Chicago @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( Mar 30, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 5, San Francisco 3
The long road to redemption begins on Monday for Carlos Zambrano.
The Chicago Cubs will send their former ace to the mound for his first start since June when they open a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants.
The Cubs’ Opening Day starter and one of the highest-paid pitchers in the game at $17.75 million this season, Zambrano went 1-2 in his first four starts with a 7.45 ERA before being banished to the bullpen by manager Lou Piniella. After 13 relief appearances with mixed success, the right-hander was slotted back into the rotation.
Zambrano turned in his best start on June 20, allowing one run in seven innings to earn a win. But when his next start didn’t go quite as well, the Venezuelan’s legendary temper got the better of him. Zambrano surrendered four runs in the first inning and came back to the dugout upset with himself and managed to get into a screaming match with team good-guy Derrek Lee.
The tantrum was the last straw for the Cubs, who have grown tired of Zambrano’s temper over the years. A team-imposed suspension banished him for over a month as the club tried desperately to unload the pitcher and his bloated contract. But poor perfoormance, a huge multi-year contract and a bad attitude weren't attractive qualities for a trade, and come July 31, a contrite Zambrano was back with the Chicago.
He made three relief appearances as a tuneup and will make his return to the rotation on Monday on a pitch limit of 75-80.
Chicago picked a perfect opponent against which to ease its hefty hurler back in, as Zambrano owns a 5-1 record with a 2.76 ERA in nine outings against the Giants - his second-lowest ERA against any National League opponent.
The Cubs (47-64) could used any good news at all at this point, having been swept by the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend and losers of 10 of 11 overall to fall into fifth place in the NL Central. The lost season could lead to big changes in the offseason as new owner Tom Ricketts attempts to put his stamp on the franchise.
San Francisco is at the other end of the NL hierarcy, currently leading the wild card race and just two games behind the San Diego Padres for first place in the NL West. That success is due in large part to a pitching staff that boasts the second-best team ERA in the league at 3.39.
One of the reasons for that low mark is rookie Madison Bumgarner, 21, who has fit right in on an already strong staff. The left-hander owns a 3.20 ERA but is coming off his worst start of the season last Wednesday, when he allowed four runs in four innings to suffer a loss at the Colorado Rockies.