The Chicago Cubs achieved the best record in the National League and appeared to be the favorite to reach the World Series. The team is looking to end a World Series drought that spans 100 years. The pressure is on the Cubs to perform and to win.
The pressure mounted last night as Ryan Dempster's 1-2 pitch to James Loney sailed over the fence in the fifth inning for a grand slam The Los Angeles Dodgers stole home field advantage last night with a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Tonight, Carlos Zambrano (BIGZ) takes the mound tonight in a must-win game for Chicago, which can ill-afford to fall behind 2-0 in a best of 5 series against the Dodgers.
BIGZ has been shaky after the All-Star break, posting a 4-3 record in 12 starts, allowing 44 earned runs in 68.1 innings (5.80 ERA). Chicago is going to need something much better from BIGZ tonight. Zambrano has not faced the "New and Improved" Dodgers, a team that went 17-8 in September. Earlier in the year, Zambrano went 0-1 in two starts against the Dodgers, allowing 8 runs in 14.2 innings (4.91 ERA).
BIGZ is also a much better pitcher at home and at night which should favor him. However, his second half performance, the dominating fashion in which the Dodgers closed the season and the pressure of this game might be too much to overcome.
The demand for BIGZ was high yesterday as traders took a chance that Zambrano would have a chance to all but shut the door on the Dodgers. BIGZ closed yesterday with a total value of $921.20. With Chicago's loss last night, it'll be interesting to see how the market treats him today and tomorrow.
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