Wounded Warrior: Zambrano’s pride to prove costly? STL @ ATL 1:20 PM

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And if the Road Warrior says it, it must be true..
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MLB Thu, Aug 11, 2005
Wounded Warrior: Zambrano’s pride to prove costly?
Andrew Folkes

Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano calls himself a warrior, but sharp bettors believe that mentality could prove costly to the team’s supporters.

“Potentially, he may be making a start when the best thing to do is to skip a start and rest up,” says Covers Expert Ted Sevransky.

The Cubs righty starts this afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals as a -125 favorite even though back spasms forced him off the mound after three innings in Sunday’s loss to the New York Mets. He’d given up four runs on four hits and three walks by that point in the contest, putting his club in a 4-0 hole. The Cubs went on to lose 6-1 as –137 favorites.

Although Zambrano was visibly agitated during the game, Cubs fans have since questioned his heart and toughness, and suggested that the hurler took himself out of the contest to avoid the embarrassment of what was turning into a disastrous outing.

“I never quit,” Zambrano told the Chicago Sun Times in reaction to the criticism. “Tell that fan I never quit. They have to kill me. That`s not me. I consider myself a warrior, and warriors never quit.”

Zambrano, who spoke to the Times on Tuesday, also stated that he would “definitely make” his next scheduled start on Friday. Manager Dusty Baker had told reporters just a day earlier that his starter’s status was up in the air, leading Sevransky to believe that his return to the rotation may be premature.

”When a team is struggling like the Cubs are right now, they’re much more likely to respond to fan criticism,” he explains. “So, this very well could be a situation where Zambrano’s making a start when he’s just not ready.”

A bullpen session on Tuesday yielded mixed results for Zambrano. The 24-year-old experienced the same tightness in his back at the beginning of the workout, but said that it felt much better once he’d warmed up.

If back problems again force Zambrano off the mound this afternoon, it will further add to the strain on an already overworked bullpen. Three Chicago starters have lasted three innings or less since last Friday and, before Thursday’s tilt with the Cards, only two had lasted longer than 5 1/3.

But if Zambrano is on his game, it’ll be the Cards that are in for a long evening.

“The one thing about Zambrano is that when he’s on, he’s on,” Sevransky points out. “He held a heavy hitting St. Louis Cardinals team to one earned run in a complete game [on July 22] and then shutout the Phillies at home [through eight innings on Aug. 8] in a ballpark that often plays like Coors Field.

“But back injuries are weird. It could be fine once he loosens up, or it could tighten up after one or two innings and they might have to rely on the bullpen again.”

Oddsmakers have set the total at 9 1/2.
 

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I like the Cards here
maxdemo said:
MLB Thu, Aug 11, 2005
Wounded Warrior: Zambrano’s pride to prove costly?
Andrew Folkes

Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano calls himself a warrior, but sharp bettors believe that mentality could prove costly to the team’s supporters.

“Potentially, he may be making a start when the best thing to do is to skip a start and rest up,” says Covers Expert Ted Sevransky.

The Cubs righty starts this afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals as a -125 favorite even though back spasms forced him off the mound after three innings in Sunday’s loss to the New York Mets. He’d given up four runs on four hits and three walks by that point in the contest, putting his club in a 4-0 hole. The Cubs went on to lose 6-1 as –137 favorites.

Although Zambrano was visibly agitated during the game, Cubs fans have since questioned his heart and toughness, and suggested that the hurler took himself out of the contest to avoid the embarrassment of what was turning into a disastrous outing.

“I never quit,” Zambrano told the Chicago Sun Times in reaction to the criticism. “Tell that fan I never quit. They have to kill me. That`s not me. I consider myself a warrior, and warriors never quit.”

Zambrano, who spoke to the Times on Tuesday, also stated that he would “definitely make” his next scheduled start on Friday. Manager Dusty Baker had told reporters just a day earlier that his starter’s status was up in the air, leading Sevransky to believe that his return to the rotation may be premature.

”When a team is struggling like the Cubs are right now, they’re much more likely to respond to fan criticism,” he explains. “So, this very well could be a situation where Zambrano’s making a start when he’s just not ready.”

A bullpen session on Tuesday yielded mixed results for Zambrano. The 24-year-old experienced the same tightness in his back at the beginning of the workout, but said that it felt much better once he’d warmed up.

If back problems again force Zambrano off the mound this afternoon, it will further add to the strain on an already overworked bullpen. Three Chicago starters have lasted three innings or less since last Friday and, before Thursday’s tilt with the Cards, only two had lasted longer than 5 1/3.

But if Zambrano is on his game, it’ll be the Cards that are in for a long evening.

“The one thing about Zambrano is that when he’s on, he’s on,” Sevransky points out. “He held a heavy hitting St. Louis Cardinals team to one earned run in a complete game [on July 22] and then shutout the Phillies at home [through eight innings on Aug. 8] in a ballpark that often plays like Coors Field.

“But back injuries are weird. It could be fine once he loosens up, or it could tighten up after one or two innings and they might have to rely on the bullpen again.”

Oddsmakers have set the total at 9 1/2.
 

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