Arizona Slams Door on Hapless Cubs

Seeing Erubiel Durazo break a tie with a grand slam in the ninth inning was bad enough for Chicago Cub fans Saturday at Wrigley Field.

But watching the Cubs run themselves out of a rally in the bottom of the inning was too much.

“Go on strike! Go on strike!” the crowd of 38,728 chanted as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Cubs, 6-2.

When pinch-runner Joe Girardi’s baserunning error caused Alex Gonzalez to get caught in a rundown between third and home, the chants started.

The victory was Arizona’s eighth in a row. The Diamondbacks have also won nine consecutive road games.

The Cubs’ Sammy Sosa hit his major league-leading 43rd homer. It was the 493rd of his career, tying Lou Gehrig for 18th place on the all-time list.

In the ninth, Arizona’s Quinton McCracken and Junior Spivey singled with two out. Steve Finley followed with a grounder to shortstop that Gonzalez misplayed for an error, loading the bases.

Durazo hit the first pitch from Kyle Farnsworth (3-5) over the center-field fence.

Mike Fetters (2-0) got the victory after striking out Sosa and Fred McGriff in the eighth.

The Cubs tried to rally in the ninth, hitting three consecutive singles before Girardi, running for Todd Hundley, made his baserunning blunder. It was one of three poor baserunning decisions made by the Cubs.

“The runner has to make sure the runner goes home there, but I’m not going to single out too much today because, to be honest with you, we just played a bad ballgame today,” Cub interim Manager Bruce Kimm said.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

*--* Yard Markers Chicago Cub outfielder Sammy Sosa tied Lou Gehrig when he hit the 493rd home run of his career Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. A look at the active home run leaders: Barry Bonds...601 Sammy Sosa...493 Rafael Palmeiro...480 Fred McGriff...475 Ken Griffey...465 Juan Gonzalez...405

*--*