• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Cubs-Nationals Preview

Jul 17, 2009 - 4:02 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Chicago (43-43) at Washington (26-61), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Like the Chicago Cubs, Carlos Zambrano is trying to put a disappointing first half to this season behind him.

He'll make his first start after the All-Star break on Friday night as the Cubs continue their four-game road series against the Washington Nationals.

Along with winning only five of his 16 starts, Zambrano (5-4, 3.53 ERA) also made a trip to the disabled list in May with a strained left hamstring and was suspended six games following a tirade during a win over Pittsburgh in May.

While serving that ban, he also missed the team's flight to Atlanta. After winning in his return June 5 at Cincinnati, Zambrano then went 0-2 with a 3.12 ERA over his next six starts as the Cubs gave him 1.8 runs of support in that span.

He snapped that slide in Sunday's 7-3 victory over St. Louis and hit his third home run to help his cause.

"I've been pitching good lately, but I didn't get any run support," Zambrano told his team's official Web site. "Today was different."

The right-hander, who has won at least 13 games in six straight seasons, might not need many runs to beat the Nationals as he is 4-0 with a 1.63 ERA in his last four outings against them.

Zambrano has won consecutive starts only once this year.

After scoring an NL-best 855 runs and hitting .278 during its 97-win campaign en route to a repeat as NL Central champion last season, Chicago entered the All-Star break second to last in the league in runs (355) and batting average (.247), and at the bottom in hitting .218 with runners in scoring position.

The Cubs, however, opened the second half Thursday by posting 10 hits for the first time in 10 games in a 6-2 win in the series opener. Chicago (44-43) broke open a two-run game by scoring three times in the ninth, and finished 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position to move within three games of idle St. Louis in the NL Central.

While his team has struggled, Derrek Lee picked up where he left off with three hits, including his team-leading 18th home run, in the victory. Lee has an NL-best seven homers and 19 RBIs in July.

In Jim Riggleman's first game replacing the fired Manny Acta, Washington (26-62) posted its seventh loss in eight games. The Nationals kicked off a season-high 11-game homestand by allowing three unearned runs while notching only four hits.

"There's really not a whole lot to feel good about," said Riggleman, who also led the Cubs from 1995-99. "But I feel like we're going to turn this thing around."

Scott Olsen was scratched from Friday's start because of back muscle tightness. Rookie right-hander Craig Stammen (2-4, 4.45), originally slated to face the New York Mets on Monday, will face the Cubs for the first time.

Stammen threw a nine-hitter for his first career complete game in Saturday's 13-2 win in Houston.