Seems like we can credit the pant legs

ST. LOUIS -- Credit the pant legs being worn high.

That's how it goes with Carlos Zambrano. We're always looking for some odd reason to explain why he pitches well or pitches badly.

Not surprising, is it? Zambrano is an odd guy, a man of erratic emotions and this season erratic performance.

Big Z provided the Cubs with his second big outing Friday night in a 5-3 over St. Louis that just about buried the Cardinals in the National League Central race.

Zambrano was, as Cubs manager Lou Piniella put it, "really, really good" against the Cards. He threw 101 pitches in 8 innings and had batters beating the ball into the ground.

This two-game winning streak Zambrano is on follows a five-game losing streak. Zambrano has yielded 1 run and 6 hits over his last 14 innings.

The quality stretch requires no explanation. As the ace of the Cubs' starting rotation, Zambrano is supposed to pitch like this.

You don't have to ask why Charlize Theron is having a good hair day or why Tiger Woods is sinking birdie putts.

Still, I'll give you a reason Zambrano is pitching better. He started tucking his pant legs into his knee-high socks.

"I think my next start I'll be back (to wearing the pant legs low)," Zambrano said.

No, no, no! Don't do it! Don't mess with success.

"I don't believe in superstition," Zambrano said. "All I believe in is God. I just wanted to try this."

Anyway, now that Big Z is back on track, we can examine why he ever got off it.

You know, like you would have to if Charlize came out with her hair in rollers and roots showing or if Tiger started blowing the ball past the hole and 3-putting …

So it goes with Zambrano. When a pitcher with his stuff, at his age, starts being knocked around by teams like the Astros and Giants, inquiring minds need to know why, why, why.

Not only was Zambrano putting the Cubs' division title hopes in jeopardy during the month of August and right into September, he was threatening the future of democracy worldwide.

At least that's how Cubs fans look at global affairs.

As of this victory over the Cardinals, however, the world is safe again from Big Z's below-average pitching, and it's clear why he turned it around.

It was the switch to wearing his pant legs in his knee-high socks and not wearing blond highlights in his hair.

Piniella's grand design against St. Louis was to get 7 innings out of Zambrano, and Big Z gave him 8.

"One of the good things about this month," Big Z said, "I used to get upset because of a walk or cheap hit. Now I'm OK. I get the next guy. You don't have to be perfect."

Piniella might have let slip the key word concerning Zambrano: Focus. It seems that when the mercurial pitcher has it, he pitches better; when he doesn't, he struggles.

So that's the difference between the August guy and current guy, right?

"I don't know," Piniella said. "I don't think I'm smart enough to know that."

Focus-pocus, folks. It isn't that. It's the pant legs tucked into the socks at knee level.

Apparently, we'll know for sure during Zambrano's next start.