Cubs win fourth straight as Gorzelanny stymies Phillies
Tom Gorzelanny doesn't want to make this easy.
One night after Carlos Silva stated his case to stay in the Cubs' rotation with his fifth straight victory, Gorzelanny staked his renewed claim Wednesday in a 4-1 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
It was the Cubs' fourth straight win as a team, tying their season high and improving their record to 19-22.
"Good pitching," Cubs manager Lou Piniella told reporters. "We've been pitching well. Good pitching is how teams streak."
Gorzelanny worked 6⅔ scoreless innings, giving up 3 hits and improving to 2-4.
He was knocked out of the game, literally, in the seventh inning when a comeback liner off the bat of Carlos Ruiz caught him on the ring finger of his pitching hand.
Gorzelanny recovered to make the play but had to leave the game. The Cubs said X-rays of Gorzelanny's left ring finger proved negative.
"I should have caught it," Gorzelanny said. "I didn't want to come out, but I couldn't feel my finger. We'll get some treatment tomorrow and go from there."
With Carlos Zambrano coming back to the rotation from the bullpen soon, someone will have to give up a spot. All five of the Cubs' pitchers in the rotation have performed well, so the decision will be a tough one. Zambrano will throw a simulated game Monday as he gets "stretched out" to start again.
The Cubs scored a run off 47-year-old lefty Jamie Moyer in the third on an RBI single by Starlin Castro.
The lead went to 2-0 in the seventh, when Alfonso Soriano doubled with two outs and Jeff Baker singled him home.
The bullpen survived a couple of shaky moments. John Grabow finished the seventh for Gorzelanny by striking out pinch hitter Ben Francisco. However, Grabow allowed a run on 2 hits in the eighth and had to be bailed out by Zambrano, who retired the only batter he faced.
Closer Carlos Marmol couldn't find the strike zone in the ninth, walking Raul Ibanez and hitting Ruiz with one out.
Marmol finally recovered and struck out Ross Gload and Shane Victorino to earn his seventh save.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p>
<p class="News"><b>Making it count:</b> Tom Gorzelanny turned in the Cubs' fourth straight quality starts, and the team has won all four. Gorzelanny worked 62/3 scoreless innings, giving up 3 hits. The Cubs are 14-13 in quality-start games, with the starters having a 2.28 ERA in those games.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Castro watch:</b> Shortstop Starlin Castro had 2 singles and an RBI. He also went to the hole and retired Jayson Werth with a strong throw in the eighth. Castro has reached base via hit, walk or error in all 12 games he's played, hitting safely in 10.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Didn't need that:</b> The Cubs had to warm up Sean Marshall in the ninth inning when Carlos Marmol got into trouble even though Marshall had worked three games in a row and four out of five. </p>