6/11 HOU@CHC, 7:05 p.m.; TV: CSN+; Radio: WGN

[VanMan]

The Cubs come off a 4-3 road trip with a make-up of the April 11 snowed-out game as they host the Houston Astros. The Cubs now are 27-34, just six games behind idle Milwaukee in third place, though it could've been better.

http://www.mlb.com/images/players/action/ph_407296.jpg
Carlos Zambrano will toe the rubber for the Cubs tonight. He is 6-5 coming off the big win Wednesday night in Milwaukee, where he went 6 2/3 innings, five hits, two earned runs and three walks while striking out nine.

http://www.mlb.com/images/players/action/ph_124315.jpg
Woody Williams will take the mound for the Astros tonight. His season stats include a 2-8 record, 5.79 ERA in 13 starts. He's pitched 74 2/3 innings, allowed 93 hits and 51 runs, 48 earned, and 13 home runs. He's walked 25 and struck out 36.

The starting line-ups for tonight's game:

Houston Astros (26-36, 4th in NL Central, 7 1/2 GB)
1. Craig Biggio, 2B (.223, 4 HR, 18 RBI)
2. Hunter Pence, CF (.366, 5 HR, 24 RBI)
3. Lance Berkman, RF (.250, 8 HR, 37 RBI)
4. Carlos Lee, LF (.302, 11 HR, 52 RBI)
5. Mark Loretta, 3B (.314, 1 HR, 15 RBI)
6. Mike Lamb, 1B (.265, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
7. Adam Everett, SS (.233, 2 HR, 15 RBI)
8. Brad Ausmus, C (.242, 0 HR, 9 RBI)
9. Woody Williams, P (.143, 1 HR, 2 RBI)

Chicago Cubs (27-34, 3rd in NL Central, 6 GB)
1. Alfonso Soriano, LF (.316, 10 HR, 22 RBI)
2. Felix Pie, CF (.271, 2 HR, 12 RBI)
3. Derek Lee, 1B (.332, 6 HR, 35 RBI)
4. Jacque Jones, RF (.234, 2 HR, 19 RBI)
5. Mark DeRosa, 3B (.269, 6 HR, 31 RBI)
6. Mike Fontenot, 2B (.400, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
7. Ryan Theriot, SS (.273, 1 HR, 19 RBI)
8. Koyie Hill, C (.083, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
9. Carlos Zambrano, P (.296, 1 HR, 3 RBI)

I hadn't seen anything regarding the status of Aramis Ramirez, except that he's not in the line-up tonight.

[VanMan]

I think I heard the PreGame Live guys say Koyie Hill is playing tonight despite a bad back.

[VanMan]

Larry the Cable Guy is going to throw out the first pitch and sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" today, so let's see if the Cubs can Git-R-Done!

[VanMan]

Biggio to lead off for the Astros, who's about 20 hits from the 3,000 plateau. Wind blowing from right center. Biggio hits the first pitch foul. Swing and a miss on a slider, 0-2. Two-seamer up and away, 1-2. Hard slider swung on and missed, one down.

[VanMan]

Pence takes a high fastball for a strike. Fastball comes inside, 1-1. Fastball is cut on and missed, Z went up the ladder, 1-2. Foul ball back to the screen. Sinker just missed, 2-2. Slider missed, full count. Pence fouls one back. Fly ball to right field. Jones twists and turns and makes the catch.

[VanMan]

Len just made an announcement that Ramirez was placed on the 15-day DL.

[VanMan]

On a full-count pitch, Berkman grounds to Fontenot to retire the side. Nothing doing for the Astros. It's time for the Cubs bats to Git-R-Done!

Middle 1st, Astros 0, Cubs coming up

[VanMan]

Soriano fouls off the first pitch to the left side. The ball bounced off the facing and right to Williams. After taking a new ball, Soriano fouls off another one. He pops up the next pitch to shallow center, Everett makes the catch.

