Open and shut as Zambrano, Cubs beat Astros 4-2

HOUSTON - Carlos Zambrano put his opening-day jitters behind him.

Zambrano pitched into the seventh inning Monday night to get his first win in an opener in five chances, leading the Cubs to a 4-2 victory over Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros.

"I wasn't thinking that today was Opening Day," Zambrano said. "I was not in a panic, not nervous. I was just in control of myself. I was thinking it was another game, another game of my career, another game for the Chicago Cubs. Just go out there and have fun, perform good."

Zambrano allowed 1 run and 5 hits over 6-plus innings in his first start against Houston since his no-hitter Sept. 14 in Milwaukee. That game was played at Miller Park after Hurricane Ike damaged the Houston area.

Alfonso Soriano hit his 50th career leadoff home run, and Aramis Ramirez also went deep against Oswalt. Mike Fontenot had 3 hits for the Cubs.

Manager Lou Piniella said before the game that the 27-year-old Zambrano would get too nervous and excited on Opening Day in years past. But things were different this time.

"He pitched well, he really did," Piniella said. "The way we drew it up before the ballgame is the way the game played out. It's a good formula. Let's hope it continues to work."

Zambrano struck out six and walked three to break an opening-day winless streak that began April 4, 2005.

"That Zambrano, he's a superstar pitcher," Houston's Miguel Tejada said. "When they get up 2 runs like that it puts a lot of pressure on you against a guy like him."

Kevin Gregg, who beat out Carlos Marmol to earn the closer role in spring training, worked a shaky ninth inning for the save.

Tejada led off with a single and advanced to third on Geoff Blum's hit. Tejada scored on Hunter Pence's sacrifice fly, but Gregg retired the next two batters to end the game.

Marmol walked one during a scoreless eighth inning.

Soriano connected on Oswalt's second pitch and Ramirez made it 2-0 with his second-inning homer to the Crawford Boxes in left field.

"Soriano, basically in that leadoff hole, is instant offense," Piniella said. "When he's swinging the bat, and they're going over the fence, and he's getting doubles instead of singles, then he gives us a big spark.

"When he's focused at home plate, swinging at strikes, he's an offensive machine."

Fontenot led off the fourth with a double off the left-field wall, advanced on Geovany Soto's groundout and scored on Ryan Theriot's sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. Pinch-hitter Micah Hoffpauir had an RBI single in the ninth for to complete the Cubs scoring.

Newcomer Aaron Heilman replaced Zambrano with no outs and runners on first and second in the seventh. Heilman got Hunter Pence to ground into a double play, but Michael Bourn drove in Tejada with an infield single. Neal Cotts then got pinch hitter Jason Michaels to ground out.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=284544">Images from Cubs-Astros game </a></li> </ul> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="m/story/?id=/story/?id=284566">Easy does it for Zambrano <span class="date"> [4/6/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="m/story/?id=284540"><b>BARRY ROZNER:</b> Hendry confident, but there's always worries <span class="date"> [4/6/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>