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Cubs hope to even series with Dodgers behind Zambrano

Oct 2, 2008 - 10:05 AM National League Division Series Dodgers lead 1-0

LA Dodgers at Chi Cubs 9:35 p.m. EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- It has been 100 years since the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series.

The wait may continue unless they can dig themselves out of a hole, starting on Thursday when ace Carlos Zambrano takes the hill in Game Two of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The "Loveable Losers" seemed destined to end their long drought this season. Chicago earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs by going a NL-best 97-64 - including a league-best 55-26 here.

However, none of that matters once the postseason begins.

And the Cubs once again, found out the hard way. James Loney made Ryan Dempster pay for his wildness with a grand slam and Derek Lowe threw six solid innings as the Dodgers posted a 7-2 victory in Game One on Wednesday.

Dempster walked the bases loaded in the fifth before Loney deposited a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a 4-2 lead.

"Invariably, when you keep putting people on, they're going to score, and they scored there quickly with that grand slam," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

"I sure put myself in a tough situation," Dempster said.

Russell Martin and Manny Ramirez each homered for Los Angeles, which picked up its first postseason win since 1988 and sent the Cubs to their seventh straight playoff loss. Ramirez's homer was his 25th in the postseason - extending his own record.

Chicago, which has not won the World Series since 1908, faces an uphill battle. The winner of Game One has gone on to win 24 of 28 NLDS matchups.

"Well, it's Game One only," Piniella said. "Let's hope we get better with it. We need to swing the bats, no question."

Piniella turns to his ace in the hole, Zambrano (14-6, 3.91). The fiery righthander was scheduled to throw a few innings in Sunday's regular-season finale as tune up, but did not want to risk anything.

"Pitching Sunday and pitching Thursday, it would be like three days' rest, so we don't need that," Zambrano said. "I think I need myself and this ballclub needs me to be fresh. So that's why I didn't pitch on Sunday."

Zambrano hasn't pitched since September 24, when he allowed five runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-6 win over New York. "Big Z" is 0-1 with a 4.37 ERA in four career postseason starts.

The Dodgers, who won for just the second time in 13 postseason games, send Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14) to the hill. The righthander threw two scoreless innings of relief in a 2-1 win over San Francisco on Monday.