The Cubs played their final game in Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday, waving goodbye to a ballpark linked to one of the most disastrous weekends in franchise history.
It was on this field, with the Cubs one win away from going to the 1984 World Series, that they lost three straight to San Diego to blow the National League Championship Series in stunning fashion.
While Thursday’s 9-3 pounding of the Padres was small consolation to Cubs fans with long memories, it gave the Cubs a three-game sweep and left them 1 1 1/42 games behind Houston in the NL Central.
If it is the Cubs’ time, it’s the starting pitchers who have made it all happen.
Carlos Zambrano stifled the Padres through six innings, holding them to one run on seven hits in six innings while earning his fourth straight victory. Zambrano (10-8) struck out eight and walking three.
Over the last 12 games, Cubs starters have posted a 2.09 earned-run average. Mark Prior, Kerry Wood and Zambrano held the Padres to three earned runs in 191 1/43 innings in the sweep, a combined 1.40 ERA.
“Since the beginning of the season we’ve had good pitching,” Zambrano said. “We’re all competitive and we can do more than we did in the first half.”
The Cubs led 1-0 in the third when Sammy Sosa hit his 26th home run, a two-run blast off Kevin Jarvis (4-4). The Cubs built a 7-0 lead entirely on two-out hits.
“Guys are feeling good about themselves,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Guys aren’t nearly as happy now about victories. After a while, you start winning and you sort of expect to win. Right now, we’re expecting to win.”
The Cubs head into Los Angeles for a three-game series that will mark the homecoming for Eric Karros, who spent his entire career as a Dodger before being traded to the Cubs in the Todd Hundley deal.
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Cubs at Dodgers
Season series: First meeting.
Friday: Shawn Estes (7-8, 5.70 ERA)
vs. Andy Ashby (2-9, 5.49).
9:10 p.m., Fox Sports Net, WGN-AM 720
Saturday: Matt Clement (9-9, 3.91)
vs. Wilson Alvarez (1-1, 3.51).
9:10, WGN-Ch. 9, WGN-AM 720
Sunday: Mark Prior (9-5, 2.87)
vs. Kevin Brown (11-5, 2.13).
3:10, Fox Sports Net, WGN-AM 720
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Edited by the Sports staff of RedEye.
