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Cubs-Rangers Preview

May 23, 2010 - 4:47 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Chicago (19-24) at Texas (25-18), 2:05 p.m. EDT

It's safe to say that Carlos Silva's return to the National League has been successful so far. The Chicago Cubs starter hopes that remains the case after he faces an AL opponent for the first time this season.

Having already matched the best start in his career, Silva will attempt to start 6-0 for the first time Sunday in the finale of a three-game road series with the Texas Rangers.

Not much was expected from Silva after he was 5-18 with a 6.81 ERA during two injury-plagued seasons in Seattle, but the Mariners made a deal Dec. 18 with the Cubs, who were looking to ship temperamental slugger Milton Bradley.

While Bradley has had a rocky stint with Seattle so far, Silva (5-0, 3.35 ERA) has proved the most reliable starter this season for Chicago (20-24). He won his third straight outing Tuesday night, allowing two runs over six innings against visiting Colorado.

"One thing I've been doing this year is trying to be myself," he told the Cubs' official website. "I am a pitcher who has a lot of emotion. I just let it go, be myself. ... I was surprised by the last two years (in Seattle) and how bad I was doing."

Among NL pitchers, Silva's 6-0 start has been matched only by two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. The New York Yankees' Phil Hughes was denied a 6-0 record Saturday.

"He's been a pleasant surprise, super-consistent each time out," infielder Ryan Theriot said. "I'd hate to think where we'd be without him."

Silva, who played his first two major league seasons in Philadelphia, was 52-63 with a 4.88 ERA in six years with Minnesota and Seattle. He went 4-4 with a 5.20 ERA in 13 starts against the Rangers (25-19) during that stretch. He last faced Texas in 2008, going 1-0 with a 6.64 ERA in four matchups.

This time, Silva will face a Texas team that has a considerable lead in the AL West. The Rangers will try to bounce back from the end of a season-high five-game win streak. A 5-4 defeat in 10 innings Saturday night was also the Rangers' first loss in eight home games and third since April 26.

The Cubs sent up three straight left-handed pinch hitters against right-hander Darren O'Day and all three came through with hits to open the pivotal frame.

"I brought in the best guy I had, and they got us," manager Ron Washington told the Rangers' website. "They threw three left-handers in a row at me and they all came through. You usually don't see that: three guys and they all delivered."

C.J. Wilson (3-1, 2.55) will try to help Texas bounce back by rebounding from his worst outing of the season. The right-hander had an AL-best 1.48 ERA through his first seven starts before giving up seven runs in 4 1-3 innings of Tuesday night's 8-7 comeback win against the Los Angeles Angels.

Wilson has never started against the Cubs but pitched two innings of scoreless relief in a 7-3 home win on June 20, 2007.

He'll try to prevent Chicago from winning its first interleague road series since taking two of three against Toronto on June 13-15, 2008. The Cubs have dropped 12 of 14 in AL stadiums since that series.