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CHICAGO -- A slow start did not appear to impact the confidence of Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

Despite a .224 batting average, Rizzo began the month of May among the lead leaders in home runs (8) and RBIs (20). Rizzo, working with manager Dale Sveum and the Cubs' two hitting coaches, went back to the basics to rediscover his hitting mojo.

"The important thing for me is staying even keeled," Rizzo said. "Staying confident, taking things in stride whether you get three hits, four hits or strike out four times, you take it in stride and know it is a part of the game."

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CHICAGO -- It took 106 major league starts for Scott Feldman to throw his first complete game.

The Chicago Cubs' veteran pitcher not only pitched the entire game, he set a career high with 12 strikeouts in a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

Feldman, 30, got an assist from manager Dale Sveum after completing the eighth inning.

"Originally, the plan was for me to go eight," Feldman said. "I went back and asked if I could get a crack at a CG [complete game]. I am just glad he didn't take me out after I gave up that home run to [Chase] Headley."

Feldman, who started the season slowly, was in command from the beginning and mostly dominant against San Diego. At one point, he retired 18 straight batters and struck out the side in both the third and fourth innings. Sveum said he felt Feldman's cut fastball was the difference in the pitcher's performance.

"From what I am seeing, there is more arm speed and more velocity on the cutter," Sveum said. "That will always make things a little more crisp. When you add a couple more [miles per hour] things change a little bit. Location and not walking guys is always the formula for pitching [well]. He had a game plan to pitch those lefties in with the cutter and did it all night long."

Feldman retired 11 out of 12 Padres hitters when using the cutter as his final pitch of an at-bat.

After consulting with pitching coach Chris Bosio, Sveum told Feldman to go back out and attempt the complete game.

"He more or less said that he had never pitched a complete game before," Sveum said. "At 100 pitches, I was letting him go hitter to hitter."

Feldman, who threw 114 pitches Wednesday, has given up two or fewer earned runs in each of his past four starts.

The Cubs, using a lineup of seven batters who could bat left-handed, helped build an early five-run cushion for Feldman by chasing former Cubs pitcher Andrew Cashner after four innings. Feldman helped knock his opponent out of the game with an RBI double in the second inning. Feldman had only one double and one RBI in his career having played in the American League throughout his career before signing with the Cubs in November. He hit the ball hard three times.

"I pretty much closed my eyes and swung," Feldman said. "That was pretty much my motto. Luckily, tonight I put a couple good swings on. I still wish I had a couple more hits."

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs surged ahead early in a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in the third of a four-game set at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.

How it happened: Former Cub and No. 1 draft pick Andrew Cashner started for the first time against Chicago. Cashner was traded to San Diego for first baseman Anthony Rizzo in 2011. Manager Dale Sveum started seven left-handed hitters in his lineup. Starlin Castro started the scoring with an RBI single that plated Julio Borbon in the first inning. Cubs starting pitcher Scott Feldman doubled in the second run, scoring Darwin Barney in the second inning. Cashner's pitch count (76 through three innings) skyrocketed in the third, thanks in large part to a two-run double by catcher Dioner Navarro. Cashner’s 89th pitch was an RBI groundout off the bat of Luis Valbuena. Nate Schierholtz doubled home the sixth run in the seventh inning. San Diego second baseman Jedd Gyorko hits his first major league home run to break up Feldman's shutout in the eighth. Chase Headley homered with one out in the ninth.

What it means: The Cubs have won six of their past nine games. With a win on Thursday, they can wrap up their second straight series victory. Feldman pitched his first career complete game as he records his second consecutive win while striking out 12. That matches his career high. After a rough beginning to the season, the veteran pitcher has been outstanding as of late.

Outside the box: Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said infielder Ian Stewart is not ready to return to the major leagues; he's rehabbing a leg injury in the minors. Teams can send a player out for only 20 days on a rehab assignment. “You can always get recertified if you are not healthy yet," Epstein said. "He has had some bumps and bruises along the way. We will just monitor it daily and see how he is doing.” … Another rehab began for the Cubs as RHP Matt Garza threw 42 pitches in 2⅔ innings at Double-A on Wednesday. Garza is rehabbing from a strained side muscle he injured on Feb. 17. Sveum said Garza will return to the team in between minor league starts. He also stated his pitcher would be re-evaluated after the third outing.

Up next: Chicago LHP Travis Wood (2-1, 2.25 ERA) faces Padres LHP Eric Stults (2-2, 5.67 ERA) in Thursday's series finale.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said on Wednesday that renovation plans for a new expanded clubhouse in Wrigley Field may be delayed until 2015.

Epstein had hoped to get a new dwelling for his team that would include a batting cage and expanded weight and cardio area.

Epstein tied in ownership getting the go-ahead from city commissions to renovate the entire ballpark as a tome line to helping his club have the facilities he believes it needs to compete for the top players in the game.

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ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine takes your Cubs and White Sox questions during a live chat at noon CT Tuesday. Click here to submit your questions.

Chicago Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija picked up a no-decision in his team’s 5-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night after throwing 101 pitches in five innings of work.

Being the consummate professional, he refused to let a cut on his pitching hand from his previous start prevent him from pitching. That said, his high pitch counts that have contributed to early exits lately are troubling to the pitcher.

“You have to take it start by start,” he said. “The circumstances I was under after my last start, I didn’t throw that much in between outings and it caused me to be a little off. I am not going to use that as an excuse. It is my day to pitch and I need to go out and do what I am supposed to do.”

