Zambrano Zlammed in Second Spring Start - Cubs 1 Giants
5

post from ChicagoCubsOnline.com on 10 March 2010 08:26:48 PM. © ChicagoCubsOnline.com

Game Six - Cubs 1 Giants 5
WP - Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) LP - Carlos Zambrano (0-1) Save - None

Lou Piniella's crew lost their second game in a row after a bad third inning from Carlos Zambrano on Wednesday afternoon. Zambrano breezed through his first two innings of work. He retired all six of the seven batters he faced on just 14 pitches, 11 for strikes ... then the third inning happened.

Zambrano allowed the first three Giants hitters to reach in the third. Aaron Rowand loaded the bases with a bloop single to right on the ninth pitch of the at bat. Zambrano then hit Eugenio Velez to force in the first run of the game.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Pablo Sandoval hit a 2-0 pitch from Zambrano over the wall in right. Sandoval's grand slam capped the five-run third inning.

The Giants batted around against Zambrano in the third but Z was able to induce a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Juan Uribe to end the inning.

In three innings, Carlos Zambrano allowed five runs on six hits with a walk, a strikeout and a hit a batter.

The Cubs' pen did not allow the Giants to tack on over the final six innings.

The Cubs out-hit the Giants, 9-7, but managed just one run. Aramis Ramirez drove in pinch runner Micah Hoffpauir with a double in the fourth.

With the loss the Cubs slipped to .500 on the spring with three wins and three losses.