SB Nation Chicago - Z's Strong Start And Soriano's Homers Lead Cubs To Victory In The Desert, 4-2https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2011-04-30T12:26:42-05:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/19074722011-04-30T12:26:42-05:002011-04-30T12:26:42-05:00Cubs Hit Back-to-Back Homers For First Time This Season
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<p>Despite a few hiccups in the bottom of the first inning for Big Z — a walk followed immediately by a home run to <span>Justin Upton</span> — the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> managed to scratch out a comeback victory against the Dbacks on Friday night.</p>
<p><span>Carlos Zambrano</span> settled down after that home run and pitched a good game the rest of the way, throwing six innings and giving up just those two runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out two.</p>
<p>But the real story was the Cubs offense, which woke up in the fifth inning against Arizona’s <span>Armando Galarraga</span>. Alfonoso Soriano and <span>Geovany Soto</span> hit back-to-back home runs that inning to tie the game, the first such time any two Cubs have hit back-to-back HRs in the 2011 season. Soriano followed that up by leading off the seventh inning with another home run, his ninth so far this season, the most by any Cub in the month of April.</p>
<p>The Cubs added an insurance run in the eighth off of <span>Esmerling Vasquez</span>, and <span>Carlos Marmol</span> managed to notch his sixth save of the season. The Cubs and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> will play the third game of the four game series on Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 P.M., <span class="caps">CDT</span>.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-cubs/2011/4/30/2145349/cubs-hit-back-to-back-homers-for-first-time-this-seasonHilary Lee2011-04-29T17:44:05-05:002011-04-29T17:44:05-05:00Carlos Zambrano Takes On Diamondbacks As Cubs Try To Win Again
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<p>After a year in which the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cubs</a> alternated wins and losses consistently, the recent streak of four losses feels like an eternity. Can the Cubs remember what it's like to win again? <span>Carlos Zambrano</span> will try to help them figure it out on Friday night as he takes the mound against the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</a> at Chase Bank Stadium in Arizona.</p>
<p>Zambrano has had an iffy start to the 2011 season, posting some gems along with one or two absolutely terrible performances. On the season he's 2-1 with a 5.28 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, inflated after he gave up six runs over five innings in his previous start against the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a>. In his career against Arizona, Big Z is 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. He's handled most of the Dbacks well, though Chris Young is 1-for-3 against him with a double.</p>
<p>Taking to the hill for Arizona tonight will be <span>Armando Galarraga</span>. The Cubs last saw Galarraga on April 6th, when he threw seven innings and held them to four runs on five hits. In his career against Chicago, Galarraga is 2-0 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. <span>Kosuke Fukudome</span> was 2-for-3 when the Cubs first saw Galarraga this season, and both <span>Aramis Ramirez</span> and Alfonoso Soriano homered off of him.</p>
<p>First pitch for tonight's game will be at 8:40 P.M., CDT, and the game will be televised on CSN+.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2011/4/29/2334396/carlos-zambrano-takes-on-diamondbacks-as-cubs-try-to-win-againHilary Lee