Cubs Sweep White Sox With Sosa Power

Sammy Sosa acknowledges he is not on the same level as Mark McGwire. But the way the Chicago Cub slugger has been hitting lately, it’s hard to tell.

“Don’t compare me with McGwire,” Sosa said Sunday after hitting his 10th homer in his last nine games as the Cubs defeated the crosstown White Sox, 13-7, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field to sweep the three-game series. “He’s a pretty good home run hitter.”

McGwire has a major league-leading 28 homers. Sosa has 19 after hitting one for the fourth consecutive game.

Sosa’s three-run home run and five runs batted in Sunday were duplicated by teammate Jose Hernandez as the Cubs won their ninth in a row.

“Jose had a big day. Sammy had another big day. A lot of people were contributing,” Cub Manager Jim Riggleman said.

Now the White Sox have to contend with McGwire, whose St. Louis Cardinals start a three-game series at Comiskey Park today.

“It’s [going to be] the Mark McGwire show,” said Frank Thomas.

Minnesota 3, Pittsburgh 2--Matt Lawton’s go-ahead pinch-hit single in the seventh inning gave the Twins a victory at Pittsburgh that ended the seven-game winning streaks of both Jason Schmidt and the Pirates.

The Pirates, trying to extend their longest winning streak since an 11-game run in September 1996, led 2-1 until Brent Gates’ run-scoring single in the sixth and Lawton’s run-scoring hit off Schmidt (8-2).

Houston 7, Kansas City 1--Shane Reynolds pitched an eight-hitter and Jeff Bagwell had three extra-base hits at Houston.

Reynolds (7-3) gained his fourth consecutive victory by pitching his third complete game. The right-hander struck out nine and walked none.

Reynolds has pitched at least eight innings in each of his last four starts. He retired 10 in a row in one stretch and 19 of 22 between the first and eighth innings.

Tampa Bay 4, Montreal 3--The Devil Rays’ Mike Kelly scored the winning run from first base when the Expos threw the ball all over Tropicana Field in the bottom of the 11th inning at St. Petersburg, Fla.

After drawing a one-out walk from Steve Kline (1-3), Kelly broke for second when Dave Martinez hit a slow hopper to third baseman Shane Andrews. Andrews’ throw got Martinez at first, but Kelly never stopped on the play and headed toward third base.

With third uncovered, catcher Chris Widger hustled down the line to take first baseman Ryan McGuire’s return throw. Kelly was safe at third when the ball got away from Widger, and he broke for home. Left fielder Robert Perez tracked down the ball but his throw to Kline, covering the plate, was too late to get Kelly.

San Francisco 6, St. Louis 5--Brian Johnson and Jeff Kent each homered as the Giants overcame a four-run deficit to win at St. Louis for their ninth consecutive victory.

Mark McGwire went two for three with two doubles and two walks for the Cardinals, who have lost eight of nine.

The Giants came back from a 4-0 deficit on Johnson’s solo homer in the fourth and five runs in the seventh to make a winner out of starter Mark Gardner (5-2).

Detroit 4, Milwaukee 1--Justin Thompson pitched a career-best three-hitter and Bobby Higginson and Tony Clark homered at Milwaukee.

Thompson (4-6) didn’t allow the Brewers a hit until the fifth when they scored an unearned run. The 25-year-old left-hander struck out six and walked three in his second complete game this season.

Thompson gave up an RBI single to Darrin Jackson in the fifth, a single to Mike Matheny in the seventh and single to Jeff Cirillo in the eighth.

New York Yankees 4, Florida 1--David Cone, who missed his last start when he was bitten on the hand by his mother’s dog, pitched a two-hitter and struck out a season-high 14 as the Yankees won at New York.

Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams all hit solo homers for the Yankees, who have won seven in a row and 43 of 52. They improved to 25-5 at home, best in the majors.

Cone (8-1) allowed only a third-inning single to Gregg Zaun and an RBI double to Todd Dunwoody in the eighth. He walked two, hit a batter and is 8-0 with a 3.30 ERA in his last nine starts.

Cleveland 6, Cincinnati 1--Dave Burba got revenge on the Reds by hitting a two-run homer at Cincinnati, the first by a Indians pitcher in 26 years, and extending his personal winning streak.

Burba (8-4) made a triumphant return to the stadium where he was supposed to be the opening-day starter, only to get traded to the Indians for minor league prospect Sean Casey on the eve of the opener.

He put the Indians ahead to stay by hitting his third career homer in the fifth inning off Scott Klingenbeck (0-1), the first by an Indians pitcher since Steve Dunning homered off Detroit’s Mickey Lolich in 1972.

Toronto 3, Philadelphia 1--Chris Carpenter got his first victory since joining the starting rotation and Carlos Delgado barreled over Phillie catcher Mike Lieberthal to score the Blue Jays’ go-ahead run at Toronto.

Carpenter (2-2) gave up one run and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings. He was making his third start since being promoted from the bullpen.

Boston 5, New York Mets 0--Steve Avery turned in his best performance as a member of the Red Sox, giving up three hits over seven scoreless innings and Mo Vaughn had a homer and scored twice at Boston.

Avery (3-1), who won his second consecutive game for the first time since August, struck out four with only one walk.

He had not pitched seven shutout innings since May 19, 1995, when he blanked the Florida Marlins in a complete-game shutout for the Atlanta Braves.