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Mark Prior is hoping he bounces back from his second stint on the disabled list this season better than he did his first. The Cubs starter returns to the mound when Chicago opens a three-game series with the Washington Nationals Friday at RFK Stadium. Prior (0-4, 7.71 ERA) started the season on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his right shoulder and did not make his first start until June 18. He then lost each of his four outings before straining his left oblique on July 8 in batting practice and returning to the DL for the seventh time since making his major league debut in 2002. ''I wish it didn't come to that but that wasn't my decision,'' he said.Prior allowed 20 runs in 21.7 innings in his four outings, while striking out 22 batters. His most recent start was a 7-2 loss at Houston on July 4 in which he gave up four runs in six innings, his longest outing of the season. Prior has lost five straight starts and six straight decisions, both career highs, and his seven-start winless stretch is also the longest of his career. He is 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals franchise, and has lost his last three starts against them since a complete-game, 3-0 win over the Montreal Expos on April 9, 2003. He has never pitched at RFK. The Cubs (37-57) took two of three games from the Houston Astros this week at Wrigley Field, including Thursday's 4-1 victory. Michael Barrett and Aramis Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in the third inning, and starter Carlos Zambrano pitched eight strong innings for the Cubs, who held Houston to six total runs in the series. Barrett went 2-for-3 with a run and was 10-for-20 in the Cubs' six-game homestand.''We've been playing pretty good baseball of late, and we want to stay focused and keep that going,'' Barrett said. First baseman Derrek Lee , who missed 59 games earlier in the season with a broken right wrist, sat out Thursday with soreness in the wrist, but expects to return Friday. The Nationals (40-56) have dropped seven of nine after Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Florida Marlins . Washington managed just two hits and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding three at third base. ''Opportunities - we can't take advantage of them,'' manager Frank Robinson said. ''How many times have we said that? We're a major league ballclub, and we can't get people in from third?'' Second baseman Jose Vidro missed his second straight game with an injured left hamstring and is day to day. The Nationals also placed right fielder Jose Guillen on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right elbow. Washington starting pitchers are winless over the last 12 games. Pedro Astacio will take the mound Friday night as the Nationals kick off the re-opening of RFK Stadium. Physical improvements have been made to the exterior of RFK along with increased concessions and a new food court on the mezzanine level behind home plate. Astacio will face the Cubs for the 25th time in his career. He is 8-8 with a 4.25 ERA during his career against them. Astacio is making just his fourth start of the season. He has missed most of the year with a forearm strain.
Hey sens, read the matchup article, it's written as if Livan is starting, not Pedro.
Quote from: "tomterp"Hey sens, read the matchup article, it's written as if Livan is starting, not Pedro.Yeah, I've seen it that both of them are starting. ESPNs bottom line has Livan starting, but yahoo! fantasy sports has pedro starting....weird
testing testing 1 2 3
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"testing testing 1 2 3SWEET!(just posted the quoted post from my cell phone.)
Frank took my advice and has Lopez batting 8th. But he still insists on having Soriano lead off, with nobody to drive in at the start. This pitcher looks like our gravy train... Nick-at-Night swings at junk uncharacteristically. SORIANO SCORES ON A WILD PITCH!!! (Image removed from quote.)
