Pirates take Cubs 5-4 in 14 innings

PITTSBURGH -- What is it about the Cubs, the Pirates and extra innings at PNC Park?

Early last month, the two clubs played back-to-back games of 12 and 15 innings.

Both of those games turned out in the Cubs' favor, but they couldn't put things away Saturday night, and the Pirates took advantage with a 5-4 victory in 14 innings.

The winning run was unearned and came off Michael Wuertz, the seventh Cubs pitcher.

It was set up by a throwing error by shortstop Ryan Theriot on a grounder by Freddy Sanchez leading off the inning. Henry Blanco, the Cubs' backup catcher, was playing first base after manager Lou Piniella double switched Gold Glover Derrek Lee out of the game in the 12th.

After a Wuertz wild pitch, a groundout and an intentional walk, Jason Bay ended the game with a single to deep left-center.

"You guys watch it every day; it's one of those things," Theriot said of his low throw.

Blanco took the hit for not coming up with the ball.

"I'm trying to do the best I can," Blanco said. "It was a tough throw. We should have got that guy out."

Piniella decided not to meet with reporters after the game for the first time this season. A club spokesman said Piniella was tired.

The Cubs battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the eighth with 3 runs, 2 coming in on a double by Aramis Ramirez and the go-ahead run scoring on a single by Kosuke Fukudome.

Carlos Marmol walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the eighth but struck out the next three.

Piniella turned the game over to Kerry Wood in the ninth, but Wood hit pinch hitter Doug Mientkiewicz to lead off the inning. It was the fifth time Wood hit a batter this year, and it proved fatal.

Another pinch hitter, Xavier Nady, singled to center field. After a Sanchez sacrifice, Luis Rivas hit a game-tying sacrifice fly, earning Wood his fourth blown save of the season.

"Yeah, every time I've done that this year, it hadn't worked out well," said Wood, who worked a perfect 10th inning. "Obviously, I'm not trying to do that, but it obviously makes your job harder. I make a good pitch to him, fastball in, and the plan was to try to get him to chase a slider down and in. It was in about 8-10 inches too much and hit him in the knee and then I hung a breaking ball to the next guy, and he hit a basehit up the middle.

"Then you got a sac bunt, and here we go. It's one out and two guys in scoring position. It makes it a lot tougher when you don't get the first guy."

Wood is in his first year as closer, but he isn't chalking anything up to a "learning curve."

"We've got to win ballgames," he said. "The bottom line is you've got to get the job done. Learning curve or not, it's game on, and these games mean something, and you've got win those games, especially the way the offense came back and gave us the lead. Guys before me and after me in the bullpen threw the ball great today."

Jason Marquis started for the Cubs, going 5½ innings. He gave up a 2-run homer to Bay in the fourth as the Pirates erased a 1-0 Cubs lead.

Pirates 5, Cubs 4 (14)

At the plate: Aramis Ramirez tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth inning with a 2-run double. Kosuke Fukudome put the Cubs ahead 4-3 in the eighth with a single.

On the mound: Jason Marquis lasted 51/3 innings, giving up 7 hits and 3 runs. Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol pitched well in relief, but Kerry Wood suffered his fourth blown save in 14 chances. Michael Wuertz suffered the loss, giving up an unearned run in the 14th.

-- Bruce Miles