Cubs Enjoy Their Tale of Three Cities

The Chicago Cubs won for the third time in three cities in three days. They may not recall where they are when they wake up, but they don’t have any trouble remembering how to win.

Pirate reliever Salomon Torres’ wild pitch scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and Aramis Ramirez’s two-run homer helped the road-weary Cubs to a 5-4 victory at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

The Cubs couldn’t hold a 4-1 lead, with the Pirates tying it in the ninth on Jack Wilson’s run-scoring single, but they still came back for their 10th win in 13 games.

“This is why I came over here, to be in a pennant race,” Ramirez said. “We knew the Giants and Astros are playing each other right now, and that’s what makes coming to the ballpark fun.”

Even if it’s a different ballpark every day.

The Cubs played in their third road city in three days, the first time they’ve done that since they met the Giants, Phillies and Dodgers on consecutive days in 1953. They were 3-1 in a 57-hour stretch that began with them beating the Reds in Cincinnati on Sunday, then splitting a makeup doubleheader Monday at Florida.

“It was hard, but I didn’t hear anybody complain about it,” Manager Dusty Baker said. “Nobody said anything, We know what we have to do. The schedule is what it is.... It didn’t matter what the score was, as long as we won.”

It doesn’t seem to matter what town it is, either. Chicago is 5-2 on an 11-day, 12-game, four-city trip that runs through this weekend.

Corey Patterson doubled to start the 10th against Torres (7-6). After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, Torres struck out Moises Alou for the second out, but his first-pitch sinker to Derrek Lee skidded in the dirt and past catcher Jason Kendall to score Patterson.

Philadelphia 4, Florida 2 -- Cory Lidle took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Ryan Madson escaped a jam and the Phillies ended two years of frustration in Florida by beating the Marlins. The Phillies had lost 14 consecutive games in Miami, including seven this season.

Atlanta 5, Cincinnati 4 -- John Thomson pitched seven strong innings, Julio Franco had three hits and the Braves reduced their magic number for winning the NL East to three with a victory at Atlanta.

Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 4 -- Victor Santos won for the second time in 12 starts since July 16, and rookie Dave Krynzel scored three runs at Milwaukee to help the Brewers end a seven-game losing streak.

Montreal 6, New York 1 -- Tony Batista homered twice to reach 30 this season, Livan Hernandez pitched another complete game and the Expos won in front of only 3,839 at Montreal.

Arizona at Colorado, ppd. -- The game involving the Diamondbacks and Rockies at Denver was postponed because of rain and will be made up during a doubleheader Thursday.