ATLANTA Cubs manager Jim Lefebvre had just watched his team goscoreless for the third time in the last four games, but he wasn't ata loss for words.
"We're going to do it until we get it right, or we might makesome changes. Take that any way you want," Lefebvre said Tuesdaynight. "If that's what we have to do, we'll do it."
Lefebvre's warning came after the Cubs were three-hit by threeBraves pitchers in a 1-0 loss.
The warning might carry some weight as soon as today, as rumorsswirled that at least one change was in the offing.
Sources say the Cubs and Dodgers are involved in serious tradetalks with the Cubs interested in left fielder Kal Daniels.
Lefebvre wasn't overly upset that the winning run scored on abases-loaded wild pitch by Paul Assenmacher.
He was more concerned because his team is hitting .213 and doingnothing about it.
They have lost five of their last six games and haven't evenscored a run in three of their last four.
"If we do the little things, we can get by when we're nothitting," Lefebvre said. "And that's not swinging from the tail atevery pitch. A good offensive ballclub knows how to get a run whenthey need a run.
"The Chicago Cubs had a reputation of sitting back when it's hotand hitting the ball out of the park. That's going to change. Orwe'll make some changes."
If the Cubs had scored just one run, the two teams might stillbe playing.
But the Braves scored their one run when reliever Assenmacherbounced a curveball in front of catcher Hector Villanueva with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
"When you're going bad, stuff like that happens," Assenmachersaid. "It was 0-and-2 and one I wanted to get out of the strikezone."
"A hell of a way to lose a game," Lefebvre said. "That's ashame. (Frank Castillo) pitched his heart out. The pitching's doneits job; the hitting's just not clicking."
Braves pitchers Charlie Leibrandt, who entered the game with a4.61 ERA, and Marvin Freeman retired 25 Cubs in a row between ShawonDunston's leadoff single and Dwight Smith's two-out pinch-hit singlein the ninth inning.
The ending ruined what was a pure pitching battle betweenstarters Leibrandt (2-1) and Castillo (0-2), neither of whom deservedto lose.
In seven innings, Leibrandt allowed the single by Dunston, whowas then thrown out trying to steal second. Leibrandt retired thenext 20 batters, facing only the minimum 21.
Castillo had four one-two-three innings.
"I had some pop on my fastball," Castillo said. "It'sfrustrating, but you've got to give the other guy credit. I think Iran into a guy who throws more changeups than I do."
The Braves' first baserunner came with two outs in the fourthinning when Ron Gant was hit by a Castillo changeup. David Justicefollowed that with a walk on a wild pitch, but Sid Bream bounced out.
The first Braves hit was Leibrandt's chopped double over thirdbase to lead off the sixth inning. After Deion Sanders and TerryPendleton popped out, Gant walked, Castillo advanced them with hissecond wild pitch and Justice bounced out. The second Braves hit came in the wild seventh inning, a leadoffsingle by Bream. He was run for by Otis Nixon, who got to secondwhen third baseman Luis Salazar threw away Greg Olson's grounder.
The runners were sacrificed before Castillo walked pinch hitterDamon Berryhill intentionally.
That brought on Assenmacher, who spun one in the dirt to scoreNixon. The following two strikeouts were moot because the damage hadbeen done.
More damage than the Cubs bats have done lately.
"We're going to keep battling till we get it right, that's all,"Lefebvre said.
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