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Recap: Cubs , Mariners
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Game: 0
Venue:
Date: March 19, 2009 4:05 PM EDT
  

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -Except for the bag of ice taped to his shoulder, Aaron Miles gave little indication that he's recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for nearly a week.

Miles went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in the Chicago Cubs' 9-2 win over a Seattle Mariners split squad Thursday.

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``The shoulder's doing great. It's feeling better all the time,' Miles said. ``I'm not feeling it one bit out there. It's not in my head so it's not affecting me.'

Since returning to Chicago's lineup two days ago, Miles has five hits and three runs scored. He has raised his spring training average from .267 to .344.

Miles singled and scored as part of a six-run third inning against Gaby Hernandez, doubled and scored again in the fourth and then hit a leadoff double in the seventh.

``I feel like my timing has come around and I feel like I'm more season-ready right now than I was two weeks ago, that's for sure,' Miles said. ``That's the way it should be for most guys.'

Micah Hoffpauir and Jake Fox hit back-to-back home runs in the third for Chicago, unbeaten in three Cactus League games against the Mariners this spring.

Cubs right-hander Aaron Heilman, who was briefly a member of the Mariners in the offseason, held Seattle to four hits over 3 2-3 innings. He allowed one unearned run while striking out three and walking one.

Heilman joined the Mariners as part of the deal that sent J.J. Putz to the Mets in December. Seven weeks later, the right-hander was dealt from Seattle to Chicago.

Chavez, playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, will probably be Seattle's left fielder whenever Ken Griffey Jr.'s surgically repaired left knee needs a break. Cedeno, who went 0-for-2, is challenging Yuniesky Betancourt for the starting shortstop job.

Heilman will open the season as a setup man in the bullpen. Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced Thursday that 26-year-old lefty Sean Marshall will begin the year as the team's No. 5 starter.

Marshall had the inside track on the job from the beginning of spring training ahead of his chief competitors, Heilman and Jeff Samardzija.

Piniella made his announcement after Heilman's outing Thursday.

``I had a nice talk with Aaron,' Piniella said. ``I told him he had done an outstanding job and that we were going to pitch Marshall in the fifth spot.'

Marshall is 2-0 with an 0.63 ERA this spring while Heilman is 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA.

Samardzija, who came up from the minors last July and pitched out of the bullpen for the Cubs, will compete for a relief role, Piniella said.

Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild was pleased with Heilman's outing.

``I thought he threw the ball well,' Rothschild said. ``As long as (his pitches) are down around the knees, his stuff's real good and hitters can't lift it at all.'

Heilman has wanted to be a starter for years, but he hasn't started a game since he made seven starts for the New York Mets in 2005.

Miles was sidelined for six days with a bruised right shoulder after he fell while running to first base against Seattle on March 10.

The veteran infielder, who has spent most of his time at third base this spring, batted leadoff for Chicago but played second base as a precaution. Piniella wanted Miles to avoid making throws across the diamond until his shoulder is completely healed.

Miles thinks he's ready.

``There's some slight soreness from getting back but it's feeling good,' Miles said. ``I don't like taking time off. Being in the training room and not out on the field is not a good feeling. There's a sense of not belonging to the team when that happens. But it is a long camp. You take it, you get your rest and you get better.'

Hernandez allowed the first six Chicago batters in the third inning to reach base and score. Hoffpauir highlighted the inning with a three-run homer. Fox homered on the next pitch to make it 6-1.

``It's like we've talked about before (with Hernandez), damage control and a little bit non-aggressive,' Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. ``I like the kid but he's just going to have to get where he believes that he can do it at the major league level.'

Notes: Chicago 3B Corey Koskie left in the third inning after he reported not feeling well, Piniella said. The Cubs had no further report and said they would know more Friday morning. Koskie has not played in the big leagues since 2006, when he suffered a concussion while playing for Milwaukee. He has been dealing with post-concussion syndrome since then. Koskie signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in spring training and was invited to camp as a non-roster player. ... LHP Mike Stanton gave up two hits and struck out two while getting two outs for Chicago. The 41-year-old Stanton is trying to make the Cubs as a non-roster invitee. ... Before the game, Seattle optioned OF Greg Halman to West Tenn of the Southern League.

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