Recap: Houston vs. Chicago Cubs
Sports Network | September 15, 2008
Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Ted Lilly threw a one-hitter over seven innings as the Chicago Cubs swept a two-game set against the Houston Astros with a 6-1 win.
Just one day after Carlos Zambrano's first no-hitter for the Cubs in 36 years, Lilly (15-9) didn't give up a hit until Mark Loretta got Houston's only hit of the series, a single in the seventh inning. He finished his outing with one walk and nine strikeouts to win his second straight start.
Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto each hit a two-run home run while Jim Edmonds added a solo shot for the Cubs, who have won four straight.
Chicago now holds a commanding eight-game lead over Milwaukee, which fired manager Ned Yost on Monday, for first place in the NL Central. The two teams begin a three-game series in Chicago on Tuesday.
Loretta got the only hit while David Newhan drove in the lone run of the series for the Astros, who had won six straight before the two losses to Chicago. Brian Moehler (11-7) was saddled with the loss as he was charged with five runs on six hits in five-plus innings of work.
The loss drops Houston to 2 1/2 games behind Philadelphia and Milwaukee for the NL Wild Card spot.
This series was originally scheduled for three games, but both Friday and Saturday's matchups were postponed due to Hurricane Ike in the Houston area so both contests were moved to Milwaukee's Miller Park. If a third game is needed from the Cubs and Astros, a September 29 contest will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
Chicago worked a run in the first inning. Alfonso Soriano led off the game with a single and, after Mike Fontenot flied out, moved to third on a single from Lee. Aramis Ramirez then lofted a fly ball to center that scored Soriano for a 1-0 advantage.
Lance Berkman led off the second with a walk, but Lilly later got him into a rundown with a pickoff move and escaped the inning without any damage.
In the fifth, Edmonds knocked a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left-center to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Chicago then took control of the game in the sixth. Fontenot led off the inning with a walk and Lee followed with a shot that bounced off the top of the wall in left-center and hopped into the stands. Tim Byrdak then took the mound after Ramirez singled and got Reed Johnson to fly out before handing the ball to Chris Sampson. Soto then smoked a pitch that just stayed inside the left field foul pole for a 6-0 lead.
Lilly, meanwhile, was attempting to repeat Zambrano's feat from Sunday and had retired the Astros in order from the third through the sixth innings without allowing a hit.
In the seventh, Reggie Abercrombie led off with a sharp grounder to short that Ramirez misplayed and he reached base on the play that was ruled an error. Loretta then got the Astros' first hit of the two-game series with a single to right.
Jeff Samardzija took the mound in the eighth to replace Lilly. After getting Jose Castillo to ground out to start the frame, Darin Erstad and Brad Ausmus worked back-to-back walks. Carlos Marmol then took the mound and, with Newhan at the plate, threw a wild pitch that allowed both runners to advance. Newhan then lofted a sacrifice fly that score Erstad to make it a 6-1 game.
Bob Howry then worked a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the game.
The 15 innings of hitless ball was the longest hitless streak thrown by Cubs pitchers since 11 combined hitless innings from June 2-3, 1971...The last time the Cubs surrendered one or no hits in back-to-back games was May 24-25, 2001 when John Lieber threw a one-hitter against the Reds and Kerry Wood repeated the feat the next day against Milwaukee...Houston starts a three-game series in Florida on Tuesday...Astros catcher Humberto Quintero left the game in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his left knee...Chicago now has 90 wins on the season, which is the most for the team since going 89-73 in 2004. Also, it's the Cubs' first 90-win season since 1998...Chicago has won 18 of its last 22 games on the road.
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