Rodriguez shuts down Cubs bats in Astros 4-1 win

HOUSTON -- It looks like the Cubs' road to the playoffs isn't going to be an easy one, if it leads there at all.

That's because the road itself has been lined with peril all season for the Cubs, who went quietly again to the Houston Astros on Saturday night, this time 4-1.

The Cubs have lost both games at Minute Maid Park to open the unofficial second half of the season. They've scored a grand total of 2 runs in the two games, and their road record has dropped to 20-28.

"We don't score many runs; it's starting to get a little worrisome," said manager Lou Piniella, whose team is now 2 games ahead of St. Louis and 3 in front of Milwaukee. "Our road record needs to improve. We don't score as many runs on the road, not even close. I don't know why."

Neither, it seems, does anybody else.

"Obviously, we haven't swung the bats well these last two days," said first baseman Derrek Lee, who was 1-for-4 Saturday and 0-for-4 Friday. "We got a few hits today and couldn't put anything across. I don't know if it was the four days (the all-star break) or not, but we're obviously capable of swinging the bats better. Two runs isn't going to get it in two games. We've got to find a way to get the offense back going again."

The Cubs' run came off the bat of pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who hit a solo homer with two outs in the seventh to cut a 3-0 Houston lead to 3-1. It was Zambrano's second homer this year and the 14th of his career, establishing a Cubs record for pitchers.

The offense left five runners stranded over the first three innings. The Astros scored once in the second and twice in the third, as he ran his pitch count up early.

Zambrano's performance led to an interesting little byplay between him and Piniella.

"One of these days, he's going to learn to harness his emotions a little bit," Piniella said. "Hopefully, I'll still be here. That means it'll happen quick. There's no sense in showing frustration. All you do is pick up the other team a little bit, and you lose your own concentration somewhat. I hope he learns that, because he's a real good competitor, and he's a real good pitcher, and he loves to win. But all that does basically is take away from the greatness he has."

Zambrano said he goes out with emotion "every time," but he denied letting his emotions run loose.

"I was in control of myself; that's the most important thing," he said. "You can be distracted. You can be mad at yourself or mad at somebody. But you have to be in control of yourself. You have to be in control of your pitches. That is what I did today."

Zambrano fell to 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA. He said he was having trouble with his sinker moving too much. As to the other stuff, he says there is a method to his seeming madness.

"I think I'm a smart guy," he said. "Sometimes I make them think that I'm out of my game, but I'm not. There were a few times I'm out of my game, but I don't show it... I'm always in control of my game and in control of the situation -- like today."