Cubs  2    Mets  6

Chicago Cubs (67-65) at New York Mets (60-74), 7:10 p.m.

Sports Network | September 4, 2009

(Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs head to New York to begin another important series for their fleeting playoff hopes tonight, when they meet the host Mets in game one of three at Citi Field.

The Cubs, who trail the first-place St. Louis Cardinals by 10 1/2 games in the National League's Central Division, are amid a crowded field still hoping for a shot at the wild card berth, a race now led by Colorado.

Chicago is fifth in that chase, trailing the Rockies by six games and two games in back of their next-closest pursuers, the Florida Marlins.

The Mets, at 69-74, are all but mathematically eliminated.

On the mound, Chicago right-hander Carlos Zambrano makes his fifth start since his last win - a 10-5 defeat of Philadelphia on July 22.

Four starts and a stint on the disabled list have followed since, yielding two no-decisions and two losses, including a 4-1 loss to the Mets on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

In that game, Zambrano was roughed up for 11 hits and four runs in just 3 1/3 innings, the third straight outing in which he failed to last five innings.

Lifetime against the Mets, he is 4-2 in nine appearances - eight starts - with a 4.00 earned run average in 45 innings.

For New York, young right-hander Bobby Parnell seeks his second win in his sixth big-league start.

The North Carolina native, who turns 25 next week, began the season with 54 appearances out of the bullpen before joining an injury-strapped rotation for an Aug. 8 start at San Diego.

He defeated the San Francisco Giants in his second start on Aug. 14 with six innings of scoreless, three-hit ball, but has since lost three straight, including an 11-4 decision to the Cubs on Saturday.

In that game, Parnell allowed nine hits and eight runs in 4 2/3 innings, raising his career ERA against Chicago to 10.57 over three appearances and 7 2/3 innings.

He is 2-5 with a save, eight holds and three blown saves in 32 appearances at home this season.

On Thursday in Chicago, A.J. Pierzynski, Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez all finished with two hits and a run batted in as the White Sox downed the Cubs, 5-0, in the makeup contest of an interleague game postponed on June 16.

Jake Fox contributed a pair of hits in defeat for the Cubs, who have lost three of five. Ryan Dempster (8-8) took the loss, going seven-plus frames while allowing nine hits and three runs -- none earned -- with seven strikeouts and one walk.

In Colorado, Pat Misch recorded his first career victory behind seven solid innings for New York, salvaging the finale of a three-game series with an 8-3 win over the Rockies.

Misch (1-1), who has pitched primarily out of the bullpen this year, yielded two runs on four hits and two walks, striking out three to pick up the win for the Mets, who had lost four of five coming in.

David Wright and Angel Pagan each had three of the club's 16 hits, with Wright driving in three and scoring twice. Daniel Murphy went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer for the victors.

The Cubs have won two of their three meetings with the Mets this season.