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  Date / Time: 4/7/2008 6:12 AM UTC

  Big Z Pitches Cubs to series Win
  

  CHICAGO -- When Carlos Zambrano is described metaphorically, it's most often as a horse. Maybe a bull.
  
  But after getting force-fed bananas the last few days to help ward off cramping, Zambrano said he feels "like a monkey now."
  
  If so, get this guy a Chiquita deal. Zambrano looked sharp Sunday, throwing seven strong innings in the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Houston Astros in the series finale at Wrigley Field.
  
  Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano both homered, and Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood combined for two scoreless innings to send the Cubs on the road with a 3-3 record.
  
  "I am throwing the ball where I want and using my pitches," Zambrano said."The key is to pound the ball in the zone and go out and throw strikes. Like my pitching coach told me in Spring Training, I need to get the first-pitch strike and that will be the key for me all year long. That's what I did today."
  
  Zambrano isn't lying. He struck out seven with no walks, throwing 105 pitches. It was his first walk-free start in almost a year, since he threw seven innings in an 8-1 win over St. Louis on April 28, 2007. He only walked one in his previous start.
  
  Zambrano had to leave the season opener with two outs in the seventh because of cramping in his right forearm, which was blamed on dehydration and a potassium deficiency. After getting his blood tested, the Cubs put him on a strict hydration and potassium regimen.
  
  "I feel good," he said. "I drank a lot of water and Gatorade. Sometimes I go home and I feel too full -- too much bananas."
  
  Zambrano had a scoreless streak (dating back to last season) snapped at 21 1/3 innings when Darin Erstad hit an RBI single with two outs in the third.
  
  "He's been efficient," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Two starts, he's throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters. He was right on the money."
  
  Soriano broke out of a 1-for-24 start with a leadoff homer in the fifth. He pulled an outside pitch into the basket in left to break a 1-1 tie. In the first inning, Soriano easily nailed Astros leadoff man Michael Bourn at home on a sac fly.
  
  "I think somebody has to see the scouting report," Zambrano said. "Soriano is one of the best at throwing. He proved it last year."
  
  Soriano said he was surprised someone would run on him in that situation, and noted that even when his bat is cold, he can still contribute.
  
  "Sometimes when I'm struggling at the plate, I try and do something for the team with my defense," he said.
  
  Slumping third baseman Aramis Ramirez went 2-for-3 to bump his average to .211. Soriano's 1-for-4 day still leaves him shy of .100 at .077, but, it's a start.
  
  "Let's hope [they get straightened out]," Piniella said. "We need both of them. They hit one and four in our lineup. We need both of them to start swinging the way they're capable of."
  
  No problem in that department for Lee, who continued to blister Astros pitching with a double and the go-ahead home run to left-center off Oscar Villarreal in the seventh.
  
  "Boy, that ball Lee hit, that's as hard a hit ball I've seen here in quite a while," Piniella said.
  
  With the wind moving right to left at 8 mph at the game's start, Lee knew he needed to hit the ball as hard as possible.
  
  "I hit it pretty good," Lee said. "But with the wind, you never know what's going to happen. ... I hate to say it, but you see how much difference the wind makes. When the wind blows out, we score a lot of runs. [When] the wind blows in, it's back to a 3-2 game."
  
  Wood closed the game out with a perfect ninth to earn his third save in as many chances, and second in consecutive days. He struck out Miguel Tejada on a slider to end the game.
  
  "That's the way you like to see it," Piniella said. "Believe me."
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