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Zambrano, Halladay square off in Philly

Jun 10, 2011 - 2:42 PM (Sports Network) - Never one to hide his emotions, Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano was rather critical of his club after his most recent outing. He'll get a chance to respond this evening when Chicago tries to win three straight games for the first time this season in the second of four straight contests versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The 30-year-old Zambrano, who has gotten into some dustups with his teammates over his career, has allowed just one earned run in each of his last three starts, but is just 1-0 in that span. He earned a second straight no-decision on Sunday in St. Louis, allowing five hits over seven innings before the Cubs blew a one-run lead late in a 3-2 extra-innings loss.

Zambrano, who is 5-2 with a season-low 3.98 earned run average in 13 starts, didn't mix words after the setback.

"We should know better than this. We're playing like a Triple-A team. This is embarrassing for the team, embarrassing for the owners, embarrassing for the fans," he said.

The right-hander's outburst came during a recent eight-game losing streak, but the Cubs have won two straight for the first time since May 18-19 since ending the slide. Zambrano will try to pitch Chicago to three victories in a row for the first time since late last season and has won four of his last five decisions versus the Phillies.

In nine career outings against Philadelphia, including eight starts, Zambrano is 4-3 with a 3.60 ERA.

Unlike Zambrano's last outing, it was the Cubs who rallied in Thursday's opener. Geovany Soto hit a game-tying solo homer off Phillies closer Ryan Madson in the ninth inning and Tyler Colvin scored the game-winning run in the 11th inning to lift Chicago to a 4-3 win.

Colvin, who had a home run taken away by fan interference right after Soto's blast in the ninth, scored from second base on Darwin Barney's grounder to third that saw Phils first baseman Ryan Howard unable to dig up Placido Polanco's short throw.

"It felt good," Colvin said, who came into the game with no hits in his last 34 at-bats. "I got a couple hits and that was pretty nice. They were timely and I was glad to help my team."

Starting for the first time since fouling a pitch off his knee on Saturday, Jimmy Rollins provided all of Philadelphia's offense with a three-run homer in the second inning, but the Cubs' bullpen shut down the Phillies from there. Neither starter returned to the game following a one hour and 17 minute rain delay with one out in the third frame.

Madson's first blown save in 15 chances this season led to Philadelphia's sixth loss in nine games and cut their edge over Atlanta for first place in the National League East to two games.

"It was a tough spot: 2-0 count, ninth-inning one-run lead," said Madson. "You don't want to walk [Soto], but you don't want to go outside. It wasn't a bad pitch and sometimes he's going hit that."

Philadelphia now turns to stopper Roy Halladay, who takes aim at a major- league leading ninth victory of the season tonight. Halladay halted a four- game slide by the Phillies in his last outing, beating Pittsburgh on Sunday after giving up two runs on six hits over seven innings with six strikeouts.

The right-hander improved to 8-3 with a 2.56 ERA in 13 starts after winning his third straight decision.

Halladay, 34, has lost all three of his career starts versus the Cubs, pitching to a 4.50 ERA in that span. Chicago is one of just three teams Halladay has never beaten in his career in the regular season, along with the San Francisco Giants and his current Phillies club.

Chicago won four of six versus Philadelphia last season, splitting a two-game series at Citizens Bank Park.