Cubs start new streak
It hasn't taken long for the Cubs to remove the bad taste from their recent 2-4 road trip.
Saturday's 7-2 win over Arizona snapped a four-series losing streak and guaranteed the Cubs their first series win since April 21-22 against the Mets.
"We've won a series now and tomorrow is our chance to go out there and build off it," Cubs starter Ryan Dempster said. "We had a terrible road trip. We are better than that."
Dempster followed Ted Lilly's strong outing Friday with another quality start. Scott Eyre, Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol combined for 3 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit.
For the first time this year, Arizona didn't have an extra-base hit. The Diamondbacks, who lead the majors with 133 of them, managed just 4 singles.
"Good win all the way around," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Two sound games we've played."
Baserunning blunders: Aramis Ramirez cost the Cubs a run in the second inning. Standing at third with one out, Ramirez hesitated on Geovany Soto's grounder to second, and that delay gave Augie Ojeda time to throw out Ramirez at the plate.
Later on, with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton gunned down Reed Johnson at the plate on Derrek Lee's fly to shallow right.
Eye on Hill: Cubs manager Lou Piniella hopes Rich Hill returns to the rotation soon.
Hill has made 1 start since being demoted to Iowa, allowing 2 runs in 5 innings. After lasting just 2 innings in Cincinnati, Hill's replacement Jon Lieber is scheduled for his second start Tuesday against San Diego and former Cub Shawn Estes.
"We're watching Hill's progress real careful," Piniella said. "He's a kid we were counting on and we'd like to get him back in the rotation hopefully as soon as possible."
Mother's Day matchup:ŒWhile several Cubs will use pink bats today and Ryan Dempster will host families of mothers who are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, fans will be treated to a pair of hard-throwing pitchers.
Carlos Zambrano puts his 5-1 record and 1.80 ERA against Randy Johnson, who is 2-1 this year with a 5.06 ERA. Johnson was the ace in Seattle when Lou Piniella managed the Mariners.
It was Zambrano's hitting that turned heads before the game. At the same time Zambrano was bashing balls over Wrigley Field during batting practice, Piniella was holding court with the media.
"He really enjoys hitting," Piniella said. "The other day when I took him out after 8 innings (against Cincinnati) he wasn't happy. But he was unhappy the most because he wasn't going to get his at-bat."
Zambrano is hitting .261 this year with a home run. He has 13 career homers.
"The first thing he asks me with a runner on is, 'you want me to hit or bunt?'" Piniella said. "I don't think he knows the bunt sign."