Report says Soriano shut down, surgery coming
The big news Friday night out of New York wasn't that Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano turned in a solid start in a 6-2 loss to the Mets.
It was that the Cubs have shut down left fielder Alfonso Soriano and that he reportedly is facing surgery sometime later this month on his left knee.
Before the game, manager Lou Piniella told reporters that Soriano could not properly play on the knee, which has bothered him since late April. Things may have come to a head Thursday, when Soriano slipped and fell while trying unsuccessfully to catch a flyball against the White Sox.
After Friday's game, a published report in the Chicago Tribune quoted Soriano as saying he will have arthroscopic surgery on the knee sometime this month. The surgery possibly could finish him for the season.
"The crux of it is, his knee is not strong," Piniella told reporters before the game. "He's having trouble playing on it. There is no timetable. ... This is not a rest."
On his pregame radio show on WGN, Piniella said he called Soriano into his office Friday and talked to him about sitting out.
"His knee is weak," Piniella said on the show.
Sam Fuld replaced Soriano in left field against the Mets, who scored 5 runs against the Cubs bullpen in the bottom of the eighth after the Cubs scored a run in the top of the inning to tie the game at 1-1.
Zambrano had his best outing since late July as he worked 6 innings, giving up 3 hits and 1 run, a homer to Cory Sullivan in the second inning.
The Cubs (67-66) had a tough time against Bobby Parnell, and they didn't score until getting a run off Brian Stokes in the eighth on an RBI single by Jeff Baker. The Cubs went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners stranded.
"We had chances, and we didn't take advantage," Piniella said. "They had chances, and they did. It's gotten beyond the point of frustration. I don't know what you do."
Before the game, the Cubs recalled infielder Bobby Scales from Class AAA Iowa for his third stint with the big club this season. Scales played and hit a pinch single. The Cubs also claimed pitcher Thomas Diamond from Texas and assigned him to Iowa.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker</p> <p class="News">Mets 6, Cubs 2</p> <p class="News"><b>Big Z's back:</b> Starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano turned in his first quality start since July 27 as he worked 6 innings, giving up 3 hits and 1 run, a homer to Cory Sullivan in the second. Zambrano threw 98 pitches, 59 strikes. </p> <p class="News"><b>Wasted quality:</b> The Cubs got their fourth straight quality start, but they're only 2-2 in those games, thanks to poor offensive support. In 81 quality starts this year, the Cubs are 51-30, and the starters' ERA is 2.08.</p> <p class="News"><b>Streak ends:</b> Lefty reliever John Grabow gave up 4 hits and 3 runs and didn't retire a batter in the Mets' 5-run eighth inning. Grabow entered the game having not allowed a run in all 16 of his Cubs appearances, covering 13 innings. Grabow's streak was a record for a reliever to begin a Cubs career. </p>