Cubs 4, Dodgers 2

Role reversal for Cubs

Zambrano grills the media after solid outing lifts Cubs to victory

By Paul Sullivan | Tribune staff reporter

11:02 PM CDT, May 26, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Ernie Banks was dancing in the corner of the visitors clubhouse late Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, celebrating like the Cubs had just won the World Series.

On the other side of it, winning pitcher Carlos Zambrano was lecturing the media, denying his shoulder was hurting and disputing rumors he was about to switch back to his former agent, Scott Boras.

Just another day in the life of the Cubs, the team that never sleeps.

Zambrano pitched 7 2/3 strong innings to lead the Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, looking like the pitcher who was bold enough to predict a Cy Young Award during spring training.

Aramis Ramirez and Mark DeRosa hit back-to-back home runs to give him a 2-0 lead in the second, and Zambrano (5-4) took over from there with eight strikeouts, despite a fastball averaging only 88 to 91 m.p.h.

The emotional right-hander, who turns 26 Friday, turned the tables on reporters in his postgame briefing, going on a three-minute rant that zigzagged into uncharted territory.

"Let me ask the question," Zambrano said, interrupting a question about his outing. "How many wins do I have?"

The answer was five.

"How many wins does the [National League] leader have?" he continued.

The answer was John Smoltz's seven for Atlanta.

"I read something the other day that I may be hurt," Zambrano said. "I don't know why you guys put that in the paper. I'm not hurt. My agent just sent me a text message saying last year by this time I had three wins.

"I feel good, guys. I feel good. I have five wins. They pay me to win. Don't worry about my ERA. … My ERA will come down, and I will pitch much better when I feel more comfortable later in the season.

"I never had a good start. Every year. This year is different. I have five wins. My ERA (5.24) is not that good. But the Cubs pay me to win a ballgame. I try to be a friend of you guys, but don't write stuff that's not true. I'm not hurt. I feel good. I don't feel pain. I'm throwing 90-92 [m.p.h.], but you can pitch in the big leagues with that.

"If you locate your fastball and make your pitches, you're going to be good. OK? Thank you, guys."

In other words, Zambrano believes he has been pitching well, despite starting the afternoon tied for the league lead in home runs allowed, ranking fourth in walks, yielding a .339 average to left-handed hitters and throwing a fastball slower than the 94-95 m.p.h. he posted last year.

"Yeah," he said. "I pitched good in New York, and against the White Sox also. Today I did pitch good too. As the season goes on and on and on, I will fare much better."

Zambrano later denied a rumor he was switching from agent Barry Praver to Boras, the superagent who represented Zambrano at the start of his career until a few years ago. He was seen talking to Boras before Friday's game, and because contract talks with the Cubs have been on hold since Opening Day, the rumors spread like wildfire Saturday.

"I was talking to him because he was nice to me," Zambrano said. "He was nice to me when I used to be with him. After I left him, he has been friendly with me. He's a good guy. I like to talk to him. Every time I talk to him, he gives me a few tips about baseball."

Zambrano had been unusually quiet the last several weeks, refusing to talk except for after his starts. Considered one of the most media-friendly Cubs, he went into a shell after another slow April start, the breakdown in his contract talks and the Internet rumors about his health.

Afterward, Zambrano promised he would be "be back to normal" Sunday. In reality, there is no such thing as "normal" when it comes to the 2007 Cubs.

psullivan@tribune.com

More articles

Copyright © 2008, The Chicago Tribune