San Francisco @ Chicago preview
Wrigley Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 12, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 7, San Francisco 8
A few months ago, seeing Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs on the schedule would have been a welcome sight. Things are quite different these days.
Zambrano and the Cubs look to extend winning streaks on Tuesday when they host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.
Once the ace of Chicago's staff, Zambrano has had a roller-coaster season this year, bouncing back and forth between the starting rotation and bullpen with a stint in anger management counseling sprinkled in.
The volatile right-hander has shown signs of returning to top form since rejoining the rotation on Aug. 9, going 6-0 with a 1.59 ERA in eight starts. On Wednesday, he limited the St. Louis Cardinals to two runs - one earned - and four hits over six innings in a 7-3 victory.
Zambrano will be trying to match his career high by winning a sixth consecutive start. He originally accomplished the feat from July 2-30, 2006.
In 10 career games - one relief appearance - against San Francisco, Zambrano is 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA. The 29-year-old yielded two runs and four hits in five innings on Aug. 9 but did not figure in the decision of a 4-3 loss at AT&T Park.
Zambrano is 9-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 18 starts this year, including a 3-1 record and 2.23 ERA in six outings at home.
While Zambrano is seeking a seventh consecutive victory, the Cubs also are trying for their seventh straight win and ninth in 10 games. Chicago completed an 8-1 road trip on Sunday as Welington Castillo went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs and Jeff Baker collected four hits and drove in two runs in a 13-3 triumph at the Florida Marlins.
The Cubs improved to 17-7 under interim manager Mike Quade but lost outfielder Tyler Colvin for the rest of the season when a piece of Castillo's shattered bat poked the rookie in the chest as he was running from third base to home plate. Colvin is in stable condition in a Miami hospital and under observation to guard against a collapsed lung.
Chicago, which has lost three of its last four home games, also found out it will be without Geovany Soto for the remainder of the year as the catcher underwent shoulder surgery on Monday.
The Giants will attempt to cool down Zambrano and the Cubs while also maintaining their slim lead in the NL West. San Francisco, which is coming off a 3-3 homestand, is one-half game ahead of the San Diego Padres and 1 1/2 games in front of the Colorado Rockies.
On Sunday, the Giants cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers behind Jose Guillen, who collected six RBIs with a grand slam and a two-run single, and a solid six-inning performance by Barry Zito.
Winners of seven of their last nine road contests, the Giants send Matt Cain to the mound. The right-hander has pitched well in the second half, going 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 12 outings since the All-Star break and winning each of his last three decisions.
On Wednesday, Cain scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cain owns a 5-2 record and 2.61 ERA in nine career starts against the Cubs. The 25-year-old settled for a no-decision on Aug. 12 after allowing three runs and eight hits in six innings of an 8-7 victory over Chicago.
On the road this year, Cain is just 4-7 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 outings.
San Francisco has struggled offensively of late, scoring two runs or less in seven of its last 11 games.