Fourth straight series win for Cubs
Without any Carlos Zambrano meltdowns, retirements, suspensions or disqualification lists, the Cubs got back to their recent winning ways Sunday in Atlanta.
They overcame 4 errors and a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Braves 6-5, winning the series over the National League wild-card leaders.
In winning for the 11th time in 14 games, the Cubs (53-68) took their fourth straight series for the first time since 2008. Carlos Pena delivered the game-winning blow, a 2-run homer (No. 23) in the seventh inning.
But this was a series that will be remembered for Zambrano’s breakdown Friday in what could well end up being his final start for the Cubs. He has a 125-81 career record with a 3.60 ERA and 1,542 strikeouts.
On Saturday, Zambrano was placed on the disqualified list for 30 days without pay. He’s owed $23.5 million until his contract expires after 2012.
The players association announced Sunday that it will file a grievance on Zambrano’s behalf Monday. The Cubs will call up Casey Coleman to take Zambrano’s turn in the rotation Wednesday in Houston.
“You have to be smarter than that,” Alfonso Soriano told espn.com. “I know he’s a very emotional guy, but you have to calm down your emotions or you’re going to end up doing the wrong thing like he did.”
The Cubs won their second straight game without Zambrano. After some early sloppy play defensively game, they did everything right over the final four innings.
It started with a 4-run rally in the sixth that chased Braves starter Brandon Beachy, who struck out eight in his 5⅓ innings. The Cubs struck out 18 times Sunday, including 4 by Starlin Castro.
After the Braves regained a 5-4 lead in the sixth with their third unearned run, the Cubs took the lead for good on Pena’s home run to right field, scoring Darwin Barney (3 hits).
The Cubs’ bullpen did the rest, with Jeff Samardzija, Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol allowing just 1 baserunner over the final 3 innings to make a winner of John Grabow (3-0).
Barney and Castro turned in back-to-back web gems in the eighth to prevent an Atlanta rally.
Starter Matt Garza (5 innings, 2 earned runs, 5 strikeouts) didn’t last long enough to capitalize on the Cubs finally giving him some run support.
Garza did end Braves second baseman Dan Uggla’s hitting streak at 33 games with a big assist to Barney. After Garza got Uggla to fly out to left (sacrifice fly) and pop out to first in his first 2 at-bats, Barney raced back into right field and dove to rob Uggla of a bloop single in the fifth inning.
Uggla bounced out to short off Samardzija in his final at-bat in the seventh.
It took Zambrano’s latest adventure to overshadow the end of the major’s longest hitting streak.
“What happened recently with his decision, I didn’t take it personally,” Cubs manager Mike Quade told reporters. “I just looked at the impact on the team. I think I had a pretty good understanding of Z, leaving out the fact that I was disappointed with the way it ended the other day.”