It usually not a pitcher's first start after returning from an injury that is most revealing. It's the second, after the area of concern has gone throw the recovery process.
Lost in all the celebration over Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter on Sunday night was the fact that Lou Piniella would not have preferred Big Z throw 110 pitches after sitting 12 days due to rotator cuff tendonitis. Zambrano said his arm felt great that night, and just as good the day after. I tend to believe very few things Z says.
So how did Zambrano follow up his no-hitter? By allowing eight earned runs in the first 1 2/3 innings today against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Oops. Five of those runs came off of Adam Kennedy who smacked just his second home run of the season, a grand slam to boot.
The Cubs are going to clinch the division, hopefully tomorrow so I can join in the fun, but I still won't be counting on a 100% Carlos Zambrano.
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