(Courtesy of The Sports Xchange) Mark Prior said he wants to beat the odds and come back this season, even if it means he would return as a reliever.

Prior is on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder and will not throw for two weeks. If he tries to build himself up as a starter, he likely would run out of time. But if he builds up as a reliever, his chances increase.

"If you do the math, it doesn't look too good," Prior said. "I hope to come back before the season (ends), but the reality is that time will tell. My goal is to be ready to throw off the mound sometime in September. Whether it's starting or relief -- just to see hitters. I want to finish the season healthy so I can work on what I need to work on for next year."

Prior has been sidelined with shoulder and oblique injuries for most of the season. The 25-year-old is 1-6 in nine starts with a 7.21 ERA this season.

REPLAY: Phil Nevin drove in all three runs to help the Cubs beat Houston 3-0 on Monday night at Minute Maid Park.

Nevin's two-run homer in the fourth inning off Roy Oswalt gave the Cubs a nine-game homer streak, their longest of the year. He added an eighth-inning RBI single.

Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, who had lost back-to-back starts for the first time since July 2004, walked seven batters but still threw eight scoreless innings to improve to 13-5 and keep alive his chances for a Cy Young Award.

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NOTES

 --CF Juan Pierre's third-inning single Monday against Houston gave him a 17-game hitting streak on the road.

--1B Derrek Lee (inflammation in his right wrist) did his first baseball-related activity Monday since he went on the disabled list on July 24. He took 15 to 20 swings on a tee before the Cubs played Houston.

--RHP Wade Miller (shoulder surgery) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday and is hoping that he can make his Cubs debut during next week's homestand. Velocity has been an issue with him during six rehab starts, but he said he is hitting his spots and getting opponents out.

--INF Ryan Theriot, who was the hero in Sunday's victory over Colorado with a pinch-hit, bases-loaded double, was not in the starting lineup Monday against Houston. Theriot's playing time figures to be rare with the Cubs starting Cesar Izturis or Neifi Perez at short and Ronny Cedeno at second. Manager Dusty Baker said he would try to get Theriot in when he can.

--RHP Carlos Marmol's pickoff of Colorado's Jamey Carroll in Sunday's game marked the first time a Cubs pitcher picked off an opposing runner this season.

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