Sep 18, 2007, 4:04 GMT
Chicago, IL - Mark DeRosa hit a game-winning single against a five-man infield as the Chicago Cubs stormed back with three runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 7-6, at Wrigley Field.
Trailing 6-4, the Cubs went to work against David Weathers (2-6) in the ninth. Ryan Theriot drew a lead-off walk, Derrek Lee singled and Aramis Ramirez slapped a two-run triple past a diving Norris Hopper in center that rolled all the way to the wall and tied the game.
Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward was intentionally walked before Cincinnati brought Hopper in from center field. DeRosa then battled to a 2-1 count before chopping a hard grounder off the glove of Reds' second baseman Brandon Phillips, sending pinch-runner Sam Fuld home with the winning run.
DeRosa finished 5-for-5 -- including a solo homer in a back-to-back effort with Cliff Floyd in the third inning.
'Honestly I didn't do what I wanted to do in that situation with the five infielders,' DeRosa said. 'I was looking for something up I could put in the outfield.'
The win went to Will Ohman (2-4) who pitched a perfect ninth for Chicago, which has won six of its last seven games and maintains a one-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Brewers beat the Astros, 6-0, on Monday.
Cubs starter Rich Hill allowed four runs on seven hits, with a walk and seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
'This wasn't luck,' said Cubs mananger Lou Piniella. 'We didn't play a real good ball game, but we were able to win it.'
Jeff Keppinger fell a home run short of the cycle and scored a pair of runs for Cincinnati, which has dropped three straight games. Phillips also had three hits and a run scored, while starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo helped himself at the plate with two hits. Arroyo gave up four runs and nine hits, walked a pair and fanned six over 5 1/3 innings.
Cincinnati took the lead in the third, as David Ross doubled to open the frame, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Hopper's ground out to short.
Chicago answered with back-to-back blasts in the home half following a walk to Ramirez. The first long ball came off the bat of Floyd, who lined an Arroyo offering to right for a two-run blast. DeRosa then clubbed a solo shot to left, giving the Cubs a 3-1 lead.
The Reds went back on top in the fifth, as Arroyo's lead-off single ignited a three-run rally. Hopper followed with a base hit, Arroyo went to third on an error by Lee and scored on Keppinger's single to left. A one-out single by Phillips tied the game and Adam Dunn's fielder's choice grounder gave Cincinnati a 4-3 edge.
The Cubs tied it in the home half on Jacque Jones' single to right, but the seesaw battle continued as the Reds tacked on two more in the sixth.
Arroyo singled with one down and Hopper reached on a fielder's choice grounder, then Keppinger doubled him in. Chicago quickly went to its bullpen, but Scott Eyre gave up an RBI single to Ken Griffey, Jr. to make it 6-4.
Game Notes
The Reds protested the game, saying Piniella made an illegal double switch in the sixth inning because he did not go directly to the home plate umpire...Chicago out-hit Cincinnati, 14-13...Weathers blew his sixth save in 31 chances...Keppinger tripled in the first but did not score...DeRosa also went 5-for-5 against Cincinnati on August 16...Attendance was 39,075.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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