Cubs’ Streak Hits 12

The Chicago Cubs have known futility and embarrassment the last few decades, and have gone 93 years without winning the World Series.

Yet the club’s longest winning streak in 65 years--12 games after Saturday’s 10-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Milwaukee--is being met with indifference in the Cubs’ locker room.

“When you play 162, winning today really has no impact on what’s going to happen in tomorrow’s game,” Cub pitcher Kevin Tapani said. “You’re only as good as what you do the next day.”

The Cubs, who lead the National League Central by 3 1/2 games over the St. Louis Cardinals, know a good stretch can go sour quickly. They lost eight in a row before their current streak, which is the club’s best since a 15-game streak in June 1936.

Tapani (8-1), who won his fifth consecutive decision by giving up one run and six hits in five innings, said the Cubs are focused on performance only.

“I think the one thing good that this club does is, we aren’t really looking at the wins and losses,” he said.

The longest winning streak in Cub history is 21 games, achieved in 1880 and 1935.

During this winning streak, the Cubs are averaging just less than six runs a game, while the pitching staff has given up only 29 earned runs in 112 innings (2.33 earned-run average).

Sammy Sosa, Matt Stairs and Rondell White each hit home runs and drove in three runs as Chicago built a 10-1 lead after six innings.

“That’s what we’ve been dreaming about for a while, getting those guys started,” Cub Manager Don Baylor said.

Milwaukee outhit Chicago, 16-9, but left a season-high 15 runners on base. Jeffrey Hammonds’ run-scoring single gave Milwaukee a 1-0 lead in the second inning, and the Brewers put at least two runners on base in each of the first three innings.

A crowd of 43,400, boosted by many Cub fans who made the drive from Chicago, was the biggest at the Brewers’ new Miller Park.

Arizona 2, San Diego 1--Tony Womack singled with one out and the bases loaded against Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning at Phoenix to give the Diamondbacks their eighth consecutive victory.

San Diego had tied the score, 1-1, on a two-out, RBI single by Bubba Trammell against closer Bret Prinz in the ninth. It was the second blown save in a row for Prinz (2-0), who got the victory.

Colorado 7, San Francisco 5--Larry Walker’s two-run home run capped a four-run ninth inning and the Rockies held Barry Bonds in check at Denver.

Bonds, who leads the majors with 29 home runs, went 0 for 3 with two walks and two strikeouts. It looked like the Giants would compensate for Bonds by scoring two runs in the seventh and adding one more in the ninth for a 5-3 lead, but closer Robb Nen (2-2) faltered.

New York 7, Florida 1--Al Leiter (3-3) gave up one run in 6 1/3 innings, and Robin Ventura and Mike Piazza hit home runs for the Mets at Miami.

Dan Miceli, whose comments led to the firing of manager John Boles, entered the game in the seventh inning for the Marlins--his first outing at home since Boles was ousted Monday. The crowd booed loudly. He gave up six hits and three runs in two innings, raising his earned-run average to 7.84.

Montreal 12, Philadelphia 5--Vladimir Guerrero homered, doubled three times and drove in six runs at Montreal to give the Expos their first victory under new Manager Jeff Torborg.

St. Louis 8, Cincinnati 5--J.D. Drew hit his career-high 19th home run and stole home, leading Matt Morris and the Cardinals at St. Louis.

Atlanta at Pittsburgh--The game was postponed by rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.