Sosa Hits Two Homers in Cubs’ Win

Sammy Sosa hit his 39th and 40th home runs, including his first career grand slam, and drove in all of Chicago’s runs Monday night as the Cubs defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-2, at Phoenix.

Sosa’s eighth-inning shot to straightaway center field ended the longest streak of homers without a slam from the start of a career in major league history.

Sosa had hit 246 homers without a grand slam before he hit reliever Alan Embree’s first pitch 438 feet over the wall. Earlier, his two-run opposite field homer tied the score, 2-2, in the sixth.

Sosa set a major league record with 20 homers in June, but had hit only four in July until connecting Sunday against New York at Wrigley Field.

He matched his career best of 40 homers. He has 102 runs batted in, surpassing the 100 mark for the fourth consecutive season.

The six RBIs tied Sosa’s career high. He has seven multi-homer games this season.

Mark McGwire of St. Louis leads the majors with 44 home runs. The Cardinals were idle Monday.

Steve Trachsel (10-5) gave up three hits in eight innings for his fourth victory in five starts. Willie Blair (4-15), who gave up three hits through seven innings, got the loss.

Trachsel led off the eighth with a single, Lance Johnson followed with another single and Embree relieved Blair. Mickey Morandini beat out a bunt for a single to set the stage for Sosa’s shot.

Trachsel didn’t give up a hit until Tony Batista singled with one out in the fifth. Karim Garcia had led off the inning with a walk.

Blair’s bunt moved the runners to second and third, then Andy Fox singled to drive in both before being caught in a rundown between first and second to end the inning.

The Cubs have won eight out of 10.

Atlanta 3, Cincinnati 2--Ozzie Guillen singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Braves held off the Reds at Cincinnati.

Guillen’s two-out single off Gabe White, his third of the game, drove in Curtis Pride from third and left the Braves 2-3 in extra-inning games this season.

Cincinnati absorbed its second consecutive 10-inning loss and its 10th loss in the last 11 games overall.

Houston 9, Florida 1--Jose Lima pitched a six-hitter and Moises Alou had four hits, including a solo homer and RBI single, to lead the Houston Astros to a 9-1 victory over the Florida Marlins at Houston.

Lima (9-6) pitched his second complete game, striking out six and walking none.

Jeff Bagwell and Derek Bell each homered and drove in three runs for the Astros, who had 14 hits.

Colorado 8, Pittsburgh 7--Jeff Reed doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning, and Vinny Castilla homered twice and doubled as the Rockies won at Denver.

The Rockies rallied from a five-run deficit and won for the sixth time in seven games.