Lee takes blame for failing in the clutch

If Cubs starters Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden can have tired arms, is it possible for some of the hitters to have tired bats?

"I think so," catcher Geovany Soto said. "I think a hitter can get tired, but I really haven't seen it."

Maybe Soto isn't looking hard enough.

While the Cubs banged out 14 hits on Tuesday night, including 4 home runs and 3 doubles, they still failed in several critical offensive situations late in a 9-7 defeat to the Houston Astros in 11 innings.

Derrek Lee had 2 singles, but twice he failed in the clutch. Lee grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning then struck out for the final out in the 10th with the winning run at second.

"I had an opportunity to win the game and I just couldn't get the job done in the eighth," Lee said.

"It's unfortunate because we fought so hard and I could have gave us a boost right there."

Lee didn't want to hear about his teammates who also failed as the Cubs left 12 runners on base.

"Yeah, but it came down to that, "Lee said of his eight inning double play. "Tonight's on me."

Lee's avereage is .292 but he has only 18 home runs and his 77 RBI rank fourth on the team behind Aramis Ramirez, rookie Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa.

"The balls I'm hitting hard are going on the ground," Lee said.

"I'd like to find a way to hit the ball in the gap."

Alfonso Soriano led off the first inning with a home run but then went his next 5 at-bats without a hit.

Soriano's first-inning homer home run was the Cubs' first extra-base hit since Friday - covering a span of 28 innings.

"We had a very good offense tonight," Soriano said. "Seven runs should be enough to win the game. Hopefully we can come back with the same thing (tonight)."

Soriano is now 5 his last 29. Jim Edmonds came in 1 for his last 12 and ended the first inning by grounding into a double play with the bases loaded.

But Edmonds atoned in the seventh with his 17th homer, bringing the Cubs all the way back from a 7-3 deficit to a 7-7 tie.

"He's been struggling a little bit," Piniella said of Edmonds, who hit just .200 in August.

Kosuke Fukudome has been struggling so much at the plate that Piniella gave him Tuesday off as a starter. Piniella also plans to sit Fukudome again today against Astros lefty Randy Wolf.

Fukudome entered the game in the eighth inning and had a walk and a single, making him 4 for his last 21. He hit .193 in August.

Of all the Cubs, Fukudome's bat looks the most tired as he tries to grind his way through his first 162-game major league season.

Piniella grudgingly admitted that hitters can develop a tired bat.

"Yeah, it can happen, especially when it's your first year," Piniella said.

"It's a long season and you have to get used to it. The first year is the toughest, then it becomes a little easier. You've got to battle through it."