Give another 'A' to 'Z'
Ace becomes majors' first to 14 wins, pulls Cubs half-game back of first
CINCINNATI -- If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to win the National League Central, they might have to pry it out of Carlos Zambrano's right hand.
The Cubs' ace continued his two-month Cy Young charge Sunday in Cincinnati, pitching 7 1/3 shutout innings to beat the Reds 6-0 at Great American Ball Park and become the first 14-game winner in the majors. Zambrano also pulled the Cubs a half-game back of the division-leading Brewers in the process.
The Cubs' ace continued his two-month Cy Young charge Sunday in Cincinnati, pitching 7 1/3 shutout innings to beat the Reds 6-0 at Great American Ball Park and become the first 14-game winner in the majors. Zambrano also pulled the Cubs a half-game back of the division-leading Brewers in the process.
''This is the best stretch I've ever had in my career,'' said Zambrano, who is 9-2 with a 1.41 ERA in his last 11 starts.
(AP)
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Cubs vs. Reds
''This is the best stretch I've ever had in my career,'' said Zambrano, who is 9-2 with a 1.41 ERA in his last 11 starts.
Zambrano (14-7), who had a nine-game winning streak last June and July, gave up a single with two outs in the first inning, then no-hit the Reds until Javy Valentin's pop to center fell in front of Angel Pagan with two outs in the seventh for the only other hit he allowed.
He left after striking out the first batter in the eighth because of a cramp in his right calf, possibly a result of dealing with a blister on the same foot, but afterward said he was fine.
It was Zambrano's second win on a 4-2 road trip that cut three games off the Brewers' lead and put the Cubs the closest they've been to first place all season -- even a game better than Milwaukee in the more important loss column.
''We're in great position,'' said first baseman Derrek Lee, whose two-run homer in the seventh turned a 2-0 game into what amounted to a rout with Zambrano still in the game.
''That was a pretty swift kick between the legs,'' Reds pitcher Matt Belisle (5-8) said of surrendering Lee's homer.
Imagine what the Brewers must feel like.
''We're sitting right there,'' Lee said. ''But it's still July -- a lot of baseball to go. So we just concern ourselves with continuing to play the way we're playing.''
And that would be better than anyone else in baseball over the last 50 games. With Zambrano leading the way, the Cubs are 33-17 in the stretch that coincides with the right-hander's 11-start streak.
''He's in a zone,'' said Lee, who's finding his own zone in the outfield seats after a first-half power drought.
After hitting six homers in his first 84 games, Lee has five in his last nine.
''He's starting to get good extension on his swing,'' manager Lou Piniella said.
Zambrano and the Cubs were going so well that umpire Joe West stole a two-run homer by Alfonso Soriano in the second, and the Reds still were never in the game.
The rotund West didn't move from his position near third base on Soriano's fly to the first row of the seats, over the yellow marker at the top of the wall. So when the ball went off a fan's hands and landed on the field, West was out of position to make the call and sent Soriano back to second with a ground-rule double and Zambrano back to third. The Cubs didn't score in the inning.
''At least we got [the umpires] to huddle,'' said Piniella, who argued, only to get the same answer from the four-man crew.
It didn't matter with Zambrano on the mound. He not only pitched well, but also contributed a fielding assist when he kicked a hard shot off the bat of Ryan Freel in the sixth, with third baseman Aramis Ramirez fielding the carom to get the out.
Zambrano even outhit the Reds while he was in the game, going 3-for-4 to raise his average to .291.
''I always say anytime I can do something for myself out there, it's good,'' Zambrano said. ''Not only pitching -- running, fielding, kicking the ball, whatever.''