Cubs Finally Hit, Stay Hot

The Chicago Cubs are so hot these days they think they can win every game, even when the opposing pitcher is flirting with a no-hitter in the seventh inning.

Sammy Sosa tied the score with a double in the eighth inning at Chicago, then scored the winning run on Rondell White’s single in the 10th Thursday as the Cubs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3.

The victory was the 15th in 16 games for the Cubs. It also gave them a three-game sweep of the Cardinals and extended their division lead in the National League Central to five games--their largest since the end of the 1989 season.

“It’s real sweet,” White said. “We’re playing great baseball and we’re having a lot of fun. The pitchers are pitching great, we’re getting clutch hits.”

Matt Morris took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, but he got into big trouble in the Cubs’ eighth, as pinch-hitter Todd Dunwoody doubled to left and scored on Augie Ojeda’s single with two outs.

That brought up Sosa, who smacked a hard liner that looked like it might be a homer. It hit the wall in right-center instead, but neither Jim Edmonds nor Kerry Robinson got close to it and Ojeda scored easily to tie it at 3-3.

Chicago’s 10th-inning rally started when Mike Timlin (2-3) intentionally walked Sosa with one out and he took second on a fielder’s choice.

That brought up White, whose liner to short center had enough carry to allow a sliding Sosa to score.

“This club will not give up,” Cub Manager Don Baylor said.

San Diego 10, San Francisco 7--Barry Bonds hit his 32nd homer as the Giants lost at San Francisco to the Padres, who stopped an eight-game losing streak.

Bonds’ 451-foot homer in the seventh inning against Brian Lawrence was the longest hit at Pacific Bell Park.

Bonds, who has 526 career homers, has 32 in the Giants’ first 60 games. Mark McGwire hit 32 in the Cardinals’ first 69 games in 1998, when he hit a record 70.

Houston 2, Colorado 1--Shane Reynolds held the Rockies hitless through five innings and Jeff Bagwell’s two-run homer in the first held up at Denver.

In a rare pitching duel at Coors Field, Reynolds (6-4) gave up seven hits in 7 2/3 innings, including a pinch-homer by Brooks Kieschnick in the eighth.

Atlanta 4, Montreal 3--Quilvio Veras broke a 2-2 tie in the 11th at Montreal with a two-run double off Scott Strickland (0-3) as the Braves won their season-high sixth consecutive.

Jason Marquis (1-0) gave up a game-tying homer to Vladimir Guerrero in the ninth. Kerry Ligtenberg got his first save, giving up an RBI single to Lee Stevens in the bottom of the 11th.

New York 6, Philadelphia 5--Tsuyoshi Shinjo hit a tiebreaking leadoff homer in the ninth off Jose Mesa (1-1) as the Mets rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the seventh at Philadelphia.

Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonzo homered for the Mets, who came back on Shinjo’s RBI grounder in the seventh and Alfonzo’s sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Florida 5, Pittsburgh 3--Kevin Millar hit a three-run homer off Josias Manzanillo (1-2) in a four-run eighth inning to lead the Marlins at Miami.

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Chasing History

The pursuit of the major league home run record for a season is in full swing again, with Barry Bonds taking aim at Mark McGwire’s record of 70 set in 1998:

Home runs after team’s 60th game

Barry Bonds 2001: 32

Mark McGwire 1998: 28

Bonds update: his 451-foot homer Thursday in the seventh inning against the Padres’ Brian Lawrence was the longest hit at Pacific Bell Park.

Factoid: McGwire didn’t hit his 32nd homer in 1998 until his team’s 69th game.