Cubs Beat Red Sox in Reunion

Greg Maddux got shoved out of the dugout for a curtain call after a rare home run, a strange sight for sure at Wrigley Field.

But this was not like any other regular-season game, even though it was. It was the Cubs meeting the Red Sox for the first time since the 1918 World Series, and there was an electricity all day.

“It’s always fun. There’s not a lot of history between these two teams and I think that’s what made it a little bit special today,” Maddux said after the Cubs erupted for 20 hits -- four home runs -- to rout the World Series champions, 14-6, Friday in the Red Sox’s first visit to Wrigley.

Maddux (5-3) got career win No. 310 and improved to 5-0 against the Red Sox, giving up seven hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings, including David Ortiz’s sixth-inning homer. Ortiz also homered in the ninth.

“It had sort of a playoff atmosphere,” Cub Manager Dusty Baker said. “Other than the Cardinals series, rarely do you see as many fans on their side as our side.”

Jeromy Burnitz hit two of the Cubs’ homers.

The teams, known more for their curses than their postseason success until the Red Sox broke through and won the World Series last season, were meeting in the regular season for the first time.

The last time they faced off, Babe Ruth was pitching the Red Sox to the world title in six games.

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Baltimore 4, Cincinnati 3 -- Melvin Mora hit a three-run homer off Aaron Harang (4-4), outshining one of the game’s greatest collections of power hitters at Cincinnati.

The Orioles are visiting Cincinnati for the first time since the 1970 World Series, which they won, 4-1, and the matchup marked the first time that three 500-homer players appeared in the same game -- Sammy Sosa (580), Rafael Palmeiro (559) and Ken Griffey Jr., who hit a solo shot in the eighth for No. 511.

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Washington 9, Seattle 3 -- Brian Schneider hit a go-ahead two-run single at Washington, and the Nationals took advantage of five walks in the eighth inning to break open a game tied at 3-3 for their eighth consecutive victory.

Washington sent 11 men to the plate in the eighth and scored six runs with only three singles. Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1-2) took the loss.

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Chicago White Sox 4, San Diego 2 -- Jon Garland pitched seven strong innings to join Dontrelle Willis as the only 10-game winners in the majors, leading the White Sox at San Diego.

Garland (10-2), who held the Padres hitless until Phil Nevin doubled with one out in the fifth, also got his first career RBI with a single to right field in a two-run second.

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Arizona 12, Kansas City 11 -- Troy Glaus led off the 10th inning with his 14th home run at Phoenix, helping the Diamondbacks win despite blowing an eight-run lead in the last two innings.

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Oakland 6, Atlanta 4 -- Eric Chavez hit a tie-breaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning to help the Athletics end an 11-game road losing streak. Danny Haren (4-7) won his third decision in a row and also drove in two runs.

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Houston 4, Toronto 2 -- Willy Taveras, Morgan Ensberg and Jason Lane homered and Wandy Rodriguez (2-2) pitched out of several jams over six-plus shaky innings, and the Astros won the first game between the franchises at Houston.

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Colorado 2, Detroit 0 -- Jamey Wright (4-5) pitched six-hit ball into the eighth inning and Garrett Atkins hit a two-run homer as the Rockies and Tigers matched the lowest-scoring game in Coors Field’s history.

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Pittsburgh 7, Tampa Bay 2 -- Jason Bay and Daryle Ward each drove in three runs for the Pirates at Pittsburgh. Pirate starter Mark Redman (4-4) extended his scoreless streak to 17 innings before giving up two runs in the seventh.

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Florida 12, Texas 5 -- Reliever Doug Brocail (3-1) walked Luis Castillo on four pitches to force in the go-ahead run and Mike Lowell hit a grand slam one out later in the Marlins’ seven-run eighth at Miami.

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Cleveland 10, San Francisco 2 -- C.C. Sabathia (5-3), a Bay Area native, gave up five hits over eight innings and also hit a two-run double at San Francisco to lead the Indians past the Giants in their first meeting since Willie Mays and the New York Giants swept the Indians in the 1954 World Series.

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia 5, Milwaukee 2 -- David Bell’s three-run homer with one out in the ninth inning at Philadelphia led the Phillies to their 13th win in 15 games. They also improved to 10-1 on a 13-game homestand.