Nats’ reliever Brian Bruney walked home Cubs’ shortstop Ryan Theriot with the winning run in the bottom on the 10th inning on Monday night at Wrigley Field, leaving the Nats on the short end of a 4-3 contest. Bruney has had a tough go of it as a Nat: he has walked twelve hitters in 9.2 innings, while giving up seven hits. “It wasn’t my night,” Bruney said after the game. “The guys played good. I was only the one out there throwing that baseball when the run scored. I put this one on me. Unfortunately, this is not a good feeling to have in a locker room full of guys [playing hard] and you go out there and walk a guy to win the game. I’m obviously not happy with myself. We have to dig back in and grind for the next time.” If there was good news in the game, it is that the Nats were able to battle back from a 3-0 third inning deficit, with timely hitting from catcher Wil Nieves.

Neither starting pitcher was particularly sharp. Cubs’ starter Carlos Silva walked in a run in the fourth inning, while Nats’ starter John Lannan walked the pitcher (Silva), in the second, to force in a run. But Lannan settled down to pitch six complete innings, what counts as a quality start. “I fell apart in the second [inning] and that can’t happen,” Lannan later told reporters. “The goal is to finish the game strong. I’m sick of having those mediocre innings when things get away from me. I never walked three in a row and I walked the pitcher with the bases loaded. That’s disappointing. I’m just battling every game so far. I’m not going to force it, but I’m waiting for it to click and have a strong outing from start to finish.” Nieves said that Lannan has yet to find his sinker.

The game — played in frigid and windy conditions — featured the second relief appearance of former starter Carlos Zambrano, who pitched an inning and two-thirds. MASN commentator Rob Dibble speculated on Zambrano’s troubles, saying that the Cubs’ ace looked like he was pushing the ball, and that he might be in pain. Zambrano has battled shoulder problems on-and-off since 2005, but the Cubs say there’s nothing wrong with the righty’s arm. And Cubs GM Jim Hendry dismissed reports that Zambrano’s demotion to the bullpen was a tactic designed to pressure him to give up his no-trade clause.”It has nothing to with what he gets paid, there’s no agenda at all except he was the best fit at the time,” Hendry said. “And I think we know now that’s the truth. He’s capable of doing it, and that’s a good thing.”

Well, maybe. But it’s going to be tough for the Cubs to pay a tweeky inconsistent starter what they owe Zambrano, even if he turns out to be effective as a middle reliever. The Cubs are due to pay the righty $17.875 million in 2010 and 2011, $18 million in 2012 and the former ace has a $19.25 million player option in 2013. Zambrano’s name has come up in trade talks before: most recently in a much-speculated swap with the Yankess and, at the end of 2009, as a part of a trade with the crosstown White Sox for former Padre Jake Peavy. It seems unlikely that Zambrano’s troubles this April would make him as attractive for some teams as he was during the off-season, but there’s no doubt that if the Cubs actively asked around theyd’ find some takers. Zambrano, meanwhile, is under the impression that his stay in Chicago’s bullpen is temporary, pending the Cubs’ search for an 8th inning setup man. On Monday, Zambrano (6.85 ERA) said he was “okay” with his new role.

Sure.