Darwin Barney didn't mind a 4 a.m. CT wakeup call after finding out he'd been added to the Cubs' big league roster in place of the traded Mike Fontenot.

Pat Burrell hit a two-run single in the first and a tiebreaking homer in the eighth to lift the Giants to a 5-4 victory Wednesday night over the Cubs, who lost for the 13th time in the last 16 games.

If Ryne Sandberg needs a reference as he pursues a big league managing job, he can call Micah Hoffpauir.

Cubs reliever John Grabow's season has ended. Grabow felt something pop in his left knee during a rehab outing Monday in Mesa, Ariz., and an MRI on Tuesday revealed a Grade 3 sprain.

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez was scratched from Wednesday's lineup because of a sore left rib cage. His status is day to day.

The Cubs dealt infielder Mike Fontenot to the Giants about two hours before the two teams met in the third game of a four-game series for Minor League outfielder Evan Crawford.

The Cubs jumped on San Francisco's Tim Lincecum early, scoring four runs in the first inning, including two on Kosuke Fukudome's 10th homer that landed in McCovey Cove, to beat the Giants, 8-6, Tuesday night.

Micah Hoffpauir and Welington Castillo arrived slightly more than one hour before Tuesday's Cubs game and didn't have much time to spare.

Cubs catcher Geovany Soto was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, retroactive to Saturday, with a mild ligament sprain in his right shoulder.

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez became the 266th player in Major League history to drive in 1,000 runs, doing so in the first inning Tuesday with an RBI single against the Giants' Tim Lincecum.

Edgar Renteria singled and scored on Pat Burrell's walkoff sacrifice fly to center in the 11th inning Monday night to lift the Giants to a 4-3 victory over the Cubs, who lost for the 12th time in the last 14 games.

The Cubs called up reinforcements Monday night, adding Welington Castillo and Micah Hoffpauir after placing catcher Geovany Soto on the 15-day disabled list and first baseman Derrek Lee on the bereavement list.

Cubs pitcher Carlos Silva, who came out of his last start on Aug. 1 because of an abnormal heart rate, underwent successful cardiac ablation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Monday in Chicago.

The Cubs' defense picked a wrong time to have an off-day as too many unturned DPs and balls dropped led to Chicago's 11-4 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday, capping a losing homestand.

Thirty Cubs fans got the ultimate two-day exclusive experience at Wrigley Field as part of the inaugural "Chicago Cubs Fantasy Camp at Wrigley Field."

The Cubs are 1-6 since the Trade Deadline on July 31, when they dealt Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to the Dodgers, and the play on the field has looked less than inspired.

Carlos Zambrano returns to the rotation on Monday, making his first start since June 25 when he opens the Cubs series against the Giants.

The Cubs scored two runs in the ninth and left the bases loaded a 4-3 loss to the Reds on Saturday, ultimately being done in by a strong day from Cincinnati's Drew Stubbs.