Cubs, Zambrano rip Diamondbacks 11-3

[March 19, 2010]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Carlos Zambrano fell a triple shy of the cycle and pitched seven sharp innings, and the Chicago Cubs routed the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-3 on Tuesday night.

Alfonso Soriano and Mike Fontenot also homered for the Cubs, who won for only the second time in seven games.

Zambrano is a career .235 hitter who opened the season 0 for 9. He snapped out of the slump with a single in the third, then added an RBI double off the top of the wall in right-center field in the fifth.

In the seventh, Zambrano hit an 0-2 pitch from Esmerling Vasquez into the first row of the left field stands for his 17th career homer, most by a Cubs pitcher.

The homer brought a roar from the large contingent of Cubs fans in the Chase Field crowd of 30,351.

Zambrano (2-1) waved to acknowledge a standing ovation from fans behind the visiting dugout as he walked off after the seventh, his last inning. Zambrano allowed three runs and eight hits, walking two and striking out three.

The ball was jumping -- for the Cubs, at least -- with Chase Field's roof and panels open on an 85-degree evening in the desert.

Every Cubs starter had a hit by the fourth inning, including catcher Koyie Hill, who had three singles and an RBI subbing for slumping Geovany Soto, the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year.

Soriano homered in consecutive games for the third time this season. He led off Monday night's game with a mammoth homer to the second deck in left. It looked as if he had done it again Tuesday night, but center fielder Chris Young caught Soriano's drive in front of the 413-foot marker in center field.

Soriano left no doubt in the third. With two on, he hit an 0-1 delivery from Yusmeiro Petit (0-2) into the seats in left for his seventh homer, giving the Cubs a 3-0 lead.

One inning later, Fontenot hit an 0-1 pitch into the pool area beyond the wall in right-center to make it 5-1.

Notes: Chicago 3B Aramis Ramirez, who has a strained calf, ran before the game but couldn't accelerate, manager Lou Piniella said. Ramirez will be re-evaluated when the club returns to Chicago on Thursday. "If it's not any better then, we're going to have to weigh all our options," Piniella said. ... Chicago 1B Derrek Lee, who's been out with neck spasms, took batting practice and is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday afternoon. ... Arizona manager Bob Melvin gave C Chris Snyder the night off after he hit his first homer on Monday night. Snyder will be back in the lineup on Wednesday, Melvin said.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW BAGNATO]

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