Cubs’ Prior Backs Up Baker’s Call

Chicago Cub Manager Dusty Baker all but guaranteed a victory before Sunday’s game. Of course, most managers would feel that way with Mark Prior pitching.

Prior gave the Cubs the dominating start they needed, striking out 14 in 7 2/3 innings, and Chicago shook off two consecutive losses to beat the Pirates, 4-1, at Pittsburgh and close to within half a game of the National League Central lead.

Aramis Ramirez, traded by the Pirates to the Cubs two months ago, hit two solo homers to help give Chicago a split in the four-game series.

“That was how I felt. I say what I feel. I felt we were going to win,” Baker said of his pregame comments. “We were due to win ... and with the guy we had going out there, it really wasn’t that tough to make that prediction.”

The Cubs missed chances to gain ground on Houston by losing the second game of a doubleheader Friday night and losing again Saturday.

“We’ve got to win our games and don’t worry about the games that are out of our control,” Mark Grudzielanek said.

Prior (17-6) was in control from the start against a team that has played well down the stretch against contenders, scoring 27 runs in the first three games of the series. He gave up six hits -- three in the eighth -- and retired 15 in a row at one point, nine on strikeouts.

“We needed a win, so we got it,” Prior said. “I enjoy pitching in close games, whether it’s in April or when the season’s on the line. It’s all part of being a competitor.”

Prior has become a prime contender for the NL Cy Young Award with an exceptional second half. He is 9-1 in 10 starts since coming off the disabled list Aug. 4 and has lost only once since July 11, pitching two complete games.

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St. Louis 6, Houston 4 -- Edgar Renteria had a key two-run double to back Sterling Hitchcock (4-1), who gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings at St. Louis, where the Cardinals overcame a 3-0 deficit against Jeriome Robertson (15-8).

So Taguchi hit a two-run homer for St. Louis, which took two of three from Houston and closed to within four games of the lead.

Renteria’s opposite-field double chased Robertson and tied the score, 4-4, in the fifth, and Eli Marrero’s single off the leg of reliever Ricky Stone drove in the go-ahead run. Jason Isringhausen got three outs for his 19th save.

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Cincinnati 4, Philadelphia 3 -- With the Phillies ahead, 3-2, pinch-hitter Dernell Stenson hit a score-tying double in the top of the seventh against Vicente Padilla (14-11) and scored on a bloop single by Tim Hummell.

Philadelphia remained half a game behind Florida in the wild-card race.

Jim Thome hit his 44th homer, a three-run shot that put the Phillies ahead, 3-1, in the fourth.

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Atlanta 8, Florida 0 -- Greg Maddux (15-11) became the first pitcher in major league history to win at least 15 games in 16 consecutive seasons. Cy Young did it in 15 consecutive years.

Maddux gave up one hit in five innings at Atlanta for his 288th victory, tying Tommy John for 22nd place.

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Montreal 4, New York 2 -- Wil Cordero homered and hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning, and the Expos completed their first four-game road sweep since April 3-6, 1998, at Wrigley Field.

The Mets matched a season high with their eighth consecutive loss and have dropped 16 of 17.

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Milwaukee 6, Arizona 4 -- Richie Sexson, Keith Ginter and Bill Hall homered at Milwaukee to back Wes Obermueller (1-5), who earned his first major league victory.

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Colorado 5, San Diego 3 -- Larry Walker and Rene Reyes each hit two-run homers at Denver, and Chin-hui Tsao (3-3) struck out a career-high seven batters.