No Sosa, no problem
Cubs' Hernandez comes up big as Chicago wins 5th straight
Posted: Sunday July 05, 1998 07:39 PM
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Hot Jose: Hernandez is hitting .375 with a homer and seven RBIs in July (AP) |
CHICAGO (AP) -- The crowd of 38,742 was chanting "Sammy, Sammy" for
All-Star Sammy
Sosa, but he was sidelined.
Instead, Jose
Hernandez gave the crowd something to keep them cheering.
Hernandez hit a tie-breaking two-run single with two outs in the eighth
inning Sunday, completing a late comeback and giving the Chicago Cubs their fifth
straight win, 7-6 over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sosa did not play and will miss Tuesday's All-Star Game because of a sore
left shoulder.
"I'm a human being. It can happen to me, it can happen to anybody," Sosa
said.
Coming back from a deficit has been happening a lot to the Cubs, who posted
their 26th come-from-behind win. Chicago trailed 5-0 in the seventh before
Hernandez hit a two-run single. In the eighth, Matt Mieske
singled, Mark
Grace walked and Manny
Alexander reached on an error by third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
"It was a short hop and I rushed it," Ramirez said. "I was trying to turn a
double play before I caught the ball."
Rich Loiselle (1-6) walked Scott Servais
to force in a run, and Jeff Blauser
followed with a double down the right-field line to tie the game, 5-5.
"He throws hard so you don't have to do a whole lot except see the ball and
let it go," Blauser said.
Pinch-hitter Kevin
Orie walked to load the bases, and Hernandez hit the next pitch to
right-center to make it 7-5.
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Been a while: Lou Collier's (right) three-run shot in the fourth inning was his first homer since April 30 -- a span of 130 at-bats (AP) | |
"The guy was struggling to throw strikes," Hernandez said of Loiselle. "He
gave me a chance by throwing a fastball. I got lucky."
"Rich has been inconsistent," Pirates manager Gene Lamont said. "It seems
like he doesn't have a good feel. It's been a tussle for him."
Dave Stevens (1-0) picked up the win with one inning of hitless relief. Rod Beck allowed Jason
Kendall's RBI single before recording his 23rd save. Beck has saved all
five wins in the Cubs' streak.
"As long as we win by one, that's all that matters," Beck said.
Rookie Lou
Collier, a Chicago native, hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Kevin Young
added a solo homer in the seventh for the Pirates.
"Hopefully, [the break] will clear our minds and we'll come back and play
like we should," said Lamont, whose team has lost eight of its last 10
games.
One year ago, Pittsburgh led the NL Central Division with a 43-43 record
and the Cubs were in last place at 37-50. Now, Chicago is 48-39 and in
second place behind Houston.
"I think we've got the guys we need to win the division," Beck said. "Is it
necessary [to add players]? No, I don't think so. If it would be handy,
then yes."
Pittsburgh starter Jon Lieber gave
up two runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out nine, one shy of
his career high.
Cubs starter Mark
Clark gave up five runs on 12 hits over seven innings.
Notes: Sosa was scratched from the lineup because of a sore left
shoulder and will not participate in the All-Star Game. Sosa, who was the
Cubs lone representative, also will skip the home run hitting contest but
planned on attending the festivities. He has 33 home runs and 81 RBI at the
break. ... Pedro
Valdes, starting in place of Sosa, left the game after three innings
with a strained left foot. His status was day to day. ... Former Chicago
Bears coach Mike Ditka was late getting to the broadcast booth for the
seventh inning stretch and led the fans in a hurried rendition of "Take Me
Out to the Ball Game." The crowd of 38,742 wasn't satisfied and sang the
song again on its own.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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