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Fresh off of winning their third consecutive series, the Chicago Cubs travel south to take on the Atlanta Braves. Carlos Zambrano will be seeking his tenth win of the season in Friday night's opener at Turner Field.
Zambrano, 9-6 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, is coming off two straight wins against the Reds and the Pirates. In his last start, he gave up three runs on six hits and four walks over 6.0 innings pitched, while striking out six. In his career against Atlanta, Big Z is 2-4 with a 5.43 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. Michael Bourn holds a career .320 average against Zambrano.
Pitching for the Braves will be Mike Minor, 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. Minor's last start against the Mets resulted in a no decision. He gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out five, over 5.2 innings pitched. In his career against the Cubs, Minor is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. Starlin Castro is 2-for-3 against Minor with a double.
The weather in Atlanta is forecast to be hot and partly cloudy, with a game time temperature in the mid to upper 80's. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M., CDT, and the game will be televised on CSN and SPSO.