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Giants-Cubs Preview

Sep 20, 2010 - 6:16 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

San Francisco (84-66) at Chicago (68-81), 8:05 p.m. EDT

As they try to maintain their slim edge in the NL West race, the San Francisco Giants probably aren't looking forward to facing resurgent Carlos Zambrano or the Chicago Cubs, who are on a season-high six-game win streak.

Fortunately for the Giants, they'll have Matt Cain on the mound.

While Zambrano will attempt to earn a seventh consecutive victory, Cain will try to match a season high with a fourth straight win in Tuesday night's opener of a three-game road set with the Cubs.

San Francisco (84-66) enters Tuesday's play leading San Diego by one-half game and Colorado by 1 1/2 games in its division. Jose Guillen hit a first-inning grand slam as the Giants defeated Milwaukee 9-2 to avoid a three-game home sweep and overtake the Padres.

"Nothing comes easy from this point on," Guillen said. "You have to be smart, go hard and do whatever it takes to win games."

What it might take to win in Chicago is getting to Zambrano (9-6, 3.75 ERA), who is 6-0 with a 1.59 ERA in eight starts since coming back from anger management counseling for a dugout argument June 25.

"Things happen for a reason," Zambrano told the team's website. "I learned a lesson when the (tantrum) happened, and sometimes God puts you in situations for you to learn things. I just want to keep going and do something to help this team."

The right-hander returned to the rotation Aug. 9 in a 4-3 loss in 11 innings at San Francisco, allowing two runs, four hits and a career high-tying seven walks over five innings.

Zambrano has shown better control while winning five consecutive starts, one shy of matching his career high from July 2-30, 2006. He walked three batters in Wednesday's 7-3 victory in St. Louis while giving up two runs and four hits over six innings.

Zambrano is 5-1 with a 2.92 ERA in nine career starts against the Giants but might have to outduel Cain, who is 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in his nine matchups with the Cubs. He did not get a decision in an 8-7 win Aug. 12 against Chicago despite tying a season high with nine strikeouts.

Cain (12-10, 3.08) enters this game after one of his best outings of the season, a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday in which he gave up three hits over seven scoreless innings. He previously earned four straight victories from May 28-June 13.

"It's always fun when you get in a game that's moving along and it's a battle," Cain told the team's website.

While the Cubs will battle Cain, some of their thoughts will likely be with Tyler Colvin. The outfielder had a tube inserted to prevent a collapsed lung after a piece of Welington Castillo's shattered bat punctured his chest during Sunday's 13-3 victory at Florida.

Colvin, who Wednesday became the franchise's fourth rookie to hit 20 homers, was attempting to score from third on Castillo's second-inning double when he was hit near his left shoulder. He's expected to remain in the hospital for a few days for observation.

The Cubs (68-81) also announced catcher Geovany Soto will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. Without Colvin and Soto, they'll try to match their longest win streak since Aug. 23-29, 2008.

The Giants, who play their final nine games against division foes, won three of four at home over the Cubs from Aug. 9-12, but have dropped five of seven at Wrigley.