No Catching Cubs in Homestretch

Kerry Wood won his sixth consecutive start at home and Sammy Sosa reached 20 home runs for the eighth consecutive season as the Chicago Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 5-4 victory Sunday.

The Cubs have won 13 in a row at Wrigley Field--their longest stretch since winning 14 in a row in 1936.

“We’re tough at home,” said Wood (7-4), who went six innings, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out six. “We’ve been playing good baseball here and we’ve got the greatest fans in the game.”

Ricky Gutierrez homered for the third game in a row and Sosa added a solo shot for his 20th home run. It was Sosa’s 1,000th career run scored.

“It’s a wonderful time,” Sosa said. “Any time you can play well against a team that was playing well, it’s a good feeling.”

After winning only one of his first eight starts, Wood has pitched more like he did during his 1998 NL rookie of the year season. Since May 19, Wood has a 2.03 earned-run average in 40 innings, giving up 21 hits.

The Twins have lost a season-high four in a row and eight of 12.

In the second, Eric Young hit a run-scoring single and Gutierrez made it 4-0 with a two-run shot to left for his career-best third home run in as many games. Gutierrez, who went six for 13 in the series, missed the previous seven games because of dizziness after being elbowed in the head.

“The guys were telling me I should get hit upside the head more often,” Gutierrez said.

In the fourth, Corey Koskie hit a sacrifice fly and Doug Mientkiewicz added an RBI single for the Twins, making it 4-2. Wood then loaded the bases, but pitched out of further damage.

Torii Hunter hit his 11th homer, a solo shot in the seventh against Courtney Duncan, bringing the Twins within 4-3.

Brad Radke (8-3) went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, for the Twins. It was his second trip to Wrigley Field, and he’s not a fan of the ballpark.

“I still don’t like it,” Radke said. “Usually, I like high mounds, but I don’t care for this one.”

Todd Hundley’s passed ball scored Koskie to make it 5-4 in the eighth, but Kyle Farnsworth struck out A.J. Pierzynski with runners at second and third to end the inning.