CHICAGO — Carlos Zambrano homered in his return from the disabled list Tuesday, but as he said after the game, his job is to pitch.
He did not do that job effectively, giving up eight runs as the Nationals pounded the Cubs, 15-6. Zambrano will have a chance for a more résumé-boosting performance Sunday in his team's series finale against the Mets.
"I think Carlos will be better [Sunday]," manager Lou Piniella said. "I'm looking forward to a good ballgame from him."
Before his start Tuesday, Zambrano had missed more than three weeks with back spasms and had not pitched more than three innings in a Major League game since July 27.
Piniella pointed out the difficulty in trying to come back sharp after missing that much time and gave the example of Ryan Dempster, who missed a comparable period with a toe injury. When he returned, he gave up five earned runs in his first start but came back to toss six scoreless innings in the following outing.
The good news from Zambrano's return was that he said he felt healthy but simply fell behind some hitters and made mistakes. He will try to turn things around against a beleaguered Mets lineup that is missing several key components due to injury.