Game One Hundred Thirty-Two: Cubs (55-76) vs. Pirates (43-87)
Game Time - 7:05pm CDT
Coverage - Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 186
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Carlos Zambrano (5-6, 4.64/1.68) vs. Paul Maholm (7-12, 4.82/1.55)
Mike Quade will manage his first game at Wrigley tonight as the skipper of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs open a nine-game, 10-day homestand with the first of three against the Pirates.
After posting a 4-2 record over the first four games under Quade, the Cubs will try to beat the Mighty Pittsburgh Pirates tonight. The Pirates have owned the Cubs this season to the tune of a 9-3 record. The Pirates enter play with a 43-87 mark on the year, take away their dominance over the Cubs, and the Bucs are just 34-84 against the rest of the league ... 40 games under .500.
The Cubs will honor Andre Dawson in pre-game ceremonies. There was talk the Cubs might retire the Hawk's number, but when he was enshrined as a Montreal Expo, those rumors went away.
Tonight it all starts with Carlos Zambrano ...
Carlos Zambrano is coming off his longest outing of the season ... as well as one of his most efficient. Zambrano held the Nationals to one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings. Z struck out eight and walked only one. The eight K's was his most since returning to the rotation and his second highest total of the season ... April 10 against the Reds and April 20 against the Mets, Zambrano struck out nine. While Z's velocity was still below his norm, Zambrano showed he is learning how to be a pitcher in his last outing.
Zambrano is 2-0 in his last four starts, six games, with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP.
Tonight will be Z's first start of the season against the Mighty Pirates. He is 0-1 in two relief appearances versus the Bucs with a 13.50 ERA and a 2.50 WHIP.
Z is 11-8 in 29 career games, 25 starts, against the Pirates with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.
Pirates Career Numbers against Carlos Zambrano
- Ronny Cedeno - 2-for-4
- Ryan Doumit - 8-for-17 with 3 doubles and 4 walks
- Garrett Jones - 2-for-6 with a home run and a walk
- Andy LaRoche - 1-for-10 with a double and a walk
- Andrew McCutchen - 4-for-6 with a double, a triple and 2 walks
- Lastings Milledge - 3-for-7
- Neil Walker - 1-for-3
- Delwyn Young - 0-for-10 with a walk
Paul Maholm has won seven games this season ... and three of those have come at the Cubs' expense. Maholm dominated Lou's crew to the tune of a 3-0 record with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
Maholm is a mediocre, at best, pitcher against the rest of the league ... and simply has not fulfilled his potential. He received a no decision in his last outing against the Redbirds (two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings) and has not posted a win since August 3.
Maholm is 1-3 in his last five starts with a 6.18 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP.
Paul Maholm is 7-1 in 12 career starts against the Cubs with a 5.70 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP ... at Wrigley, 5-1 in eight starts with a 6.20 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP.
Cubs Career Numbers against Paul Maholm
- Jeff Baker - 4-for-8 with 2 doubles
- Marlon Byrd - 1-for-9 with a walk
- Starlin Castro - 2-for-5 with a double
- Tyler Colvin - 0-for-4
- Blake DeWitt - 1-for-2 with a walk
- Kosuke Fukudome - 0-for-4
- Micah Hoffpauir - 0-for-2
- Xavier Nady - 2-for-10 with a double and 2 walks
- Aramis Ramirez - 10-for-29 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs and a walk
- Alfonso Soriano - 7-for-27 with a double, 4 home runs and 3 walks
- Geovany Soto - 6-for-15 with a double, a home run and 2 walks
- Carlos Zambrano - 1-for-3
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