Zambrano Flirts With a No-Hitter

Normally excitable, Carlos Zambrano was perfectly calm before taking his no-hit bid into the eighth inning Monday night.

In fact, he even said it’d be all right if the Houston Astros broke it up.

A few batters later, they did.

Zambrano held Houston hitless for 7 1/3 innings before Preston Wilson grounded an opposite-field single, leading the Chicago Cubs over the Astros, 8-0.

Moments earlier, Zambrano said he told pitching coach Larry Rothschild: “ ‘Whatever happens in this inning, will happen. If somebody gets a base hit, it’s OK. I pitched a good game anyway and I didn’t let the other team score any runs.’ ”

Zambrano was trying to become the first Cub to throw a no-hitter since Milt Pappas on Sept. 2, 1972. There has not been a no-hitter in the majors since Randy Johnson pitched a perfect game for Arizona against Atlanta on May 18, 2004.

Instead, Zambrano beat the Astros with his arm and bat. He homered and drove in four runs.

“This was like a high school game for him,” Cubs center fielder Juan Pierre said. “He was the best pitcher and hitter on the field tonight.”

Zambrano (4-3) threw 72 of his 126 pitches for strikes and struck out eight.