The one that got away from Cubs

PITTSBURGH -- Alfonso Soriano just may be the most maddening player in all of baseball.

Soriano giveth.

Soriano giveth away.

If the Cubs played hockey, Soriano would be a "minus" player for the season.

More Coverage Links Anatomy of a tough loss Hoping for home cookin' Soriano was in the middle of just about everything Sunday in another excruciating extra-inning loss to the Pirates, this one a 6-5, 11-inning mind-bender.The Cubs' $136 million man did hit a 2-run homer in a 4-run fourth inning as the Cubs came back from a 2-0 deficit.But the play that will have most people talking this morning happened in the ninth, when Soriano was playing the field -- a place where he has become a measurable liability.The Cubs were on the verge of a 5-4 victory with Brian Bixler on first base. Nate McLouth lifted a flyball to Soriano in the sun field. He drew a bead on the ball, but at the last second he appeared to turn away as he lost it in the sun. The ball hit Soriano's glove and bounded away, allowing Bixler to come all the way home.That cost Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol a save #8230; and gave him a blown save.In the 11th, Jason Bay drove home the game-winner for a second straight game with a line single past Soriano.Afterward, Cubs manager Lou Piniella held a 24-second news conference after blowing off the media the previous night following a 14-inning loss.No reporters were able to get a question off after the 24-second Lou Clock expired."Yeah, tough loss," an agitated Piniella said. "Look, let's just regroup at home, forget about what happened and go about our business. That's all I've got to say about this, the last two days."Too many mistakes, you're going to get beat, especially on the road in close games. Outside of that, let's go get the Dodgers on Monday and go from there. Thanks."Soriano, whom the Cubs have through 2014, has shown an aversion to walls. In the first inning, the Pirates' Luis Rivas hit a ball off the top of the padded wall in left.Third-base umpire Wally Bell ruled home run, even though it appeared the ball hit the top of the wall and bounced back onto the field, which would have made it in play. It looked like Soriano might have had a play."I'm not sure where the ball hit," Soriano said. "I don't know if it hit at the wall or what because I jumped to try to catch that ball, but I don't know where the ball hit."On the fateful ninth-inning drop, Soriano explained it thusly: "I waited to the last moment to try to catch the ball, but it's in the sun. When it came off the bat, I saw it very clear, but at the last moment #8230; it was very tough to catch the ball because I never saw it in the sun."I stayed as long as I could to try to catch the ball, but it's very tough when you don't see the ball to try to catch it. It hit me in my glove, but I didn't see the ball."The Cubs finished the road trip a with a disappointing 2-4 record. Starting pitcher Ted Lilly lasted 6 innings and gave up a pair of homers to Rivas and 1 to Xavier Nady."I feel like I spoiled some opportunities to take advantage of us scoring some runs early in the game, another opportunity to give us some innings, especially after last night's game," Lilly said.As far as Marmol suffering the blown save, he wouldn't blame Soriano."This is the game," he said. "You're going to see a lot of things happen in games. What can I say?"Pirates 6, Cubs 5 (11)At the plate: Alfonso Soriano hit his 11th home run, a 2-run shot in the Cubs' 4-run third inning. Aramis Ramirez had 2 singles and 2 RBI. Mark DeRosa had 2 hits.On the mound: Lefty Ted Lilly gave up 10 hits and 4 runs in 6 innings. Lilly surrendered 3 homers. Jose Ascanio worked a scoreless inning. Carlos Marmol suffered a blown save because Soriano dropped Nate McLouth's flyball with two outs in the ninth and the Cubs ahead 5-4. The play was scored a double.