Surprise, Ariz. ? Ryan Dempster helped his bid to become a starter Sunday by allowing one hit and one run over four innings as the Chicago Cubs beat Kansas City, 13-1.

Dempster, who had 28 saves last season, walked two and struck out two.

“I felt like I was a pretty darn good starter before I got hurt,” Dempster said. “I believe in myself. I know what I did.”

Dempster had reconstructive elbow surgery in 2003 while with the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cubs made him a closer in 2005. He won 39 games as a starter with the Reds and Florida Marlins from 2000-02 before the surgery.

Dempster is hoping to fill one of two vacancies in the Cubs’ rotation.

“There’s a lot of talk about it, but I don’t concern myself with it,” he said. “I feel good staminawise and armwise. I threw a lot of good sinkers, kept the ball down around the knees.”

Daryle Ward went 4-for-4, raising his average to .692, and drove in three runs, while Eric Patterson had three hits.