Cubs Play Long Ball Against Reds

Dusty Baker turned his back on the field and fretted.

The Chicago Cubs had just left the bases loaded in the eighth inning, failing again to add to a slim lead. In the majors’ most homer-friendly ballpark, the Cub manager envisioned disaster unfolding.

Not to worry. Aramis Ramirez had one more at-bat.

Ramirez hit a three-run homer that put the Cubs ahead to stay and added a clinching two-run shot in the ninth inning Tuesday night at Cincinnati, wrapping up a 7-3 victory over the Reds and their battered pitching staff.

Derrek Lee had three hits, including a two-run double in the fifth against Luke Hudson (1-5) -- the latest meltdown by the National League’s worst starting rotation. Todd Walker singled twice, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.

But it was Ramirez who came through with the biggest hits on a night when the Cubs stranded nine runners, six in scoring position.

“We needed it badly,” Baker said. “We played good enough to win tonight. It’s a little scary when you leave those runners out there. You hope it doesn’t come back to haunt you.”

The Cubs have won eight of nine on the strength of their rotation, which has given up only 15 earned runs during the streak. Mark Prior (7-3) kept it going on another muggy evening that sapped pitchers and helped the ball fly -- when the Cub hitters were at bat, anyway.

Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 4 -- Bill Hall’s two-run double in the eighth inning gave the Brewers, once down by four runs, a victory at St. Louis.

Lyle Overbay homered, and Brady Clark had three hits and a run batted in for the Brewers, who ended St. Louis’ five-game winning streak.

Houston 9-6, Pittsburgh 3-4 -- Wandy Rodriguez took Ezequiel Astacio’s spot on Houston’s roster minutes after Astacio beat the Pirates in the first game, then pitched even better than Astacio did as the Astros completed a doubleheader sweep at Pittsburgh.

Lance Berkman, picking up much of Houston’s missing offense with Jeff Bagwell on the disabled list, hit a two-run homer in the second game and had four hits in the Astros’ first road doubleheader sweep since Aug. 4, 1995 -- also in Pittsburgh.

In the opener, Astacio limited Pittsburgh to two runs over six innings for his first major league victory.

New York 3, San Diego 1 -- Pinch-hitter Chris Woodward hit a two-run homer with one out in the 11th inning at New York.

Woodward homered against Chris Hammond (5-1) after Mike Piazza, dropped to sixth in the order for the first time since May 12, 1993, singled with one out.

Washington 4, Colorado 0 -- John Patterson gave up three hits in eight innings, and fill-in shortstop Jamey Carroll delivered two hits and an RBI at Washington.

Florida 6, Arizona 3 -- A.J. Burnett won for the first time in four starts, and Miguel Cabrera homered twice at Phoenix, for only the Marlins’ second win in nine games.

San Francisco 5, Atlanta 4 -- Deivi Cruz scored from second on Jason Ellison’s single to left in the ninth inning at San Francisco.

Pedro Feliz hit a three-run homer in the seventh to put San Francisco up, 4-3, but Adam LaRoche tied it with a homer against Tyler Walker in the ninth.