Recap: Chicago Cubs vs. Houston
Sports Network | September 03, 2008
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Geoff Blum hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning to help give the Houston Astros a 9-7 win over Chicago, in the second of three games with the Cubs. With the score tied at seven runs apiece, Lance Berkman led off the 11th with a walk off Kerry Wood. Blum then blasted a fastball, located in the middle of the plate and slightly down, high and deep over the right field fence. Wood (4-3) eventually got out of the inning, but took the loss after Jose Valverde worked around a one-out single to close out the game and earn his 39th save of the season. Wesley Wright (4-3) took the win after tossing two scoreless frames for Houston, which has won seven in a row. Hunter Pence had four hits and fell a homer short of the cycle, while David Newhan and Miguel Tejada each had two hits and two runs batted in. Chicago starter Carlos Zambrano, who was scratched from his Sunday afternoon start against Philadelphia because of a sore arm, was taken out of the game after five innings and throwing just 86 pitches. He gave up three runs on five hits and three walks and didn't factor into the decision. The pitcher will visit with team orthopedist Stephen Gryzlo on Wednesday. "He told (pitching coach Larry Rothschild) he wasn't feeling good, and went up with the trainer," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said of Zambrano. "If he can pitch, he'll pitch. And if he can't, we'll put (Sean) Marshall in the rotation, and go from there. That's the end of it." Geovany Soto finished with three hits, including a homer, while Alfonso Soriano, Mark DeRosa, and Jim Edmonds added a solo shot each. The Cubs tied a season high with their fourth consecutive loss, but maintained their 4 1/2- game lead in the NL Central over the Brewers, who lost to the Mets on Tuesday. In a back-and-forth game, the Cubs struck first when Soriano blasted his 24th homer of the season to lead off the home first. Newhan tied the game in the next frame with an RBI groundout. In the fourth inning, DeRosa led off with a homer to left field, and two batters later, Soto made it a 3-1 game with a solo shot to center. But Houston surged ahead with six straight runs. In the top of the fifth, a Humberto Quintero double, and walks to Michael Bourn and Ty Wigginton loaded the bases with one out. Tejada smoked a double to right field to plate two, tying the game. Then, Pence began the sixth against Bob Howry with a triple into the ivy in center field. Oddly, when Edmonds jumped in an attempt to catch the ball, he knocked another ball loose from the ivy and onto the warning track. Nevertheless, Pence remained on third and scored on Newhan's single through the right side. A Quintero infield single and Fernando Nieve walk loaded the bases for Bourn, who hit the ball off Howry's glove and into center field to plate two more runs. That cued Howry's exit as Michael Wuertz came on, and he later got Tejada to ground into a double play -- but the bases were loaded, and another run came home to give Houston a 7-3 edge. However, the Cubs rallied to tie the game once more. With two runners in scoring position in the home sixth, Ryan Theriot roped a two-run double to right field off Tim Byrdak. Later in the inning, after Byrdak had been replaced by Chris Sampson, Mike Fontenot's single plated Theriot to bring Chicago within one. Edmonds' two-out homer in the seventh, off Doug Brocail, squared the game. Game Notes Houston second baseman Kazuo Matsui was activated from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. In a related move, the team outrighted pitcher Runelvys Hernandez to Triple-A Round Rock, removing him from the 40-man roster...The Cubs left 12 runners on base, while the Astros stranded 11. Game Notes Houston second baseman Kazuo Matsui was activated from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. In a related move, the team outrighted pitcher Runelvys Hernandez to Triple-A Round Rock, removing him from the 40-man roster...The Cubs left 12 runners on base, while the Astros stranded 11.
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