Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Cubs try to keep momentum going as Padres pay visit

Mon 12th, May 2008

(Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs enter a four-game set with a chip on their shoulders, as they are coming off an impressive sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tonight, the club will welcome the San Diego Padres to town for the series opener at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs opened their 10-game homestand in red-hot fashion, outscoring the Diamondbacks 16-7 over the weekend. In Sunday's 6-4 victory in the series finale, Daryle Ward's two-run pinch-hit double in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Chicago to victory after the start of game was delayed for 58 minutes due to rain.

Reed Johnson hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, winners in four of their last five games overall. Derrek Lee also went deep in the win, while Kosuke Fukudome finished 2-for-4 and scored a run.

Carlos Marmol earned the win as four Chicago relievers combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings. Kerry Wood picked up his seventh save with a scoreless ninth.

Sean Gallagher lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits for the Cubs, who will also host the Pittsburgh Pirates for three games in the Windy City on this homestand.

Carlos Zambrano, whose scheduled start on Sunday was pushed back because of weather conditions, gets the call for Chicago this evening. Zambrano is 5-1 with a 1.80 earned run average in eight starts this season, and 4-0 over his past five trips to the mound.

Zambrano is coming off his best performance of the season, in which he hurled a season-high eight shutout innings of three-hit ball during a 3-0 win at Cincinnati on Tuesday.

The fiery right-hander, who is 3-0 in five home starts in 2008, owns a 4-1 record and a 1.94 ERA in seven career outings versus San Diego.

Taking the hill for the Padres on Monday will be Randy Wolf. Wolf is 2-2 with a 4.14 earned run average in seven starts in 2008, but is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA over his last three starts.

Wolf pitched on Wednesday in a 5-2 loss at Atlanta and was shelled for five runs and eight hits in six frames. The left-hander is 2-5 with a 4.35 ERA in 12 career games against the Cubs.

San Diego just won the last two games of a three-game series from the Colorado Rockies after losing five in a row. It posted a 6-1 triumph in Sunday's series finale, as Khalil Greene belted a two-run home run and Tadahito Iguchi added three hits with a run scored and an RBI.

Scott Hairston had a solo home run and Kevin Kouzmanoff chipped in a pair of hits and an RBI for San Diego. Padres starter Chris Young got the win after he went six innings and allowed only one run on five hits.

The Padres will open a seven-game road trip tonight in Chicago. They went 5-3 against the Cubs last season, with a 3-2 mark at Wrigley Field, and are 12-3 over the previous 15 matchups in this series.

Where the players come to play and STAY.

Sports Information you need to win BIG.

Sports Contests – Think you know the game?

Poker Promotion

Find NC State basketball tickets at TickCo and watch the college basketball season wrap up with Final Four tickets!

Contact Us | Help | Site Map| Sport Links

Sportsbook Directory | Casinos Directory | Poker Room Directory | Racebook Directory | Partners Directory