Zambrano no-hits Astros in return

All the elements were in Carlos Zambrano's favor.

Zambrano pitched the first no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in 36 years, returning from a sore rotator cuff to shut down the Houston Astros 5-0 Sunday night in a game relocated because of Hurricane Ike.

"I guess I'm back!" Zambrano woofed.

Pitching for the first time since Sept. 2, and cheered on by thousands of Cubs fans, Zambrano stopped a Houston team that had not played since Thursday. The storm forced baseball to move two games from Texas to Miller Park and the weary Astros arrived only hours before the first pitch.

The Cubs, meanwhile, faced a short bus ride. Plenty of their faithful followed them up I-94, once again turning the Brewers' ballpark into "Wrigley North."

This was baseball's first neutral-site no-hitter, the Elias Sports Bureau said.

"It was a long travel day and Hurricane Ike," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "That's what I put it on. That and having two days off. I'm not saying he wasn't good."

Zambrano, known for his emotional displays on the mound, kept himself in control until striking Darin Erstad to finish off the gem.

Zambrano (14-5) dropped to his knees and pointed to the sky with both hands after getting Erstad to swing and miss for his season-high 10th strikeout. The big right-hander was immediately mobbed on the mound by his teammates.

"I'm a little confused right now," the three-time All-Star said. "I still can't believe it. It's a great feeling, a feeling that you can't describe."

The crowd of 23,441 erupted in a wild ovation after chanting "Let's go Z!" throughout the final inning.

Via: www.foxsports.com