Randy Johnson will try to keep his perfect record against the Cubs intact this afternoon, when the Arizona Diamondbacks wrap up a three- game series at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field.
Johnson, who is 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA in five starts this season, is a perfect 12-0 with a microscopic 1.98 earned run average in 13 career starts against the Cubs. He hasn't faced the Cubs since April 26 of the 2004 campaign, when he hurled seven shutout innings in a 9-0 victory. Johnson allowed just two hits and fanned 10 batters with no walks.
In his most recent outing on Tuesday versus Philadelphia, the left-handed Johnson was reached for four runs in six innings of a 6-4 victory. He improved to 2-0 over his previous three outings.
Chicago will try to stifle Johnson with an ace of its own, as Carlos Zambrano gets the call on Sunday afternoon. Zambrano is 5-1 with a 1.80 earned run average in eight starts this season, and 4-0 over the past five trips to the mound.
Zambrano is coming off his best performance of the season in which hurled a season-high eight shutout innings of three-hit ball during a 3-0 win at Cincinnati on Tuesday.
The fiery right-hander, who is 3-0 in five home starts in 2008, owns just a 1-2 record and a 4.88 ERA in four career starts against Arizona.
On Saturday, Kosuke Fukudome hit a two-run homer and Alfonso Soriano had four hits and an RBI as the Cubs defeated the Diamondbacks, 7-2.
Soriano also scored a pair of runs, while Aramis Ramirez had two hits, including a double and an RBI for the Cubs, who have won two straight and three of their last four.
Ryan Dempster pitched seven solid innings, but earned a no-decision. The veteran righty allowed two runs on three hits, while striking out seven and walking three. Scott Eyre got the victory by tossing a scoreless seventh.
Augie Ojeda finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds accounted for the Arizona runs. The Diamondbacks have dropped two in a row and five of their last seven game.
Max Scherzer went an effective six frames, surrendering an unearned run on five hits. The rookie right-hander, who was making his second career start, struck out six and walked one.
Chad Qualls was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.
