The Cubs' rookie catcher has been working on improving his footwork with coach Matt Sinatro, and that, in turn, has helped him throw out potential base stealers.

By learning how to transfer his weight, Soto has been able to get more velocity on his throws -- and they are more accurate. The new footwork gives him a better foundation.

"It feels better to have good mechanics," Soto said Friday. "It's like a pitcher."

Best of all, he can feel a difference.

"Mechanically, if you do everything well, the ball will have more accuracy to second base," Soto said. "It's just how you work with your legs. If you stay open, the upper half will stay open, and if you close up nicely the only way you have to go is straight to second. It's just a matter of having good mechanics so you can throw it right on the money."

Soto enters Saturday's game against the Nationals with 14 RBIs, and he was ranked ninth in the National League with a .352 batting average. But he hasn't peeked at the leaderboard to see his name up there.

"No, not at all," Soto said. "Once in a while, you glance to see where you're at. I've been doing well and working hard with Gerald Perry. I feel great."

Soto and teammate Kosuke Fukudome rank 1-2 in batting average in the National League among rookies. Soto qualifies for the Rookie of the Year Award, and it's hard to imagine that the young catcher's toughest competition could be a 30-year-old outfielder. Fukudome isn't a rookie, experience-wise.

"I don't really consider Fukudome a rookie," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "I didn't consider Ichiro [Suzuki] a rookie when he was in Seattle either. [Fukudome and Suzuki] are good, seasoned, professional baseball players.

"Technically, they are [rookies], but it'd be like sending Alex Rodriguez to play in Japan and having him win Rookie of the Year over there. That's the way I look at it. You enjoy these kids, because they come here and play well, but myself, I don't consider them rookies. I consider them good, professional baseball players."

Pitching matchup
CHC: RHP Carlos Zambrano (3-1, 2.67 ERA)
Zambrano may want to only pitch at home. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA in four starts at Wrigley Field. In his only road game, on April 11 at Philadelphia, he took the loss. Big Z is coming off a win over the Mets on Monday in which he gave up one run on five hits over seven innings while striking out four. Zambrano is showing signs he's maturing. Instead of trying to overpower hitters, he's focusing more on locating his pitches. Zambrano says he learned that lesson from Greg Maddux -- not a bad teacher.

WSH: LHP Matt Chico (0-4, 6.04 ERA)
In his previous start, Chico lasted four innings and gave up six runs on eight hits against the Braves. He walked three batters and struck out none. In his past two starts, Chico has given up 11 runs in nine innings. On Monday, Chico acknowledged he had nothing in the tank. He had a tough time throwing his pitches for strikes. It got so bad in the third inning that he walked Tim Hudson with the bases loaded.

Tidbits
Nationals Park is the fourth Washington D.C. ballpark the Cubs will have played in. They are a combined 53-39-2 in the nation's capital, including a 4-6 record at RFK Stadium, where the Nationals had played. ... Rich Hill will be skipped one turn, and not pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers. Hill is slated to start next Friday in St. Louis. He will, however, be available in the bullpen Wednesday and Thursday. ... Felix Pie is working on strengthening his forearms to help his hitting. ... J.R. Mathes gave up one run on six hits over six innings but did not get a decision in Iowa's 3-2 win over Memphis. Koyie Hill hit an RBI single in the ninth for the game-winner. ... Chad Fox gave up one hit and struck out two in two innings in his second rehab start for Class A Daytona. Fox retired the first five batters he faced before giving up a double. ... The Cubs have announced new game times for two contests. The May 10 game vs. Arizona at Wrigley Field now will start at 2:45 p.m. CT, and the July 12 games vs. San Francisco at Wrigley will start at 12:05 p.m. CT.

Tickets
 Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• CSN Chicago

On radio
• WGN 720

Up next
• Sunday: Cubs (Ted Lilly, 1-3, 7.30) at Nationals (John Lannan, 1-2, 3.42), 12:35 p.m. CT
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Cubs (Jason Marquis, 1-0, 3.47) vs. Brewers (Ben Sheets, 3-0, 0.96), 7:05 p.m. CT