Sep 16, 2007, 21:42 GMT
St. Louis, MO - Matt Murton's three-run homer powered a four- run third inning, and Jason Marquis and the Cubs bullpen made that inning stand up as Chicago topped the Cardinals, 4-2, to take three of four from St. Louis.
Marquis (12-8) held the Cardinals to five hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings, fanning four and walking two. Geovany Soto finished 4-for-5 for the Cubs, who have won five of six to stay one game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers, who topped the Reds, 5-2, on Sunday. Ryan Dempster picked up his 28th save with a scoreless ninth.
Skip Schumaker, who entered in the eighth as a pinch-hitter, drove in both runs for the Cardinals. Mark Mulder (0-3) lasted only three innings, allowing seven hits and four runs for St. Louis, which put an end to its nine-game losing streak in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, but has dropped 10 of 11, falling all but out of the pennant race in the NL Central, seven games behind the first-place Cubs.
The Cubs did all their damage in the third. Alfonso Soriano led off with a double to center, and Mark DeRosa walked, but Derrek Lee grounded into a double play, moving Soriano to third with two outs. Aramis Ramirez then walked, putting runners at the corners, and Murton followed with a long fly ball to left, his seventh homer of the season, giving the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Craig Monroe then roped a ground-rule double to right, and moved to third on Soto's infield single. Ronny Cedeno then singled up the middle, plating another run for a 4-0 Chicago lead.
The Cardinals threatened to score in the sixth. Aaron Miles singled to left to lead things off, and Rick Ankiel followed with a single to right. Albert Pujols flied out to left, though, and Jim Edmonds struck out. Ryan Ludwick walked, loading the bases with two outs for Scott Spiezio, who grounded out to second to end the inning.
St. Louis finally scored in the eighth, when pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo doubled to left, moved to third on a Carlos Marmol wild pitch, and came home on Schumaker's pinch-single to right. Marmol proceeded to walk Ankiel and Pujols with two outs, loading the bases for Edmonds, who popped up to first to end the threat.
Schumaker drove in another run in the eighth, singling in Ludwick with two outs, but Aaron Miles popped out to end the inning.
Game Notes
The teams combined to leave 25 runners on base. Chicago stranded 14, while the Cardinals left 11...The Cubs have hit 24 home runs in 17 games in September, already surpassing the 13 homers they hit in July, and the 19 they hit in August. They have homered in 10 straight games, their longest streak since homering in 12 straight in August of 2006...The Cubs won the season series, 11-5...This was the first four-game series loss for the Cards all season.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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