Carlos Zambrano threw a gem last night in Houston. With full steam ahead he pitched 8 scoreless innings and with Will Ohman, combined for a one-hit shutout. Chicago can gain some ground in the Central if they can take the series against the Astros and Reds this week (or just get back-to-back sweeps). With an 8-0 win, it seems like the offense is finally getting settled.
The starting lineup hit 3 homeruns, off the bats of Michael Barrett, Jacque Jones, and guess who? That's right Carlos Zambrano, who also drove in 4 runs and racked up 8 strikeouts. Is this guy unbelievable or what? His 4-3 record doesn't show his value to the club or really reflect his overall performance thus far in the season. Both Todd Walker and Ronnie Cedeno had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. Pierre even showed signs of breaking out a slump, going 2-for-4 including a walk.
The road ahead in the coming weeks may be rough for the Cubs, but they should have an advantage since they will be playing at home. The problem is they're scheduled to play the Astros again next week then have the Tigers and Indians in town for interleague play. They need to hang on until then while Mark Prior finishes his rehab stint with Class A Peroria. If all goes well he should rejoin the team before end of June.
Today Kerry Wood (4.50) will start against the Astros, gunning for his second win squaring off with Wandy Rodriguez (6-3 4.81). Control and endurance may be concerns for Wood. If his fastball is on point with high velocity the Astros won't have much luck. Keep the ball rolling Kerry, let's maintain this streak. The Cub offense should be sufficient tonight.
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