Soto caps big day for Cubs with game-winning homer
Geovany Soto was in the middle of just about everything Sunday.
He nursed a rookie pitcher through 6 innings.
He withstood a hard hit at home plate to record an out.
And, perhaps fittingly, he provided a hit of his own, a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to left the Cubs to a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field.
"How about that, huh?" manager Mike Quade said. "Take one in the face on the play at the plate and do that. He's a lot tougher than people know."
Soto's main job is to call a game, and he helped rookie Casey Coleman out after Coleman gave up 4 runs during a 37-pitch second inning as the Astros went up 4-0.
Marlon Byrd hit a 2-run homer in the Cubs' 3-run third.
In the fourth, Michael Bourn led off for the Astros with a double and went to third on Jeff Keppinger's bunt. Hunter Pence then grounded one to third baseman Jeff Baker, who fired home
Bourn bowled over Soto, but Soto held on to the ball and got the out.
"The main part is to hang on to the ball, like it's your life," Soto said. "I'm glad I did it. He hit me pretty good. I held on to the ball, and that's what counts there. It was a clean hit, and I went back. It was fine."
Baker's RBI double tied the game against lefty Wandy Rodriguez in the fifth. Soto's homer, a drive over the bleachers in left-center, came off Wilton Lopez with two outs in the eighth.
It was Soto's 17th of the year. He has a hitting line of .284/.399/.521 in what has been a solid season coming off last year's sophomore slump.
"I worked hard in the off-season," he said. "After last season, I looked at myself in the mirror. I needed to make some adjustment and pick it up.
"Now, it's paying off, and hopefully it will keep paying off."
Coleman got relief help from Marcos Mateo, Andrew Cashner (2-5) and Carlos Marmol, who earned his 28th save.
"It was rough," Coleman said. "I was trying to make the best pitch every at-bat and every pitch out there. I think I was just getting too fine. I fell behind in the count, and that was the story all day."
Iowa finished: Manager Ryne Sandberg's Class AAA Iowa farm club had its season end Sunday with a 7-6 loss to Memphis, which overcame a 6-3 deficit and scored a run in the top of the ninth to win.
The two teams finished with 82-62 records, but Memphis held the tiebreaker advantage and will advance to the Pacific League playoffs while Iowa will go home.
Sandberg, the Cubs Hall of Famer, won Manager of the Year honors in the PCL.
Ramirez sits: Third baseman Aramis Ramirez sat out after straining his right quadriceps Sunday. The team doctor examined Ramirez on Monday, and the Cubs said they don't believe the injury is serious. It's possible Ramirez could start tonight.
Ups and downs: Young relievers James Russell and Thomas Diamond had a rough day Sunday, but Mike Quade got scoreless innings out of rookies Marcos Mateo and Andrew Cashner on Monday.
"You've got to find a way to turn the page," Quade said. "We've had those kind of games in the past where they've struggled and they've put together a nice little run. We had a little lapse there, but it's a new day.
"If you can't put stuff like that behind you in the bullpen, you're not going to be an effective bullpen guy.
"That's not to say it's easy. It's not to say that your confidence can't be hurt from one outing or a tough outing. But you've got to be able to put it behind you, and I think they will."
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