Mon Apr 7 19:08:23 2008

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Cubs edge Pirates in extras, win third straight

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Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Aramis Ramirez snapped a 12th-inning tie with a sacrifice fly, as the Chicago Cubs spoiled Pittsburgh's home opener with a 10-8 victory over the Pirates at PNC Park.

Ramirez finished with two runs batted in for Chicago, which blew a 7-0 lead but still managed to win its third straight game. Ronny Cedeno drove in three runs in the victory.

Nate McLouth stroked three hits and drove in two runs for the Pirates, who were 3-3 on a season-opening six-game road trip.

Ryan Theriot started the 12th with a walk from Evan Meek (0-1) and Alfonso Soriano drew another free pass. With Felix Pie trying to sacrifice, Meek uncorked a wild pitch to advance the runners. Pie grounded weakly to first, keeping the runners at second and third, before Derrek Lee was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Ramirez then hit a line drive to right field and Theriot beat Xavier Nady's high throw home to break the deadlock. After another wild pitch, Kosuke Fukudome was walked intentionally to again load the bases and Mark DeRosa drew another free pass to force home the second run of the inning.

Carlos Marmol yielded a two-out single to McLouth in the bottom of the inning, then retired Freddy Sanchez on a grounder to third to close the game and earn his first save.

Jon Lieber (1-1) picked up the win with three innings of two-hit relief. He walked two and struck out two. Ted Lilly started for Chicago and was roughed up for five runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Tom Gorzelanny went the first 2 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh and was tagged for seven runs on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

The Pirates had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth against Lieber. Ryan Doumit led off with a drive that center fielder Reed Johnson misplayed into a double. Nady advanced pinch-runner Brian Bixler with a grounder to second base and Doug Mientkiewicz was walked intentionally. Jose Bautista laid a bunt down the first base line and was tagged out, but Bixler never moved from third, and Luis Rivas bounced to second for the third out to send the game to extra innings.

"It's kind of safety type," said Pirates manager John Russell about Bautista's bunt. "Bix kind of froze up."

Chicago then had a chance to go ahead in the top of the 10th, as a walk, an error and two stolen bases put runners on second and third with one out. Matt Capps, though, caught Lee looking at a third strike on the outside corner and fanned Ramirez to keep it tied.

The Cubs opened the scoring with a run in the second when DeRosa doubled and raced home on a base hit by Geovany Soto, then erupted for six in the third. After a pair of one-out walks, Ramirez, Fukudome and Soto each singled home a run. Cedeno then doubled home three more for a 7-0 edge.

Pittsburgh's comeback started with a five-run fourth. A single by Doumit and walks to Nady and Mientkiewicz loaded the bases with one out. After Bautista popped up, two runs scored on an infield single by Rivas and two more scored on another infield base hit by Chris Gomez, as errors on each play allowed the extra run to score. McLouth then tripled home Gomez to pull the Pirates within two.

Chicago added a run in the sixth when Johnson singled, advanced to third on a double by Lee and scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Ramirez. Lee then tried to score on a grounder to third by Fukudome, but Bautista gunned him down at home to keep it an 8-5 game.

The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning on a pair of walks and a single. McLouth then drew another free pass to score a run before a sacrifice fly by Sanchez made it 8-7. Cedeno made a diving grab of Jason Bay's liner to short to keep Chicago in front before Nady grounded out with the bases loaded.

Pittsburgh finally tied it in the seventh. Bautista doubled with one out and Nyjer Morgan's grounder to second with two outs appeared set to end the inning, but DeRosa booted it. The ball caromed to DeRosa's left and Bautista never stopped running, barely beating the second baseman's throw home with a perfect head-first slide at the plate.

Game Notes

The Pirates used eight pitchers, while the Cubs employed seven...The teams have Tuesday off before the series resumes Wednesday night...Fukudome and Soto each had three hits for Chicago...Nady, who finished with two hits, was named the NL's Player of the Week for the opening week of the 2008 season.