News
Bradley out for Big Z's return in finale
Chicago (26-25) at Atlanta (26-26), 6 p.m. CT
By Guy Curtright / Special to MLB.com
06/04/09 2:00 AM ET
ATLANTA -- His six-game suspension over, the Cubs will have Carlos Zambrano back on the mound Thursday night for the deciding game of their series with the Braves. Milton Bradley, however, won't be available. The outfielder had to leave Tuesday's 12-inning, 6-5 loss after coming up lame running to first base in the fourth inning. An MRI exam on Wednesday confirmed that he had a strained right calf. Cubs manager Lou Piniella said afterward that Bradley won't be available for the series finale against the Braves and indicated that a trip to the 15-day disabled list could be looming. "We're going to see how he feels [Thursday] before we make a decision on what we do," Piniella said. "You know what the problem is?" the manager added. "I don't know if we have people to bring up." This has mostly been a lost season so far for Bradley, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Cubs as a free agent during the winter. The switch-hitter was bothered by a sore left quad during Spring Training and had a right groin strain in April. He has played in 39 games, batting .220 with five homers and 14 RBIs. It has also been a turbulent year for Zambrano, who is 3-2 with a 4.22 ERA in eight starts. After a close play at home plate last week against Pittsburgh, the right-hander had a wild bat-wielding, glove-tossing meltdown and was suspended for six games by Major League Baseball for the demonstration. Instead of starting Tuesday in the series opener, he will work Thursday in the finale against the Braves, needing a win to reach 100 for his career. Asked if the attention on Zambrano in his first start back would create extra pressure, Piniella said, "I don't feel that it should." Piniella also said that he didn't think the time off would bother Zambrano. "He's been getting his regular work," the manager said. "... It's just a couple of more days than normal." Pitching matchupCHC: RHP Carlos Zambrano (3-2, 4.22 ERA)
This will be Zambrano's first start back after serving his six-game suspension. The right-hander was penalized for his antics on May 27, when he argued a close call at home plate, threw a baseball into left field, hurled his glove, then took his frustrations out with a bat on a Gatorade dispenser in the Cubs dugout. As far as pitching goes, he's one win away from No. 100 in his career and needs four K's to tie Bill Hutchinson for sixth on the team's all-time strikeout list. Before he was ejected, Zambrano gave up two runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings against the Pirates. He is 2-2 lifetime against the Braves, including 1-0 at Turner Field. ATL: RHP Jair Jurrjens (5-2, 2.59 ERA)
The right-hander received the run support he had been seeking all season but struggled in the 88-pitch outing against the D-backs in his last time out. Against Arizona, Jurrjens was charged with eight hits and five runs in five innings pitched. He had pitched at least six innings in his four previous starts and seven of his last eight before the outing in Arizona. Tidbits
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Braves' rally for a 6-5 victory in the 12th inning Tuesday night was their biggest against the Cubs in nearly 90 years. The last time that the Braves beat Chicago after trailing by five or more runs in the eighth inning or later was on July 27, 1922. That was at the long-gone Braves Field in Boston, the franchise's first home. ... Only 24 homers have been hit at Turner Field in 25 games -- the lowest rate in the Majors. Four of those home runs came in the series opener vs. the Cubs. ... Chicago is now 2-3 in extra-innings games after winning Wednesday night. Tickets
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• Friday: Cubs (Ryan Dempster, 4-3, 4.48) at Reds (Micah Owings, 3-6, 5.10), 6:10 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Cubs (Sean Marshall, 3-4, 4.73) at Reds (TBD), 6:10 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Cubs (TBD) at Reds (Bronson Arroyo, 7-4, 5.37), 12:10 p.m. CT
Guy Curtright is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
