Cubs' power to the rescue in 5-4 win
So what's all this fuss about left-handers giving the Cubs trouble and the Cubs not being able to hit home runs?
After connecting for just 2 homers over their previous eight games, the Cubs hit a pair in Thursday night's 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.
Guess what? Both came off a lefty.
Matt Murton broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth with a two-out homer against left-handed reliever Chris Capuano. Alfonso Soriano followed by sending a 1-0 offering from Capuano over the left-field wall.
The Cubs held on as Ryan Dempster survived a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn his 23rd save. The Cubs (68-64) increased their first-place lead in the National League Central to 2½ games over the Brewers (66-67) and to 3 games over the St. Louis Cardinals (64-66).
"Well, we scored some runs off the lefties, and we hit a couple solo shots today -- a good battling win," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "It got a little exciting there in the ninth. We hung on."
Piniella talked all week about how it was too early to call this series critical, but he did all he could to enable his team to win two of three in this series.
"Distancing?" he said of the Cubs' still-slim lead. "We win the series, and that's really what we were looking for."
Capuano, a former starter who was banished to the bullpen, was working in relief of Manny Parra, a lefty who pitched only 3 innings, giving up 3 hits and 3 runs.
Most of the Cubs' trouble with a lefty came with their own left-hander, Ted Lilly.
Lilly labored from the get-go, throwing 38 of his 107 pitches in the first inning. Rickie Weeks led off the game with his seventh home run. The Brewers sent eight men to the plate in the first, with Kevin Mench doubling home the second run.
"Yeah, it was tough," Lilly said. "First of all, I've got to give credit to that lineup. They battle you and force you to make good pitches. Tonight, I was having a hard time doing that.
"It was frustrating, but I'm going to be able to sleep well tonight. I'm certainly happy with the ending result."
The Cubs entered the game 12-20 in games started by an opposing lefty, but they touched Parra for 3 in the second. Aramis Ramirez led off with a walk. Craig Monroe got credit for a double as Brewers right fielder Corey Hart lost Monroe's liner in the lights.
Mark DeRosa's single to right scored the runners, and after Jason Kendall walked, Jacque Jones came through with an RBI single.
The Brewers tied the game in a long third inning, during which Lilly threw 28 pitches.
Until the home runs by Murton and Soriano, the real game saver for the Cubs was reliever Carlos Marmol (4-1, 1.47 ERA), who more than held the Brewers at bay with 5 strikeouts over 2 innings.
Murton's homer put the Cubs ahead. Soriano's eased a burden from himself.
"It feels great because I was feeling a little pressure," said Soriano, who came off the disabled list Tuesday. "I'm not making excuses. The most important thing was we won this game."
Dempster put the first two runners aboard in the ninth. With men on second and third with two outs, Piniella walked the dangerous Prince Fielder intentionally. Dempster walked in a run but got Mench on a chopper to end it.
"In the ninth inning, you really hate to put the winning run on base," Piniella said. "But if Fielder had beaten us there, I'd have needed three martinis to get to bed."
Cubs 5, Brewers 4
At the plate: Matt Murton (No. 5) and Alfonso Soriano (No. 19) hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie. Mark DeRosa had a 2-run single in the second, and Jacque Jones singled home 1 in the second.
On the mound: Lefty Ted Lilly wasn't sharp. He lasted only 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 runs. Lilly ran his pitch count to 107, 69 strikes. Carlos Marmol struck out five in 2 innings. Ryan Dempster earned his 23rd save.
-- Bruce Miles