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Zambrano faces Harang in Opening Day rematch

Aug 14, 2007 - 2:33 PM Cincinnati (50-67) at Chicago Cubs (60-57) 8:05 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Two of the National League's top pitchers go head-to-head when the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds begin a three-game series on Tuesday.

Sitting just 1 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, the Cubs start Carlos Zambrano (14-8, 3.69 ERA).

Zambrano had been one of the hottest pitchers in the majors until his last outing, when the righthander was roughed up for seven runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of an 8-2 loss at the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

Prior to that, the 26-year-old Zambrano had won four of five starts, yielding just three runs in 30 1/3 frames.

Zambrano now will face the Reds' Aaron Harang (11-3, 3.37), who has won six of his last seven decisions.

The aces for the two respective clubs have met twice already this season, with Harang and the Reds getting the better of both meetings.

In an Opening Day showdown on April 2, Zambrano was knocked around for five runs, six hits and five walks in five innings of a 5-1 loss.

Harang, who is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in three starts against the Cubs this season, is coming off a stellar outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing four hits and striking out eight in eight innings of a 1-0 win.

The Cubs have dropped two straight games following a 6-3 loss at the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The Reds are losers in three of their last four games after absorbing a 10-4 setback to the San Diego Padres on Sunday.