Cedeno: Cubs 'thinking about' World Series after beating Mets

Cubs manager Lou Piniella tried to launch a pre-emptive strike Monday at Wrigley Field when asked about his team's hot start, warning Cubs fans not to act like … well, Cubs fans.

"This is a long season," Piniella said. "Let's not get all crazy about this thing. Let's just stay cautionary and let's just keep playing good baseball, that's all."

But Piniella's message apparently didn't get through to all of his players.

After the Cubs ran their winning streak to four games with Monday night's 7-1 victory over the New York Mets, shortstop Ronny Cedeno was dreaming big.

"We're thinking about the World Series," Cedeno said. "I think we'll be OK if we keep playing like that."

Cedeno helped spur the craziness with a two-run single during a five-run eighth inning, giving the Cubs a 6-1 record on the homestand and helping Carlos Zambrano to his third victory in four decisions.

With a 13-6 record, the Cubs are off to their best start since 1985, when they were also coming off a division championship. That season ended in disaster after the entire starting rotation got injured, a "Cubby occurrence" that has never been duplicated.

But this is not 1985, and the Cubs appear to be on a roll with no intention of slowing down.

Zambrano agreed with Cedeno, though he refused to use the actual words "World Series."

"We have everything this year, believe me," Zambrano said. "We can go all the way to … where we want."

Home runs by Aramis Ramirez and Felix Pie backed the solid pitching of Zambrano, who allowed one run on five hits through seven innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter.

Zambrano is off to his best start since 2004 after three straight years of suffering through rough Aprils. From 2005-07, Zambrano was a combined 4-4 in April with a 5.16 earned-run average and 5.1 walks per nine innings. With one more start left in April, he's 3-1 in the first month — including his March 31 start — with a 2.67 ERA and only 1.3 walks per nine innings.

Ramirez gave Zambrano the lead in the fourth with a first-pitch, two-run home run into the left-field bleachers off John Maine.

The Mets scored in the sixth after Endy Chavez doubled leading off and advanced when catcher Geovany Soto made an ill-advised throw to third on Maine's sacrifice. Jose Reyes grounded into a double play, scoring Chavez to make it a 2-1 game.

The Cubs loaded the bases with no outs off reliever Aaron Heilman in the eighth after Kosuke Fukudome batted with two men on and fouled off five two-strike pitches before stroking an opposite-field single to left.

Fukudome's patience is seemingly rubbing off on his teammates, though he begged to differ.

"Perhaps it just seems that way," he said through an interpreter.

Heilman calmly struck out Mark DeRosa and induced Soto to pop out before Cedeno singled up the middle with two strikes to make it 4-1. Pie, a defensive replacement in the top of the inning, then hit a three-run homer off Jorge Sosa to blow the game open.

Zambrano's sinker was working effectively, and he was locating his pitches all night instead of trying to overpower hitters in every at-bat.

"I played with one of the best pitchers in history, Greg Maddux," Zambrano said. "He told me one time he preferred to throw more sinkers, more movement than velocity.

"Anytime I want to throw 95 or 96 (m.p.h.), I can throw it. But it's not how hard you throw in the big leagues. It's how you locate your pitches and learn to pitch the game."

psullivan@tribune.com

Related topic galleries: Jose Reyes, Aramis Ramirez, Endy Chavez, New York Mets, Major League Baseball, Wrigley Field, Kosuke Fukudome

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