[VanMan]

Pie takes the first pitch low. He then pops one up to the right side of the infield, Lamb is there for the out.

[VanMan]

Lee takes a fastball at the knees for a strike. An off-speed pitch also is over for strike two. Change up is low and away, 1-2. Fastball is taken on the inside corner for strike three. Nothing doing for the Cubs, they just couldn't Git-R-Done.

End 1st, Cubs 0, Astros 0

[VanMan]

El Caballo pops the first pitch to the right side out of play. He then flies one to left center, but Pie is there to make the catch. The wind caught that one and blew it back.

[VanMan]

Loretta takes an off-the-body slider for a strike. Fastball misses up and away, 1-1. Loretta fouls one off the screen, 1-2. Fastball hits Loretta. First baserunner of the game comes painfully

[VanMan]

Lamb takes a sinker away. Fastball is up and away, ball two. Lamb fouls one to the screen, it's 2-1. Sinker is swung and missed, 2-2. Lamb fouls one into the stands on the left side. Fastball up and a little inside, full count. Runner went, grounder to Fontenot, over to D-Lee for the out. Loretta makes it to second.

[VanMan]

Everett takes a strike on a slider. Fouled back to the home-plate area stands, 0-2. Fastball on the outside corner, Everett knew it, strike three. No runs, no hit, a hit batter and one left.

Middle 2nd, Cubs 0, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Jones fouls off the first pitch that may have had home run distance. Another one hooks over the Astro bullpen, 0-2. Curveball is foul tipped, strike three.

[VanMan]

DeRosa takes a fastball for a strike. Another one high and away, 1-1. Fastball at the knees, strike two. Slider in the dirt, ball two. DeRosa hits a high fly ball to left, El Caballo makes the catch. Two down.

[VanMan]

Fontenot takes two curves out of the zone, 2-0. Fastball on the outside corner, strike one. Line drive into the gap, El Caballo can't get it, it's off the vines! Fontenot cruises into second with a double.

[VanMan]

Theriot takes a curve for a strike. Fastball is low and in, ball one. Theriot shoots one to right. Quade sends Fontenot. Berkman throws to the plate, not in time! Fontenot cracks the scoreboard for the Cubs, 1-0!

[VanMan]

Hill takes the first pitch low. Curve tapped to Lamb, Williams over to cover the bag to retire the side. But, for the eighth time in the last nine games, the Cubs score first, one run on two hits, one left.

End 2nd, Cubs 1, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Ausmus on a 1-0 count singles to center, and then Williams bunts him over to second.

[VanMan]

Biggio takes a slider away. Fastball down Broadway, 1-1. Time called by Biggio. Fastball is fouled off, 1-2. Breaking ball inside, just missed him, appeal to first is denied, 2-2. Hard slider freezes Biggio for the strikeout. Two down.

[VanMan]

Slider to Pence is off the plate, ball one. Fastball is fouled into and out of Barrett's mitt, 1-1. Fastball swung and missed, strike two. High fastball is fouled back. Slider misses away and low, 2-2. Another slider misses, full count. Fastball fouled off the umpire, time to let him recover taken. Fastball swung and missed, 97 mph, strike three. No runs, a hit, one left. Z will lead off the bottom of the third.

Middle 3rd, Cubs 1, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Z takes a sinker low, batting left handed. He fouls one off to the right. He flies one to left field, but El Caballo just watches that one fly like a laser beam into the left-field stands for a home run! Cubs up 2-0 on Z's 12th career homer.

[VanMan]

Soriano takes the first pitch low and in. He then pops to shallow center, Everett makes the catch.

[VanMan]

Pie takes a sinker low. Fastball misses low and away. Another fastball misses low, 3-0. Fastball misses away, Pie takes a four-pitch walk.

[VanMan]

Lee takes a sinker low. He smashes one foul past third, 1-1. Williams throws to first to check on Pie. D-Lee fouls one past first, 1-2. He swings and misses one off the outside corner for the second out.

