Floyd Helps Cubs Rout His Old Team
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Aramis Ramirez hit a grand slam and Carlos Zambrano pitched eight sharp innings, sending the Chicago Cubs to a 10–1 rout of the Mets last night.
Cliff Floyd had three hits and an RBI in his first start at Shea Stadium since spending the previous four seasons with the Mets, and Chicago handed John Maine his first loss of the year.
Starting at first base because Derrek Lee is out with neck spasms, Daryle Ward hit a two-run double in the first. Michael Barrett doubled twice and drove in two runs, and left fielder Alfonso Soriano threw out a runner at the plate in the second to keep the score 3–0.
Ramirez’s seventh career slam, off Scott Schoeneweis, broke it open in a six-run sixth. Barrett added a run-scoring double and Jacque Jones had an RBI single in Chicago’s largest victory of the season. The Cubs finished with 15 hits.
Zambrano (4–3) allowed six hits, walked three, and struck out three. He threw 116 pitches and has won three of his past four starts.
Shawn Green hit his fifth home run for the Mets, who had won five of six and nine of 12. Carlos Delgado left in the seventh, one inning after he was hit on the left hand by Zambrano’s pitch. X-rays were negative and he is day to day with a bruised pinky.
Maine (5–1) was tagged for seven hits and three walks in five innings, though he allowed only three runs. The NL pitcher of the month for April, Maine entered with a 1.79 ERA.
After consecutive walks in the eighth that pushed Zambrano’s pitch count to 113, manager Lou Piniella visited the mound but left the righthander in the game.
Piniella let Zambrano bat in the ninth, but then pulled him. Scott Eyre finished up on the mound.
Notes: Cubs INF Mike Fontenot, called up from Triple-A Iowa before the game, entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth and doubled off Ambiorix Burgos for his first major league hit. … Floyd got a nice ovation before his first at-bat. He played RF and batted second. … The Mets acquired minor league INF Jake Gautreau from Cleveland for a player to be named or cash. Gautreau was picked 14th overall in the 2001 draft out of Tulane.
