Cubs, Zambrano end slumps, beat Pirates
Carlos Zambrano pitched himself out of an extended slump with one of his best starts of the season, limiting the Pirates to two hits and a run over six-plus innings as the Cubs got a much-needed victory by beating Pittsburgh 5-1 Saturday night.
The Cubs had lost four of five, including a 6-1 defeat Friday night to last-place Pittsburgh, and were in danger of falling out of the NL Central lead for the first time since Aug. 16 before Zambrano and four relievers combined on a two-hitter.
Zambrano (15-12) had been 0-3 since signing a $91.5 million contract extension last month and was 0-5 with an 8.29 ERA over six starts since last winning July 29, a slump that was clearly frustrating him. He ripped Cubs fans for their lack of support after he gave up eight runs in 4 1-3 innings Monday against Los Angeles, though apologized a day later.
In Pittsburgh, Zambrano made certain he got the best possible road crowd reaction: silence. After Nate McLouth singled into left field with one out in the first, Zambrano didn't allow another hit until Adam LaRoche singled to start the seventh.
Zambrano's only problem was wildness -- he walked five while throwing 112 pitches, a high pitch count given the limited number of hits. Zambrano was lifted with the bases loaded and none out in the seventh after walking Jose Bautista and Ronny Paulino, but Carlos Marmol got out of the jam with minimal damage by permitting only a Jack Wilson sacrifice fly.
Zambrano, who had been 0-4 in five starts against the Pirates since last season, struck out eight.
Ian Snell (9-12) lost for the seventh time in nine decisions, partly because he gave up another homer -- his 13th in 12 starts since the All-Star break. Soriano's homer, his 23rd and third in three games, followed Jacque Jones' leadoff walk in the fifth. Jones also had an RBI triple in the ninth.
Soriano possibly benefited from Pirates left fielder Jason Bay being lifted the inning before with soreness in his right knee. McLouth took Bay's place and was in position to make the catch of Soriano's long drive, but the ball eluded his glove and barely found the first row of seats.
Bay, at 6-foot-2, is three inches taller than McLouth and it is possible he would have made the catch had he still been in left field.
Snell fell behind 1-0 in the first on Ryan Theriot's one-out triple and Derrek Lee's RBI single. Soriano's drive made it 3-0, and the Cubs added a run in the seventh before Snell was lifted. Jason Kendall doubled, moved to third when center fielder Nyjer Morgan misplayed the ball and scored on Jones' hard-hit grounder to first that was ruled an error on LaRoche.
The Pirates loaded the bases again in the eighth when Marmol hit McLouth with a pitch and LaRoche and Jose Bautista walked, but Bob Howry got Paulino on an inning-ending grounder.
Ryan Dempster finished up in the ninth in his first appearance since losing a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning of a 7-4 loss to the Dodgers on Thursday.
Notes: Marmol has the NL's second highest percentage of runners stranded, 86.8 percent (33 of 38). ... Bay had arthroscopic surgery in December on his left knee. ... Zambrano is 10-4 in 15 road starts and 5-1 in 11 games in PNC Park. ... No doubt Zambrano was glad to see Bay leave: He was 12-of-33 with five homers against him. ... Wilson was 0-for-3 after going 14-for-20 in his previous five games.