Carlos Zambrano didn’t get the win, but he put the Cubs in a perfect position to win the game in 10th inning.  Big Z tossed 8 scoreless innings, scattering just 3 hits during his outing while striking out 10.  He allowed just 1 walk.  He lowered his ERA from 6.11 to 4.21 and retired the last 13 batters that he faced.  Sean Marshall retired 2 batters in the 9th inning before handing the ball off to closer Carlos Marmol with 1 on.  Marmol recorded the final 4 outs of the game with 2 K’s and picked up the win when Tyler Colvin’s 2-out pinch-hit double scored Geovany Soto all the way from 1st base in the bottom of the 10th.  After Kosuke Fukudome’s walk with 1 out in the 10th, Soto grounded into a fielder’s choice but kept the inning alive by not being doubled-up.  He showed some speed on Colvin’s hit – one of the few times that you’ll see Soto score in that fashion.

The Cubs got back to .500 with the win at 8-8 and trail the Reds by just 1 game in the NL Central.  The Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals and Pirates are all 8-8.  James Russell goes for the Cubs tonight as he looks to rebound from a bad start last week in Houston when he didn’t even make it out of the 2nd inning.