Cubs return to Wrigley after starting Mike Quade era 4-2

CINCINNATI - Mike Quade is coming home in more ways than one Monday.

As far as road trips go, he'll take this one, even though he'd have liked 1 more win.

The Cubs nearly pulled off a 5-1 road trip, but a late-inning 7-5 loss Sunday to the Reds made it 4-2.

Quade completed his first week as Cubs manager on the road. Now, the Prospect High School graduate gets set for a homestand at Wrigley Field, his home ballpark in his hometown area.

Kosuke Fukudome hit a 2-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to tie Sunday's game at 5-5, but a tough throwing error by Fukudome enabled the Reds to score 1 of 2 runs in the bottom of the inning as Cincinnati won to open a 5-game lead over St. Louis in the National League Central.

"Ah, man," Quade said. "Like my first-base coach (Bob Dernier) likes to say, a good fistfight. We didn't end up winning it, but God, they played like a son of a gun.

"We did leave some people on base (10). We pounded on the door all day. We've gotten some big hits on this road trip, and it's been wonderful.

"We got a few today, but we just needed a couple more. I happen to be greedy. You get locked up in the seventh or eighth inning with a club. Whatever the 4-2 was, 5-1 would have been better.

"The kids played. It was a good road trip, today notwithstanding because I am a greedy guy."

Fukudome's homer, his 12th, came off lefty Arthur Rhodes after Geovany Soto opened the eighth with a double.

In the bottom of the inning, Chris Heisey hit a single with one out. Ramon Hernandez singled to right. Fukudome threw to third, but the ball skipped past Aramis Ramirez, allowing 1 run to score.

Cubs reliever Sean Marshall (6-5) later gave up a single to Jonny Gomes.

"I did the best I can to throw to third base," Fukudome said. "It may be my mistake, but if I'm afraid of throwing it to third base, there is nothing I could do."

Ramirez said the hop was too tough to handle.

"That's just a tough hop; nothing I can do," he said. "I tried to keep it in front of me, but it's a tough hop."

The Cubs got 6 innings of 8-hit, 4-run ball out of rookie starter Casey Coleman, who gave up a homer to Jay Bruce in the sixth.

"It's always good to face a team like that," Coleman said. "They've got a really good lineup. I tried to attack the zone like I did the last time (a win in Washington), and they got a few hits in there. They found some holes.

"I tried to minimize the damage and give up 1 run, but against a tough team like that, those runs can come back to hurt you."

The Cubs fell to 55-76, and Quade looks forward to coming home.

"I look forward to every day," he said. "But obviously that will be something special. Opening Day, when I first got the (coaching) job with Lou (former manager Piniella) is always special. So there will be some of that as well.

"My folks are coming in (from Florida). They'll be in the middle of the week. It'll be very exciting for a lot of people."

Quade stays with his brother in Chicago. He has another brother in Barrington and a sister in Indianapolis.

"It'll be family reunion this week for sure," he said.

<p class="factboxheadblack">Bruce Miles' game tracker/p>

<p class="News"><b>Good and bad:</b> Kosuke Fukudome's throwing error allowed the go-ahead run to score in the eighth. He homered in the top half, giving him a career-high 12 for his career in the U.S. He hit 34 in Japan in 2003.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Lineup move:</b> Manager Mike Quade led off with the right-handed hitting Jeff Baker against Reds lefty Travis Wood. Baker singled in each of his first 2 at-bats and walked his third time up.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Stopping skids:</b> Aramis Ramirez's single in the first snapped an 0-for-8 hitless skid. Starlin Castro ended an 0-for-9 with a second-inning single.</p>

<p class="breakhead">Cubs scouting report</p>

<p class="News">Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field</p>

<p class="News"><b>TV:</b> Comcast SportsNet Monday; Comcast SportsNet Plus (CLTV) Tuesday; Channel 9 Wednesday</p>

<p class="News"><b>Radio:</b> WGN 720-AM</p>

<p class="News"><b>Pitching matchups:</b> The Cubs' Carlos Zambrano (5-6) vs. Paul Maholm (7-12) Monday at 7:05 p.m.; Ryan Dempster (12-8) vs. Jeff Karstens (2-10) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.; Tom Gorzelanny (7-8) vs. James McDonald (2-4) Wednesday at 1:20 p.m.</p>

<p class="News"><b>At a glance: </b>The Cubs are 3-9 against the Pirates this year, 2-4 at Wrigley Field. The last time the Cubs were at .500 was at 13-13 on May 4, but then they got swept at Pittsburgh, and the rest is history. The Pirates entered Sunday last in the NL in ERA at 5.07. The Cubs were 13th at 4.36. On offense, the Pirates were last in runs scored, while the Cubs were 12th. Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen are the top two offensive players for Pittsburgh. Jones has 1 homer off Dempster and Zambrano each. Against lefty Maholm, Alfonso Soriano has 4 homers while Aramis Ramirez is 10-for-29 (. 345) with 2 homers. </p>

<p class="News"><b>Next: </b>New York Mets at Wrigley Field, Friday-Sunday</p>

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