Athletics Video

Cahill's stellar start

Cahill's solid start

Cubs Video

Zambrano returns to the rotation

Zambrano's nine strikeouts

The Cubs entered Sunday's game against the White Sox just 5-for-37 with runners in scoring position in their previous five games. They went 1-for-1 with RISP in Sunday's dramatic 1-0 win against the Sox.

Overall, the Cubs' offense scored just seven total runs in three against their crosstown rivals, and they hope for more success at home against the Athletics.

"It's hard to play perfect games and when you're not scoring runs, and any little thing that happens on the field becomes magnified," manager Lou Piniella said before Sunday's nationally televised contest. "If you had seven or eight runs on the board, well, a guy missed a tag at second base."

Piniella was referring to the Cubs' final run surrendered Saturday. In the seventh inning, Juan Pierre avoided Starlin Castro's tag at second on a steal before Paul Konerko drove him home with a single. It proved costly, as it put the White Sox up 2-0 and the Cubs managed just one run in the ninth.

"We would talk about it tomorrow and get it corrected," Piniella said. "We did that today. The tarp was on the field but we did it out in the outfield and you correct the thing. Boy, when it costs you a ballgame, that's the play that you talk about or a ball falls somewhere or a play isn't made.

"Look, that's the way this game is. That's why I say if you want to put together something consistently winning wise, you have to score runs. I think we talk about this and we talk about that. Yesterday we were 1-for-10 with men in scoring position. Six strikeouts. When you're striking out, you're not advancing runners either."

The Cubs will look to do better against Oakland right-hander Trevor Cahill.

"You've got to score runs and when you're not scoring runs, you have to play perfect," Piniella said. "It's a tough game to play, I realize that. You've got to be a team that's well above .500 to do that with consistency."

Athletics: Cahill looks for an encore
Cahill is coming off one of the best performances of his young career. The 22-year-old went eight innings and gave up just one run on six hits and one walk while striking out four. He has six straight quality starts, going 2-1 with a 4.45 ERA during that span.

Cubs: Zambrano goes for second win against Oakland
Zambrano has just one career appearance against the A's, on June 20, 2004. He went 6 2/3 innings and gave up just one earned run on five hits while striking out eight in a 5-3 Cubs win.

Worth noting
Expect to see more of Tyler Colvin in the lineup for the Cubs. Chicago manager Lou Piniella has said the rookie outfielder will play more. Colvin went 0-for-3 Sunday. He is hitting .396. ... The Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks paraded around Wrigley Field on Sunday before the game. ... Oakland's Eric Chavez, who is trying to recover from two bulging disks in his neck, won't be making his scheduled return to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday because he is not ready. ... Oakland outfielder Travis Buck, who has been on the disabled list since April 21 with a strained right oblique muscle, has started to play in simulated games in Arizona and should be playing in Minor League games soon.