Big Z melts down after rough outing
LOS ANGELES -- All eyes were on Carlos Zambrano as the Cubs ace entered the dugout after being removed from a train wreck of a seventh inning Saturday.
Zambrano did not disappoint.
After being an artful dodger of trouble all day at Dodger Stadium, Zambrano went WWE on a couple of hapless Gatorade jugs.
He administered a pair of kicks to one before body-slamming it. He had a little more trouble with the second jug, which might have contained more liquid, but he managed to give it a good fling.
After that, he threw his cap and headed toward the clubhouse, where he did "more work," according to manager Lou Piniella.
In just one-half inning, Zambrano and the Cubs went from being ahead of the Dodgers 3-2 to being down 7-3, which is how it ended.
Frustration? Never say that to Big Z.
"No, there was no frustration," Zambrano said. "I don't use that word. I don't know what that is. It's just that I made a mistake. That was it. You make a mistake in the big leagues and you pay for it."
OK, how about anger?
"At myself," he said. "I'm the one who had the ball in my hand. If I have to blame somebody, I blame myself. It's my fault. Let's move on."
Zambrano stranded runners in each of the first four innings before the Cubs scored once in the fifth and once in the sixth, on Alfonso Soriano's homer to center. Russell Martin hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to tie it.
In the seventh, Zambrano gave up a one-out single to Juan Pierre, who stole second base when shortstop Ryan Theriot dropped the ball, his second bobble of the game.
"We've got to figure out why Theriot's dropping balls on tags at second base," Piniella said. "I asked Alan (bench coach Trammell) to look at some film."
After Jeff Kent popped out, Martin singled on a ball right fielder Kosuke Fukudome dived for but could not catch. After James Loney singled, Matt Kemp homered.
Zambrano (8-2) came out. And he went off.
"I don't have any problem with anything," said Piniella, whose team has dropped two straight to fall to 39-24. "These guys are competitors, and they want to do well, and they want to win. I'd rather have a guy who gets upset than a guy that does it with a smile, like he doesn't care.
"Truthfully? No, I don't have a problem with it. The only thing I don't want is for somebody to get hurt, because now, it hurts not only himself, but the team. If I had been in the dugout, I'd have probably enjoyed it."
Zambrano said not to worry about him.
"I know what to do," he said. "When I do something, I know what to do. I have one scratch here on my hand, two and three. But this is my left hand. You know?"
We know.
Dodgers 7, Cubs 3
At the plate: The Cubs managed just 6 hits against Derek Lowe and none against the L.A. bullpen after getting 4 Friday night. Alfonso Soriano hit his 15th homer of the season leading off the sixth to put the Cubs ahead 2-0.
On the mound: Carlos Zambrano melted down in the seventh inning with help from some poor defense. He lasted 6¿ innings, giving up 13 hits and 7 runs, all earned. Zambrano's ERA went from 2.51 to 3.01. Neal Cotts finished with 1½ innings of hitless ball.
-- Bruce Miles