Making it past six innings in only one of his last five outings is not what is expected of a No. 1 starter. But what is even more maddening for the pitcher is the fact he has been dominant in many of his appearances.

Samardzija struck out 47 batters in April, which is second on the Cubs’ all-time list to teammate Matt Garza’s 51 in 2011. Samardzija has only one win in a month where he at times had been unhittable.

“We are just dealing with that pitch count and we can’t seem to get by that one inning,” manager Dale Sveum said. “We just got to the point where we were one pitch away from him going out and getting maybe two more innings. He just unraveled with the walks. Walks are always going to kill your starts.”

Cut finger aside, Samardzija has walked seven men in 11 innings over his last two starts. Getting back to using the fastball is something the young starter is hoping to establish in his next outing.

“You can’t go out there with the fastball I have and thumb your way through seven innings,” he said. “I was working with what I had today. I had a good fastball today, although the location wasn’t great. Sometimes when you don’t have everything (all pitches ) it turns out to be a positive.”

CHICAGO -- San Diego Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner will always have some Cubby blue in his blood as he pursues the excellence projected for him as Chicago’s first-round pick in 2008.

Traded for Anthony Rizzo in 2011, Cashner will start against his former team on Wednesday. Cashner had been a bullpen pitcher until recently being converted back to a rotation pitcher.

“This is a very special place,” Cashner said of Wrigley Field. “Babe Ruth sat in that same locker room I just left. You can’t deny the history of this place and the Cubs. I made my debut here so it will always be special in that aspect.”

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs starter Scott Baker started the long road back to the major leagues with some light throwing on Tuesday.

Baker was rehabbing from Tommy John elbow ligament surgery in spring training when he re-injured his arm in mid-March, straining a muscle near his elbow. After undergoing an MRI and consulting with the Cubs orthopedic specialist, Dr. Stephen Gryzlo, it was determined that Baker should stop all throwing for at least a month.

Baker played catch from 45 feet Tuesday in his first activity since the muscle strain, but there is no timetable for his return.

Baker, who had the elbow replacement surgery on April 17, 2012, signed a one-year $5.5 million contact with the Cubs on Nov. 13, 2012. He has a lifetime record of 63-48 with a 4.15 ERA.

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CHICAGO -- Dealing with April weather that seems more like November has been tough for the Chicago Cubs and their coaching staff. The team has cancelled two games within a week due to rain and winter-like conditions.

Manager Dale Sveum has pushed his players to embrace spring time in Chicago as a home-field advantage, but this home stand has been difficult to deal with.

"This has been a little exceptional as far as getting on the field," said Sveum before Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers was cancelled. "Even when we have been able to get on the field it has been pretty miserable."

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CHICAGO -- Texas Rangers catcher Geovany Soto, who returned to Wrigley Field for this week's series after playing five years for the Chicago Cubs, does not agree with the disparaging remarks his teammate Lance Berkman said about Wrigley.

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Tuesday he will need more revenue streams if he is to make the Cubs a consistent contender, echoing what chairman Tom Ricketts said the previous day.

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The Wrigley Field renovation proposal that was agreed to by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Tom Tunney does not address how soon the baseball department headed by Theo Epstein will be able to add significant free agents.

During Tom Ricketts press conference at Wrigley on Monday morning the question of how quickly the team can spend as freely as other big-market clubs was asked.

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CHICAGO -- Alfonso Soriano has had slow starts in the past but nothing close to the unproductive offensive drought he has experienced the first eleven games of this season.

Soriano seems reassured by last season’s rebound after a nasty six-week slump. He was able to turn his season around in mid-May, ending the season with a career-high 104 RBI. The Cubs veteran outfielder seems more focused on the Cubs record than his subpar at-bats so far in 2013.

“I am not happy with the record, but I am happy the way we have played," he said. “We have played hard and smart most of the time. I think when the weather gets better and we put it all together, we will be a better team."

A quiet confidence that burns inside the Dominican player allows him to move forward with his daily plan while staying positive. Soriano had played the first ten games of the season with only one extra-base hit and no runs batted in.

"I know myself and have a lot of confidence in myself," he said. "After only ten games, I feel my swing is getting better. Right now, they aren’t giving me good pitches to hit so I try to make adjustments. As soon as they start pitching to me and I have my swing in place, I will be fine.”

Soriano didn’t hit a home run in the Cubs' first 41 games of 2012. He then proceeded to hit 32 home runs in the next 121 games.

"I have been doing this forever," he said. "A young player might panic if he goes into a bad streak, but the guys who play a long time believe in themselves like I do. I am still here for that reason, so my confidence never goes down. I have talent that God gave me, so I never lose my belief I can do well. I feel like this is the second spring training. This one is in cold weather. I have been working hard. Sooner or later, everything will be better.”

After getting three hits on Saturday, the 37-year-old Cub said he is still open to a trade if management comes to him during the season. Soriano has one year left after 2012 on his original eight-year, $136 million mega deal.

"I will listen to whatever they are thinking about, “ he related. "I would like to stay because I like the owner and the baseball people. I don’t want to say I have to finish my contract here because I don’t want to put pressure on them. I don’t want to put pressure on me, either. It is open if they want to trade me to a contender. I hope we are contending and we don’t have to talk about me being traded.“