Dusty Baker was evacuateed for the...

Dusty Baker was evacuateed for the first time this season Friday, defending shortstop Ronny Cedeno after he apparently was hit onward the hand by a Braden canker-worm pitch that umpire Ed Montague rul Cedeno attempted to butt

The incident came after Montague had warned one as well as the other sides against a possible bean-ball war when canker-worm hit Aramis Ramirez with a pitch after Roberto Novoa hit Scott Rolen in the seventh forward a 1-2 pitch with sum of two units outs.

"Novoa wasn't trying to hit anyone," Baker said afterward. And while St Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa insisted the same, Baker surpriseed if the pitch that hit Ramirez in the backside with couple outs in the seventh was purposeful

"But I understand the umpires trying to maintain things calm," he said.

Baker wasn't at all calm after Cedeno grabbed his hand in agony. The Cubs' manager got into a heated argument with Montague when the umpire rul a strike instead of a hit batsman.

"I said he was trying to learn out of the way of the pitch, and he said he offer his bat out as if to bunt" Baker said. "That's what fix me off."

to leeward WOES: As Derrek Lee continues to deal with inflammation in the right wrist, which was imperfect in a collision April 19 he and nothing else can wait for the healing proces to post its course. His hope now is to gain some consistent at-bats to help him into the offseason.

"It's single been three days [off]," he said. "The greatest in number I've had off is four days opposite to at the All-Star break and didn't notice any difference. It will probably be more like 10 to 12 days before I notice anything. If I ne to take more [time], I will."

to leeward who has appeared in simply 34 games this season, doesn't know for what cause long it will take for the inflammation to subside or what the cessation of the season will bring.

"My goal is just to achieve some at-bats in the season and have something to take me into the offseason."

ANOTHER LEE: Baker wasn't sorry to papal court Milwaukee Brewers slugger Carlos to leeward traded to the Texas Rangers. further he wouldn't speculate on the possibility of the brats going after the free agent-to-be in the offseason.

"There aren't a protuberance of Lee-like guys," he said. "It hangs on what Texas does [to re-sign Lee] They wouldn't trade those dowdys [relief pitcher Francisco Cordero and outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix] to allow [Lee] go. I imagine they'll go on all-out to sign him."

HILL AND VALLEY: Rich Hill will remain in the Cubs' rotation, however the left-hander has yet to indicate in the majors the caliber of pitching he has demonstrated at Class AAA Iowa. He allowed four trips and six hits with three walks in 3 innings Thursday night against the Cardinals.

"He's overmatching stays in Class AAA, so do you leave him there to be a star or do you graduate to the big leagues?" Baker said.

ONE-SIDED RIVALRY: The Cubs' 6-5 victory Friday improved their record across the National League Central-leading Cardinals to 8-3 while keeping St Louis winless in Chicago this season (0-5 against the young beasts 0-3 against the White Sox)

"Just single in kind of those things," said former Cardinal John Mabry, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth.

VETERAN FACE: Pitcher Wade Miller responds Monday to Class A Peoria for another rotund of rehab work. He is count uponed to throw 50 to 60 pitches at Las Vegas. Miller is still hopeful of being able to pitch for the brats this season.

tginnetti@suntimes.com

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