Theriot hopes slump finally over

NEW YORK - Ryan Theriot got the night off Tuesday, but he was more than on during Monday's 9-5 victory over the Mets.

Theriot had 3 singles and 2 walks, getting his batting average ut to .301 and his on-base percentage up to .380. Overall, it's been a rough month for Theriot, who is 14-for-63 in September.

He faded badly last September but said Tuesday that it hasn't played on his mind this year.

"I was just out there playing and happened to get some hits," he said. "I'd be lying if I told you I had a great couple weeks before that. I didn't. But the panic button was never pushed. You always have confidence in yourself and know that, sooner or later, you're going to start getting hits. To be honest with you, I'd rather get them in October than September anyway.

"Getting on base is more important than the hits. I was on base every time up there. I was a good game."

Honor for Zambrano: Pitcher Carlos Zambrano was honored as the 2007 most valuable pitcher in the National League by the Latino Sports Writers and Broadcasters Association.

Zambrano, who pitches tonight, has run afoul of Cubs manager Lou Piniella for his antics on the mound last week, when he started to leave the mound before Piniella came out to remove him.

There is no guarantee that Zambrano, the onetime undisputed ace of the staff, will pitch Game 1 or Game 2 of the division series. Zambrano is engaging in one of his media boycotts, and he blew off Chicago reporters Tuesday.

The head of the group that gave Zambrano Tuesday's award at first tried to keep Chicago reporters out of the news conference, but was unable to do so. But Zambrano would not take a question about starting Game 1 of the playoffs.

"I don't know anything about that," Zambrano said.

However, a New York reporter did ask Zambrano about his relationship with Piniella.

"Lou is sometimes a hard guy to deal with because he's very quiet," Zambrano said. "He's not like (former manager) Dusty Baker. But he's a good man. He talks when he has to talk. He tells you what he has to tell you.

"As a human, he makes mistakes, also. He's a human. That's basically what I have to say about him."