CHICAGO _ Jon Lester carried a heavier load Wednesday for a pitching staff without closer Brandon Morrow, Yu Darvish, Carl Edwards and perhaps Tyler Chatwood.
As willing as Lester was in throwing a season-high 119 pitches in leading the Cubs to a 4-0 victory over the Dodgers, the Cubs will need contributions from all facets through at least an eight-game trip that starts Thursday night at Cincinnati.
"At that point, what's 15-20 more extra pitches?" said Lester, who didn't need to convince manager Joe Maddon to pitch another inning after throwing 106 through six.
Highlight-caliber defense and timely hitting allowed the Cubs to survive without Morrow, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Sunday, because of back stiffness and won't be eligible to return until June 27.
"It would have taken two or three days, but then we're down an arm," said Morrow, who revealed he experienced similar discomfort in the same area after throwing a pitch in spring training.
"It didn't lock me down as much."
The Cubs haven't listed a starter for Saturday and Sunday's games as they will assess their options. The Cubs may use Luke Farrell or their entire bullpen for Saturday, and Chatwood's next start could be in question because his wife Veronica is expecting the couple's first child.
Meanwhile, Darvish believes he'll need only one minor league rehab start _ which could come as soon as Monday _ after throwing 51 pitches in a simulated game in front of President Theo Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer, manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey.
"It turned out to be better than expected," said Darvish, who hasn't pitched since May 20 because of right triceps tendinitis.
Nevertheless, Darvish won't rejoin the Cubs until they return from their trip, at the earliest. Edwards, who is recovering from right shoulder inflammation, is awaiting word on when he can resume throwing off a mound and/or start a rehab assignment.
Left-handed reliever Brian Duensing could return from the bereavement list as soon as Friday.
Meanwhile, Lester intimated he might get an extra day of rest after throwing 119 pitches but knew he had to stretch his outing because of the bullpen usage after Tuesday's doubleheader and the loss of Morrow.
"Jon gave us what we need," Maddon said.
Although Lester (9-2) was bailed out by numerous defensive plays, he managed to lower his ERA to 2.10 while winning his fifth consecutive start. Lester is 8-2 with a 1.67 ERA over his last 12 starts and improved to 4-1 with a 1.25 ERA in seven home starts.
The offense provided enough timely hitting against Ross Stripling (6-2), whose six-game winning streak was snapped.
Ben Zobrist's perfectly executed hit-and-run play set up the first run in the first, and slugger Kris Bryant, batting leadoff for the third consecutive game, hit an RBI single in the fifth.
"I love it," Maddon said of the fulfillment of his desire to have a "swarming" offense. "Don't you love it? That's what everyone is looking for. We put the ball on the line."
Kyle Schwarber muscled a solo home run to center despite a foggy sky and a stiff breeze blowing from the northwest. Schwarber has hit three home runs in his last six games.
