MINNEAPOLIS -- The curious part about Ryan Dempster stepping up and delivering for the Chicago Cubs once again is that it could speed up his potential departure to a contender.

Dempster was dominating for the second time Sunday on the Cubs’ rugged 10-game journey to three separate cities. As they headed home, he was the only one to record a victory.

Along with Sunday’s 8-2 victory, the Cubs also won 10-0 in Milwaukee the last time Dempster was on the mound. He fired 15 scoreless innings on the trip and the two outings were fairly similar.

“I had good command again tonight,” he said. “I was able to keep the ball at the fat part of the plate and just kind of moved it around, changed speeds and made a lot of good pitches,” Dempster said. “[Catcher] Koyie [Hill] and I worked really well together and it was just another nice win.”

Dempster could have as many as eight more starts before the July 31 trade deadline, but might not make that many in a Cubs uniform. He’s one of a handful of Cubs players with serious trade value and even though he has the right to block any deal, he figures to be open to one that has him going to a contender.

Proving yourself against an underachieving Twins club doesn’t seem like much, but Minnesota had won six of its last seven games and nine of its last 11.

“We scored some runs for him the second time in a row and that was good because he was pretty dominant again,” manager Dale Sveum said. “It’s pretty much a phenomenal run he’s had and I’m just glad we scored some runs and held on.”


At that Sveum chuckled, but when James Russell was having trouble closing things out it wasn’t as funny. Russell loaded the bases in the ninth inning and lost the shutout, but eventually recorded the final out.

At one point, when the Twins’ Denard Span nearly delivered a two-run double down the line, it was starting to invoke reminders of how Dempster was pitching well early but getting no love from his own offense or bullpen.

But unlike those early games, when he was 0-1 after five starts despite never giving up more than two runs in any of them, a new trend has emerged. With Dempster possibly leaving soon, suddenly his teammates are showering him with love.

“It’s worked the last two outings,” Sveum said. “There are definitely guys in clubhouses over the years you play that guys are really pulling for. Obviously those tough times Dempster went through trying to win a game, sometimes it’s the opposite effect where you’re trying too hard for the guy that it backfires too.”

Instead a symbiotic relationship has developed, which is something unseen from this Cubs team so far. It still figures to be a long summer, especially if Dempster is dealt, but how can the Cubs deliver more days like they did Sunday and last Tuesday?

“I wish I could tell you and had the answer for that,” said David DeJesus, who drove in three runs. “We just have to go out there, work hard and just keep rolling with it.”

It sounds simple enough and seems to be what Dempster is doing in what are potentially his final few starts in a Cubs uniform. Despite the possible changes ahead, he still is focused on the needs of his current club.

“It could have been a really rough road trip if we didn’t win today,” Dempster said. “Winning the last game of a road trip going home is always a nice feeling.”