Gaetti’s Homer Seals Latest Cub Comeback

Wrigley Field one day, Jacobs Field the next. Location doesn’t seem to matter to the Chicago Cubs, who are making late-inning comebacks their trademark this season.

Gary Gaetti hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning against Mike Jackson on Friday night as the Cubs rallied yet again, this time for a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Chicago’s latest comeback gave the Cubs 11 victories in their final at-bat this season, including eight in the last 16 games. Of the Cubs’ 30 victories this year, 15 are of the come-from-behind wins.

“That’s the mark of a good team,” Gaetti said. “Good teams do that. The teams that I’ve played on that have gone to the playoffs and beyond have all won like that. The Yankees did it a lot last year and I know the Indians do it.”

David Justice and Jim Thome each hit two-run homers for the Indians, who took a 4-3 lead into the ninth and handed the ball over to Jackson (0-2), who had converted 24 consecutive save chances since Aug. 1.

“I wasn’t aware of my save streak,” said Jackson, who was 11 for 11 this year. “I never look at personal stats. I look at getting the first hitter I face. That sets the tone. Tonight, I walked him.”

That would be Tyler Houston, who was replaced by pinch-runner Curtis Goodwin. Gaetti, in a 0-for-8 slide and batting only .174, then drove a 1-2 pitch into the seats in right-center for his fifth homer.

“Hey, you never know,” Gaetti said. “That’s the saying for tonight, ‘You never know.’ ”

Rick Aguilera (2-1) got two outs in the eighth and Terry Adams pitched the ninth for his second save. Cleveland put runners on first and third with one out, but Richie Sexson struck out--making him hitless in 18 at-bats--and Kenny Lofton flied out.

Cleveland had been 29-0 when leading after eight innings before Jackson gave up Gaetti’s homer.