Carlos Zambrano didn’t let the chilly mid-May temperatures affect him on the mound, or at the plate.
Zambrano won his fifth straight decision and had two hits on a 41-degree night, leading the Chicago Cubs past the San Diego Padres 12-3 on Monday night.
“It’s OK for me. I’m from Alaska,” Zambrano said, drawing laughs. “No, it’s tough man, especially for me. I’m from South America, Venezuela. It is not this cold. Not even close.”
Pitching with an extra day’s rest after his start Sunday was scratched because of rainy conditions, Zambrano (6-1) allowed six hits and three runs in seven innings.
“As a starting pitcher,” he said, “don’t worry about the cold factor, just try to hit your spots and try to do the best you can to keep the inning quick.”
Alfonso Soriano homered in a six-run fifth inning, started by Zambrano’s double, as the Cubs won their fourth straight. They added five more runs in the sixth, when Zambrano had a single.
“I think we have a very good lineup, very balanced,” said Soriano, who’s 7-for-14 during the Cubs’ four-game winning streak.
In other NL games, Pittsburgh split a doubleheader with Atlanta, with the Pirates winning the opener 5-0 and the Braves taking the second game 8-1. Elsewhere, it was: Cincinnati 8, Florida 7; Washington 10, New York 4; Milwaukee 8, St. Louis 3; and Houston 7, San Francisco 3.
At Chicago, the Cubs’ first eight batters reached in the fifth on six hits and two walks as San Diego starter Randy Wolf (2-3) didn’t retire a batter.
“In the fifth inning, there is really no way to candy coat it,” Wolf said. “I was bad. I didn’t make the pitches I needed to. They capitalized on it. You get behind and you don’t locate. Those are two recipes for something bad to happen.”
Jody Gerut’s first homer in nearly three years gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, but the Cubs quickly responded.
Pirates 5, Braves 0, 1st game. Braves 8, Pirates 1, 2nd game
Tim Hudson (6-2) limited Pittsburgh to two hits and an unearned run over seven innings and Atlanta halted its seven-game road losing slide with a victory in the nightcap.
In the opener, Freddy Sanchez hit a three-run double and Zach Duke (2-2) pitched six shutout innings as the Pirates won 5-0 for their sixth consecutive win.
With Mark Kotsay and Brian McCann driving in three runs each, Atlanta avoided its first four-game sweep by Pittsburgh since Sept. 1-3, 1978. The Pirates’ winning streak was their longest since they won 10 straight from June 25-July 5, 2004.
Hudson held the Pirates to a lone single over his final six innings, finishing with five strikeouts and two walks. John Van Benschoten (0-2) took the loss.
In the opener, Duke, Damaso Marte and Sean Burnett combined to pitch the shutout. Rookie Jair Jurrjens (4-3) took the loss.
Reds 8, Marlins 7
At Cincinnati, Jeff Keppinger and Brandon Phillips hit two-run homers in the seventh inning, breaking open a tie game and sending right-hander Aaron Harang (2-5) to a long-awaited victory.
The Marlins arrived with a seven-game winning streak and the best record in the major leagues. Things looked good early, when they piled up three solo homers off Harang, including another one by Dan Uggla. Harang hadn’t won since April 10.
Keppinger snapped a 4-all tie with his homer off Taylor Tankersley (0-1).
Nationals 10, Mets 4
At New York, Odalis Perez had three hits and two RBIs and pitched into the seventh for Washington.
On an unusually chilly night with winds gusting to more than 20 mph, Jesus Flores and Lastings Milledge each hit two-run doubles and Washington ended a three-game slide by taking advantage of wildness by Nelson Figueroa (2-3).
Making his 200th career start, Perez (1-3) gave up a season-high 11 hits and four runs, but Washington scored at least four runs in one of his starts for just the second time this year.
Brewers 8, Cardinals 3
At Milwaukee, Ryan Braun hit two homers for the second game in a row for the Brewers, and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina and manager Tony La Russa both were ejected.
Braun followed up Sunday’s two-homer performance by hitting two more off starter Adam Wainwright (3-2).
Brewers starter Dave Bush (1-4) gave up a run and four hits in six innings.
Astros 7, Giants 3
At San Francisco, Hunter Pence hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh, Lance Berkman had a tying two-run homer off Barry Zito and surging Houston won its fourth straight.
Roy Oswalt (4-3) retired the final 14 batters he faced to win his fourth straight decision.
Vinnie Chulk (0-1) gave up Pence’s sac fly in the loss.
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