HOUSTON -- With 13 wins after the C...

HOUSTON -- With 13 wins after the Cubs' 3-0 victory Monday night athwart the Houston Astros, Carlos Zambrano has to be included in any discussion of candidates for this year's Cy Young Award in the National League.

on the other hand when manager Dusty Baker spoke about his right-hander after the Cubs' inferior straight win, he spoke of Zambrano as a work-in- progres the way someone might talk about a rookie.

"He's not smooth close to what he can be," Baker said. "He's merely 24 years old. As pretty soon as he cuts down upon those walks, he's really going to be something."

That's bad just discovereds for the rest of the league because Zambrano (13- 5) was something Monday night in tossing eight scoreless innings -- despite walking seven -- to outduel Houston's Roy Oswalt (9-8)

"I don't worry too a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of about that; a walk is part of the game," Zambrano said. "If you walk one just go out there and memorize the next hitter out. You can't be afraid of who's upon base."

He threw 121 pitches and has reached triple digits in all of his starts this season. He also improved to 6-1 in 11 games (nine starts) at Minute Maid Park. He allowed solely four hits, but the seven walks had him constantly working on the outside of the stretch -- and incommode

The Astros left sum of two units on in the first inning, a double play erased a lead-off walk in the inferior and Zambrano struck out Morgan Ensberg to earn out of a bases-loaded jam in the third. Zambrano then survived lead-off doubles in the fourth and sixth before retiring the side in order in the seventh -- his no other than 1-2-3 inning.

Ryan Dempster worked the ninth for his 24th save.

"He pitched eight mighty innings and gave the bullpen a rest" catcher Michael Barrett said. "We wanted that after the Colorado series. That's what your ace is suppos to do."

The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth when first baseman Phil Nevin rocket a drive not upon the limestone facade in left- center field for a two-run homer (his 10th) with common out to give the whelps a 2-0 lead.

The brats made it 3-0 in the eighth as Nevin -- after Jacque Jone was intentionally walked -- flock in Neifi Perez with a two-out single to center against reliever Chad Qualls.

NOTE: After his latest minor-league outing onward Friday as he makes his way back from offseason shoulder surgery young beasts pitcher Wade Miller seems resigned to the fact that he's not going to regain his previous velocity any time early

"I think that's going to take any time to come," he said. "It's been a while already, unless it might not come until nearest year for all I know. It might just be something that I have to pitch with this year. If I do, in the way that be it. I'm still able to learn outs right now, which is the principally important thing."

jjackson@suntimes.com

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