Cubs Are Easy Prey for Braves’ Neagle

Denny Neagle didn’t feel he was at his best. He’ll have a hard time convincing the Chicago Cubs.

Neagle pitched a three-hitter Monday night for his third shutout of the season, giving the Atlanta Braves a 6-0 victory and dropping the Cubs 20 games under .500 for the first time this season.

“He owned us all night,” said Mark Grace, who had one of Chicago’s three hits, all singles.

The Cubs have other problems, too. Ryne Sandberg, hampered by a strained right groin, sat out his third game in a row.

Only one runner reached second base against Neagle (14-2), who struck out five and walked no one.

The Cubs’ offensive attack amounted to a couple of fly balls caught on the warning track.

“I didn’t think I had my best stuff, but I never got into any jams,” said Neagle, whose third shutout of the season tied him for second in the National League behind Houston’s Darryl Kile. “I felt a little lethargic, to be honest with you, the first couple of innings or so.”

With 14 wins, Neagle is two victories from tying his career-high, set last season.

“Fifteen wins are a great season,” Neagle said. “Anything over that is gravy.”

Chicago starter Kevin Tapani (1-1) wasn’t able to duplicate his first start of the season, a five-hit, one-run performance in seven innings against the Braves on Wednesday after 3 1/2 months on the disabled list. He went only five innings, giving up seven hits and all six runs.

Tapani retired the first eight Atlanta hitters before Neagle sparked a two-out rally in the third. Neagle poked a single to left and Kenny Lofton, returning from his second stint on the disabled list, followed with a triple to the right-center gap. Lofton scored on Chipper Jones’ single.

Lofton, who had played only one game in six weeks between two trips to the disabled list with a pulled groin muscle, went 2 for 4 and scored twice in his return to the lineup.

Tapani left after the Braves scored four runs in the fifth, capped by Fred McGriff’s three-run homer.

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