Carlos Zambrano was ejected for the second time in five starts in the fifth inning of the Cubs 11-9 loss to Cincinnati, once again seeming to lose his cool.
After serving up a home run to Adam Dunn to give the Reds a 6-3 lead with two outs in the fifth, Zambrano plunked Austin Kearns in the side with his next pitch. Plate umpire Tim Welke dispensed with the official warning and immediately gave Zambrano the thumb.
“I don’t think it was intentional,” manager Dusty Baker said. But Baker conceded the “timing looked bad.”
Zambrano said he was surprised he was ejected, though he left without any further histrionics.
“I was wild today,” he said. “I still have the blister on my hand. I was throwing inside today all night long. I was surprised he kicked me out. … I have nothing against Austin Kearns. I like him.”
Despite home runs by Derrek Lee, Jeromy Burnitz, Aramis Ramirez and Jason Dubois, the Cubs’ winning streak was halted at two games.
The Reds set a season high with 11 runs, while tying their season high in hits (15) and amassing eight walks against seven Cubs pitchers.
Lee’s solo homer tied the game in the bottom of the first, but Zambrano fell apart in a four-run second, highlighted by Ken Griffey Jr.’s three-run double.
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W: Weathers (1-0) L: Wuertz (1-1) S: Graves (8).
HR: Cin.-Dunn (6). CUBS-Burnitz (4), Lee (5), Ramirez (4), Dubois (2).