[VanMan]

Jones takes a curve away. He swings and misses a curve, 1-1. Fastball in tight, 2-1. Another tight fastball, 3-1. Pie goes, pitch is a strike, throw to second was in time, but short-hops Everett, Pie is in there. Next pitch flies to left-center, but El Caballo is there to make the catch to retire the side. The Cubs tack on one more run on the Zambrano homer, a walk and one left.

End 3rd, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

AFLAC question:

40 years ago today, which Cub hit 4 HRs in a double-header sweep?

[VanMan]

Berkman takes the first two out of the zone. He grounds to Fontenot, over to D-Lee for the out.

[VanMan]

El Caballo takes a fastball at the knees. Slider misses away, 1-1. Spinning slider is fouled off, 1-2. Fastball misses, 2-2. El Caballo takes a big cut, but misses for Z's fifth K.

[VanMan]

Loretta takes one away, then chops one foul back. Cutter catches the outside edge, 1-2. Foul ball to the right. Sinker is swung and missed. Z's in a zone so far, 6 Ks, as he sits the Astros down in order.

Middle 4th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

DeRosa grounded out on the first pitch to Everett.

[VanMan]

Fontenot strikes out swinging on a 1-2 pitch.

[VanMan]

Theriot takes the first pitch high and in, then the next two catch the zone, 1-2. Two-seamer misses upstairs. Sinker in the dirt, 3-2. Grounder to Everett to retire the side. Nothing doing for the Cubs.

End 4th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Lamb takes a cutter up and away. He then flies one foul to the left out of play. Fastball away, 2-1. He fouled one back. Another pop foul, out of play, it's still 2-2. Lamb fouls a cutter back. Ground ball to Theriot, over to D-Lee for the out.

[VanMan]

Everett takes a slider for a strike. Hard slider misses away, 1-1. Cutter is fouled into the Astro bullpen; D-Lee tries for it, but can't make the catch while avoiding all the stuff there. Another foul ball back. Slider misses low and away. Fastball misses away, full count. Fly ball to center, Pie there for the out.

[VanMan]

Ausmus takes a strike on the outer half. Sinker is low. Slider misses away, 2-1. Cutter catches the inside corner, 2-2. Another misses away, full count. One hopper to Fontenot, catches it off his body, over to D-Lee for the out. Nothing doing again for the Astros.

Middle 5th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

On a 1-1 count, Hill grounds to Biggio, who bobbles, but has enough time to make the out to Lamb.

[VanMan]

Z fouls the first pitch. He fouls the next pitch into the left-field side seats. Fastball catches the low-inside corner for a called strike three.

[VanMan]

Soriano takes a fastball low and in, strike one. Sinker low, 1-1. Fastball inside, 2-1. He drives one to center, Pence is there for the out. Another 1-2-3 inning.

End 5th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

The Astros go down on order in the top of the sixth while my IE was crashing.

Middle 6th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Pie leads off the Cub 6th with a fly to center. D-Lee walks.

[VanMan]

Jones smashes the first pitch foul into the Astro pen. Williams checks on D-Lee. Jones fouls one off, 0-2. Curve is off the plate, 1-2. Line drive is caught by Lamb, Jones doesn't even get a chance to leave the box, and Lamb is immediately able to sprawl back to the bag to double off Lee. Talk about a bad break!

End 6th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Berkman checks his swing on a high fastball, held up, and then takes one low and away. Z pumps over a fastball, 2-1. Awkward swing on a yakker, strike two. Sinker is low and away, full count. Smashed up the middle for a single.

[VanMan]

El Caballo talks with the ump about something in the batter's eye, and then takes a cutter inside. He grounds one to Theriot, flip to Fontenot, over to Lee for the double play.

[VanMan]

Foul ball by Loretta, then flied to right field. Now, it's time to sing with Larry the Cable Guy! Git-R-Done!

