Right-hander Brandon Backe, who is on the disabled list with a strained left intercostal muscle, threw off a mound Wednesday for the first time since early March.
"No strains, tweaks, pulls, nothing like that," he said after the 40-pitch session. "I just felt good, normal. I didn't test it too hard. I just wanted to throw off the mound and see how I went. I threw a couple pretty hard just to test it out to see." Barring a setback, Backe expects to throw a 50-pitch bullpen session Friday, but it's way early to set a timetable for his return.
"He might be a little sore (Thursday), so we've got to wait and see how he feels," manager Cecil Cooper said. "I was encouraged by it. He threw 40 pitches, all fastballs.
"He didn't really cut it loose or anything like that. This was more just for him to kind of get on the mound. I just wanted to make sure that I saw it. Dewey (Robinson, the pitching coach) was there, and he (said Backe) threw free and easy."
CUBS 11, ASTROS 6: Brian Moehler quite simply was awful, giving up seven runs in 1 2/3 innings in his season debut. The Astros' No. 3 starter wasted what turned out to be a solid six-run, 11-hit outpouring by the offense.
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