Sosa’s Three Homers Can’t Save Cubs

Sammy Sosa hit three home runs Thursday in the sticky, steamy heat at Chicago. But those same oppressive conditions in a lopsided loss kept him from getting one more at-bat.

“I wasn’t thinking about that,” said Sosa, who was lifted after hitting his third homer in the seventh inning of a 14-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

“Give me a few innings for myself because I’ve been playing pretty much every day and every inning. For me, the game is like that. Sometimes you need a break and I really appreciated that.”

Sosa, warming up for a weekend visit by Barry Bonds, hit his 38th, 39th and 40th homers. But still they came in a loss as the Cubs battle to stay atop the National League Central.

“It was a frustrating day for him,” Cub Manager Don Baylor said. “You hit three home runs and you can’t come in and really congratulate a guy.”

Baylor said after conferring with Sosa, he decided it was time to yank him on a humid, 92-degree day that also featured a wind blowing out at 10 mph.

The major league mark of four homers in a game has been accomplished 12 times, most recently by Mark Whiten in 1993.

Rocky starter Mike Hampton tied a National League record by hitting his seventh homer and lasted six innings on the mound.

Hampton’s seventh homer matched the National League mark shared by Don Drysdale (1958, 1965) and Don Newcombe (1955) of the Dodgers. The major league record is nine by the Cleveland Indians’ Wes Ferrell in 1931.

Hampton (12-8) gave up nine hits, including two of Sosa’s homers.

Houston 6, Atlanta 5--Orlando Merced, filling in for the injured Moises Alou, hit a two-out, run-scoring single in the ninth to lift the Astros at Atlanta.

St. Louis 9, Montreal 6--Matt Morris (14-7) won on his 27th birthday and Craig Paquette drove in three runs for the Cardinals at Montreal.

Florida 3, Arizona 1--Jeff Abbott’s bloop single with two outs in the eighth drove in the tiebreaking run at Miami.

New York 4, Milwaukee 3--Joe McEwing homered leading off the seventh to help the Mets rally in sweltering heat at New York.

San Diego 6, Philadelphia 2--Damian Jackson got three hits against Omar Daal to help the Padres avoid a three-game sweep at Philadelphia.

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Pitch Hitters

With another homer on Thursday, the Colorado Rockies’ Mike Hampton tied the National League record for home runs in a season by a pitcher.

7 Don Newcombe, 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers

7 Don Drysdale, 1958 Dodgers

7 Don Drysdale, 1965 Dodgers

7 Mike Hampton, 2001 Colorado Rockies

Note--The major league record is nine, held by Wes Ferrell of the 1931 Cleveland Indians.