Campana helps surging Cubs top Reds
Tony Campana drove in a pair of runs with an inside-the-park homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Friday for their sixth consecutive victory.
It was the first major league homer for Campana, who also singled, doubled and made a nice catch in center field. Campana became the first Cub ever to hit an inside-the-park shot at Wrigley Field for his first homer.
Ryan Dempster (9-8) struggled with his control, matching his season high with six walks, but held the Reds to two runs and four hits in six innings. Carlos Marmol got three outs for his 22nd save in 28 chances.
Ramon Hernandez homered for Cincinnati, which has lost three of four since a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants. Brandon Phillips and rookie Yonder Alonso each had two hits.
Reds starter Mike Leake (9-7) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. He also had an RBI single in Cincinnati's two-run fourth that trimmed Chicago's lead to 3-2.
The Cubs jumped on Leake in the first. Starlin Castro hit a leadoff single and Campana followed with a slicing drive that landed inside the left-field line, bounced off the brick wall in foul territory and rolled past stumbling left fielder Alonso.
Campana, among the fastest players in baseball, zipped around the bases and scored standing up before the Reds could even return the ball to the infield, electrifying the crowd while some fans were still looking for their seats.
It was the Cubs' first inside-the-park homer at Wrigley Field since Sammy Sosa accomplished the feat against the Pirates on Oct. 6, 2001. Campana, who is from Kettering, Ohio, and played college ball at the University of Cincinnati, never homered in 1,308 plate appearances in the minor leagues.
Colvin added his fourth homer in the second inning, a drive into the right-field bleachers.
Castro also singled in the second and eighth, upping his NL-best hit total to 146.
Hernandez struck out to leave the bases loaded in the first, but the Reds rallied with two out in the fourth. With runners on first and second, Leake hit a shallow fly to center. Campana raced in and made a diving attempt, but the ball popped out of his glove when he struck the ground, allowing Alonso to score. Frazier then scored on a wild pitch.
Campana got another chance in the seventh and hauled in Phillips' deep drive to center just left of the 400-foot sign.
Carlos Pena added a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, but Hernandez connected against Kerry Wood in the eighth. Hernandez's 11th homer cut Chicago's lead to 4-3.
NOTES: Reds OF Chris Heisey was held out of the lineup for the second straight game after injuring his left oblique during batting practice in Houston on Wednesday. He was used as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning. Manager Dusty Baker said Heisey was to be examined by team doctor Timothy Kremchek in Chicago on Friday. ... Baker said SS Zack Cozart reported he was feeling better and was slated to take batting practice before the game. Cozart has been on the disabled list since July 24 with a hyperextended left elbow. . Cubs manager Mike Quade said he's leaning toward giving Rodrigo Lopez another start when his turn in the rotation comes up again. Lopez has allowed 12 runs in 8 1-3 innings over his last two starts. . Johnny Cueto will pitch for the Reds on Saturday against Carlos Zambrano. Cueto (7-4, 1.72 ERA) needs to throw at least 3 1-3 innings to qualify for the league ERA lead, which he held earlier this week before falling shy of the required one inning pitched per team game played. San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong currently leads the National League with a 2.19 ERA. Zambrano will be going for his 17th career win against Cincinnati. . After starting the season 25-17, the defending NL Central champion Reds are just 29-41. . Carmen Mauro was the last Cub whose first big league homer was of the inside-the-park variety. He did at St. Louis on Oct. 3, 1948. Mauro hit only one other big league homer. . Cincinnati's Joey Votto walked twice, but his nine-game hitting streak came to an end.