Streak Halted at 10

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All good things come to an end. The Phillies ten game winning streak was halted with their 10-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Jamie Moyer cruised through the first three innings, but hit a rough patch in the fourth. Moyer loaded the bases and Alfonso Soriano’s RBI single put the Cubs on the board. Jeff Baker followed with a double that drove in three runs. On the play, Shane Victorino threw the ball to second base. Chase Utley was unable to keep the ball in front of him as it scooted towards the first base line. The bases cleared and the Cubs took a 4-0 lead.

An inning later, Milton Bradly’s RBI single extended the Cubs lead by five. Moyer lasted five innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and three walks.

The Phillies had an opportunity for a big inning in the bottom of the fifth, however, Pedro Feliz failed to score on what should have been a sacrifice fly. An inning later, Feliz got it back with a two-run single, which made it a 5-3 game.

The bullpen has been so good over the past ten days, but it faltered today. At one point, the game was 8-5 after Greg Dobbs’ two-run single. However, the ‘pen allowed five runs (3 by Chad Durbin, 2 by Brad Lidge) in the loss.

The offense left 11 men on base and went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The Phils had opportunities to score off Zambrano, who allowed ten hits and walked three. The Phillies scored four runs against him in his 6.2 innings of work, but had a chance for more.

It was a nice streak while it lasted, but it had to end eventually. You can’t win ‘em all.

Call of the Day: Kalas called everything, even the scariest of moments. Cole Hamels was hit on a comebacker, and helped off the field.

Phillies Seek Another Sweep

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Chicago Cubs (47-45) at Philadelphia Phillies (53-38).

Carlos Zambrano (6-4, 3.36) starts vs. Jamie Moyer (9-6, 5.58 ERA).

The Phillies look to sweep the Chicago Cubs and extend their winning streak to 11 consecutive games.

Jamie Moyer is coming off one of his best outings of the season, shuting down the Marlins. Moyer will be playing against the team he debuted with in 1987. In six career starts against the Cubs, he is 3-0 with a 4.19 ERA.

Zambrano has a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts. Not only can he pitch, but he can hit. Since 2005, Zambrano leads all Major League pitchers with 16 HR and 43 RBI.

Zambrano's Almost Done

On Friday night, Carlos Zambrano won his 100th career game. In the same night, he hit his 18th home run of his career.

"After this contract, I'm done. I'm serious. I don't want to play. I want to
help [the Chicago Cubs], I want to do everything possible to win with this team,
but after five years or four years, or whatever I have left on my contract, I
just don't want to play."

Despite his 100-63 record, 3.49 career ERA and .249 batting average, Zambrano doesn't think he'll play in the majors once his contract is done. Zambrano, 28, is in his second year of a five year, $91.5 million contract that ends in 2012 with an option for 2013.

"I want to stay home and see my daughters grow up and hang out with my family
more," he said. "Do you know how many Mother's Days I spend with my mother? Do
you know how many things I've lost in my life?"

"It's good to be here,
it's good to play baseball -- don't get me wrong," Zambrano said. "But five
years, four years, whatever I have left in my contract, I will retire. That's
it."

Wanting to be with his family in understandable, but his emotions on the mound and his competitive nature do not indicate he is losing interest in the game. Perhaps he isn't satisfied with his contract, or the Cubs.

QUOTE SOURCE: MLB Trade Rumors

Call of the Day: It's rare Abraham Nunez and Sal Fasano hit a home run in a game. For both of them hitting a homer in the same game is rare. But hitting them back to back? Sounds impossible, right? Well, it believe it or not, it happened.

"Line drive to deep left! And this ball is outta here!"

"This one might
go back to back, its way outta here! Off the basing of the upper deck, Sal
Fasano. And the Phillies go back to back on young Scott Kazmir. It is now a tie
game at two."

No Hitter

Carlos Zambrano pitched a no hitter yesterday in the Chicago Cubs win over the Houston Astros.

"I'm a little confused right now," Zambrano said. "I still can't
believe
it. It's a great feeling, and it's a feeling that you can't describe. To
throw a no-hitter is good, man. This is one of the few things in baseball
that
you most enjoy."

Because of the hurricane, the game was played at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Miller Park, closer to Chicago than Houston, brought out many Cubs fans to the game. The game was more of a home game for the Cubs, even though they were the away team.

Prior to yesterday, Zambrano did not pitch in 12 days. He missed a couple starts, including one against the Phillies. Zambrano was experiencing a "dead arm" period.

His arm was alive Sunday as it came back from the dead.

"He had everything going," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "From the first few
pitches of the ballgame, you knew his arm was live and the ball was coming out
easy. It had good movement on it. He located for the most part the whole
ballgame, and he used his split-finger and slider to keep the hitters honest. It
was just a great game, and we needed that. He had been struggling. To do this,
it's special. I'm very happy for him."

Zambrano was one batter away from a perfect game. He allowed just one walk. He also struck out 10 batters.

Zambrano's no hitter became the Cub's first no hitter since 1972.

Zambrano's no hitter was the second no hitter in MLB this year. The last was on May 19th when Jon Lester, a cancer survivor, threw a no hitter against the Kansas City Royals.

QUOTE SOURCE: MLB.com