Zambrano, Cubs knock Padres out of wild-card lead

[September 28, 2010]  SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Carlos Zambrano won his seventh straight decision since rejoining Chicago's rotation, combining with two relievers on a four-hitter, and the Cubs beat San Diego 1-0 on Monday night to knock the Padres out of the NL wild-card lead.

The Padres, who loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth before pinch-hitter Nick Hundley flied out to left, dropped one-half game behind the Atlanta Braves, who beat the Florida Marlins 2-1 in 11 innings.

The Padres fell a game behind idle San Francisco in the NL West race. After three more games against the Cubs, the Padres end the season with three weekend games in San Francisco.

It was only the second time in 11 games dating to last year that the Cubs beat the Padres. The Cubs have won nine of 13 overall.

Zambrano (10-6) outdueled Tim Stauffer, holding San Diego to three hits over seven innings. He struck out five to pass Charlie Root for second place in club history with 1,436. He walked four.

The big right-hander is 7-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 10 starts since returning to the rotation on Aug. 9. Following a June 25 dugout blowup, Zambrano was banished to the restricted list. He underwent anger management therapy, then made three relief appearances before getting his starting job back.

Carlos Marmol pitched an eventful ninth for his 35th save in 40 chances. He struck out the first two batters before Yorvit Torrealba reached on an infield single, sliding headfirst into the bag. Everth Cabrera pinch-ran for Torrealba and stole second before Marmol hit Chase Headley on the right foot. Tony Gwynn Jr. walked to load the bases before Hundley flied out.

Stauffer (5-5) held Chicago to three hits through six innings before Chicago broke through. Alfonso Soriano doubled to left and scored on Blake DeWitt's single to center. DeWitt and Marlon Byrd each had three hits.

The Padres threatened in the seventh, Zambrano's final inning. Matt Stairs drew a leadoff walk and Headley walked with one out. But Zambrano got Gwynn to fly out to center and pinch-hitter Oscar Salazar to foul out.

Stauffer tied his career-high by going seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He struck out five and walked two.

Padres shortstop Miguel Tejada and second baseman David Eckstein made several nice plays, as did Cubs first baseman Xavier Nady.

The Padres had runners on first and second and two outs in the first when Nady fielded Stairs' hard grounder and stepped on the bag to end the threat. Nady made another big play in the second. After Torrealba drew a leadoff walk, Nady leaped to catch Headley's line drive and doubled off Torrealba.

With runners on first and second in the top of the fifth, Eckstein made a diving stop of Kosuke Fukudome's grounder and flipped it to Tejada to force Zambrano at second for the third out.

In the sixth, Starlin Castro's grounder glanced off Stauffer and Tejada barehanded it and threw him out.

NOTES: Padres ace Mat Latos will try to bounce back from a three-game losing streak Tuesday night when he's scheduled to start opposite Ryan Dempster. Latos is 0-3 with 16 runs allowed in 10 1-3 innings in his last three starts after going 9-1 with 17 runs allowed, 16 earned, in 96 1-3 innings over his previous 15 starts from June 10-Sept. 7. ... Padres LF Will Venable was a late scratch with a bad back. Stairs started in his place. ... Stauffer is 2-2 with a 1.91 ERA in his last six starts.

[Associated Press; By BERNIE WILSON]

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