Cubs beat Pirates with 7-run 8th

PITTSBURGH - Scoring 14 runs will mask a lot of problems, and the Cubs had plenty of problems in a sloppy 14-9 victory Tuesday night over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

First, the good news for the Cubs. Catcher Geovany Soto had a career night with 7 RBI, capped by a 3-run double in a 7-run eighth inning.

The Cubs reached double figures in runs for the second straight night, improving to 82-50, putting them 32 games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 15, 1984.

Now for those pesky problems.

Starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano saw his August ERA rise to a not-so-august 7.42 by giving up 8 hits and 6 runs in 4 innings.

Zambrano also engaged in some of his on-field and in-dugout histrionics, jumping around on the mound and taking out his frustration once again on a pair of Gatorade coolers in the dugout.

"We've had some - some - I don't know what the word is - here in Pittsburgh - we've had some long games," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

Things were bad from the get-go for Zambrano in this game, which took nearly four hours to play. The Pirates put across 3 runs in the first inning, when Zambrano threw 31 of his 98 pitches for the night.

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild visited Zambrano once in the first before Zambrano took out his frustration in the dugout. Zambrano gave up a pair of hits in the second, prompting a visit from Piniella.

The Cubs got 1 run in the third and 4 in the fourth, 3 coming on a double by Soto. The Pirates got 1 run back in the home half before the end came for Zambrano in the fifth, when Piniella visited twice, the final time to take out the erstwhile ace.

"I just have to work on my delivery, and that's it," said Zambrano, whose ERA is up to 3.53. "The most important thing is we're winning."

Zambrano had a rough August last year, going 0-4 with a 7.06 ERA. He said nothing is physically wrong with him.

"I think I have to eliminate August," he said. "Once I pass August, everything will be back to normal."

Left fielder Alfonso Soriano, who had a key misplay here earlier in the year, dropped a ball in the Pirates' 2-run sixth while hopping to make the catch.

"I don't know what happened, but I maybe have to concentrate more so that doesn't happen again," he said.

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