Zambrano says he's fit, ready

The forecast is for the wind to blow in again Thursday night for Game 2 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field.

But what most Cubs fans want to know is which way Hurricane Carlos will be blowing.

Will it be the focused and determined Carlos Zambrano who no-hit Milwaukee on Sept. 14 at Miller Park showing up to pitch Game 2, or the struggling right-hander that wasn't very good in his final two regular season starts?

Zambrano pronounced his arm and shoulder 100 percent Wednesday.

"I've been playing catch and I've been feeling good," Zambrano said. "Everything is good for me."

Zambrano hasn't pitched since Sept. 24, when he left in the fifth inning against the Mets at Shea Stadium after allowing 5 runs on 3 hits and walking four.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella wanted Zambrano to throw two innings in last Sunday's season finale at Milwaukee, but Zambrano was scratched. Piniella revealed on Wednesday that Zambrano asked not to pitch.

"He didn't want to pitch on Sunday," Piniella said. "He was going to pitch a couple innings, and he thought it was best if he could get a little flat-ground work and get an extra throw day in the bullpen as opposed to pitching the two innings. I let him make the decision."

Zambrano felt the need to defend himself when informed how Piniella said he didn't want to pitch.

"I talked to Lou that day and I said, 'Whatever you want me to do,'" Zambrano said. "I went to the office and I talked to him, spoke to him and I said. 'If you want me to pitch tomorrow, I can pitch, whatever you want.' He said, 'No, if you don't want to pitch, it's OK.'"

Zambrano felt that if he had pitched on Sunday he would have run the risk of not being fresh Thursday.

"I'm the kind of pitcher that when I'm going to the mound and the bullpen, I throw a lot of pitches to be ready," Zambrano said. "So I think I thought that if I pitched on Sunday and pitching Thursday, it would be like three days' rest so we don't need that."

All that matters to Piniella is Zambrano pitching well Thursday.

"Look, we gave him the opportunity to pitch or not to pitch and he chose the fact he wanted a little more rest and a chance to get some work in on the side," Piniella said. "I said we need you to pitch well Thursday. That's what we need. That's how we left it.

"If I insisted that he pitch, yeah, he would have pitched."

Zambrano will be opposed by Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley, a 16-game winner with a 3.14 ERA who was 1-1 against the Cubs this season in two starts.

"He had a little leg issue early, which probably never really went away," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "But once he sort of got going, he's been pretty special."

Zambrano finished 14-6 and wasn't as dominant as some thought he would be aside from that one night in Milwaukee. It was a season interrupted by a shoulder strain and a stint on the disabled list in late June and ending with Piniella making the decision to go with Ryan Dempster in Game 1 of the postseason.

If Zambrano was upset about not getting the ball to open the playoffs he has hid those feelings well.

"This is the playoffs, man," Zambrano said. "I don't care who will be starting the first game or second game. I just want to be there and play for my team and help my team win everything."