doubles, Kelton seems to be more of a gap hitter than a reliable power source in the outfield, which we need so badly. Dubois is my pick and, unless he completely flops or gets injured during the remaining 6 spring games, will be Dusty's and Hendry's pick as well.