Middle 7th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Fontenot takes one for a ball, then flies one to center, Pence catches it for the out.

[VanMan]

Theriot swings and misses a change up. Curve is driven to right past Biggio for a single.

[VanMan]

I think I screwed up. I don't have my gameday in front of me. I guess it was DeRosa flying out, Fontenot singling, and then Theriot grounds to the pitcher, who starts the double play to retire the side. They have to carry over Larry the Cable Guy into the 8th.

End 7th, Cubs 2, Astros 0

[VanMan]

Lamb takes the first two away. Another curve is up and away, 3-0. Another one misses, and Lamb walks on four pitches.

[VanMan]

Luke Scott pinch hits for Everett. He swings and misses at a cutter away. Liner to center, Pie dives, he gets... no! He dropped it! Two on and no one out.

[VanMan]

Ausmus takes a cutter for a strike. Delay for a pinch runner, Morgan Ensberg comes in for Scott. Bunt attempt by Ausmus, ball hits him, foul, 0-2. Fouled off to the right. Ausmus steps out. High bouncer to DeRosa, over to Fontenot for one, the relay to Lee is late and gets away. Lamb scores to make it 2-1. Fielder's choice and an error to allow the run to score.

[VanMan]

Off-speed pitch to Orlando Palmero, pinch hitting for Williams, is low and away. Another one is high and away, 2-0. Cutter catches the corner, 2-1. Strike two on a sinker. The 2-2 is smacked foul to the right, we'll do it again. Cutter catches the outside corner for strike three, and Z hops in ecstasy!

[VanMan]

Biggio takes a fastball high. The 125th pitch of the night by Z is pulled well foul. Slider in the dirt, blocked by Hill, 2-1. Another slider, low and away, 3-1. Z is laboring. Fly ball deep to left, in the well, Soriano has enough room to make the catch. That might do it for Z. One run, one hit, one error, one walk and one left.

Middle 8th, Cubs 2, Astros 1

[VanMan]

Ensberg remains in the game to play third, Loretta moves over to short, Dan Wheeler is on to pitch.

Hill takes the first pitch for a strike. Next pitch is low and in, Pagan on deck to hit for Z. Hill flies to left, El Caballo bangs into the side padding in foul ground to make the catch.

[VanMan]

Pagan takes a fastball inside. Dempster getting ready for the 9th. Fastball at the knees for a strike. Pagan fouls one off to the left, 1-2. Fly to center, Pence with the catch, two away.

[VanMan]

CSN showed Zambrano and Barrett hugging after Z's outing.

Soriano takes a floating slider up and in. Busted bat, floater to right-center, Berkman comes in and takes one off the shoetops to retire the side.

Here we go again, fasten those seatbelts for the 9th inning. Here comes Dempster!

End 8th, Cubs 2, Astros 1

[VanMan]

Pence will start the 9th. Fastball is inside, ball one. Fly ball to right-center, Pie is there for the catch, one away.

[ARamfan]

Here we go again, fasten those seatbelts for the 9th inning. Here comes Dempster!

End 8th, Cubs 2, Astros 1

You're right, Eric. Time to buckle up!

[VanMan]

Berkman takes a fastball up and away, ball one. He fouls one back, 1-1. Another one drifts away, 2-1. Two-seamer is over for strike two. Fastball high, full count. Berkman walks on a high-tight fastball.

[VanMan]

El Caballo has grounded in a DP earlier, and on the first pitch, he grounds to Theriot. He takes it to second himself, over to D-Lee to end the game! Cubs win! Cubs win!

Final score, Cubs 2, Astros 1

W - Zambrano (7-5)
L - Williams (2-9)
S - Dempster (13)

[VanMan]

Gail Sayers talking with the LSU DP combo. Nice to see Z go 8 strong and striking out 8 with only one walk. We needed that tonight after the pen had to go 7 1/3 last night after Lilly got tossed.