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| Sports ExtraFriday, August 31, 2007 4:49 PM CDT |
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Hunter Pence homers twice as Astros beat Cubs
CHICAGO -- Hunter Pence homered twice and had a career-high five RBIs, Wandy Rodriguez pitched six shutout innings and the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 Friday for their third win in four games under interim manager Cecil Cooper. Pence's first career multihomer game featured a three-run shot in the fourth and two-run drive in the sixth. The homers gave the standout rookie 14 for the season, while helping Rodriguez (8-12) win for the first time since July 26. Cooper replaced the fired Phil Garner on Monday. And with a month left in the season, Houston is 13 games under .500 but only eight games back of the first-place Cubs in what is becoming a tightly bunched NL Central. Rodriguez, who'd been 0-3 in six previous August starts, allowed four hits and earned a rare road victory. He is 2-9 away from Minute Maid Park and 6-3 at home. Chicago broke up the shutout bid in the eighth when pinch-hitter Daryle Ward had an RBI single, one of three straight hits in the inning off reliever Dave Borkowski. Trever Miller got the final out in the eighth and pitched a perfect ninth in a non-save situation. Pence, who came off the disabled list 10 days ago, hit his second homer of the game in the sixth off Cubs reliever Michael Wuertz. His two-out, three-run homer off Sean Marshall capped a fourth that started when third baseman Aramis Ramirez fumbled Ty Wigginton's grounder for an error. After Chris Burke singled, Marshall got two outs before Pence hit a long drive to left for a 4-0 Astros lead. After Craig Biggio singled and Lance Berkman walked, Marshall's day was over and Wuertz relieved. Marshall (7-7) gave up four runs -- one earned-- and five hits in 3 2-3 innings, his third shortest outing in 18 starts. Houston also had a big inning going in the first, but Marshall escaped by allowing only one run after the Astros loaded the bases. Pence had leadoff walk and scored on Berkman's RBI double. Carlos Lee was walked intentionally and one out later Wigginton also walked to load the bases before Burke popped out.< Notes: The Cubs rested LF Alfonso Soriano, and C Jason Kendall didn't start but entered the game in the eighth. ... Houston RHP Brandon Backe, who had elbow surgery last September, is scheduled to make his first start of the season Tuesday in Milwaukee. He has made five rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. ... Rodriguez is 1-3 at Wrigley Field where he had an 11.08 ERA in three previous starts entering the game. ... The Cubs are 13-21 against left-handed starters. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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? wrote on Sep 1, 2007 10:52 AM:
Cards fan wrote on Sep 1, 2007 8:47 AM:
Amutt&Shirley wrote on Aug 31, 2007 10:50 PM:
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