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Deep impact Sosa's 520-foot blast highlights Cubs' rout of BrewersPosted: Tuesday June 24, 2003 11:55 PMUpdated: Wednesday June 25, 2003 2:15 AM
CHICAGO (AP) -- For now, Sammy Sosa will let his bat do the talking. Sosa hit two of the Cubs' six home runs, including a shot estimated at 520 feet, as Chicago defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 Tuesday night. It was Sosa's first multihomer game of the season and 59th of his career. Sosa declined to talk to reporters after the game. On Friday, Sosa said he isn't going to talk to the media for 2-to-3 weeks. Cubs manager Dusty Baker isn't sure whether Sosa is more relaxed since boycotting the media. Earlier this month, Sosa was suspended for seven games for using a corked bat. "I don't know. I have yet to talk to him abt it, but I will," he said. Kerry Wood, Mark Grudzielanek and Alex Gonzalez hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. Corey Patterson also homered for the Cubs. The Cubs hit consecutive homers off Ruben Quevedo in the first inning, when they brought nine batters to the plate. Patterson hit a two-run homer to left field and Sosa followed with a 420-foot shot to center. It was Sosa's first home run at Wrigley Field since April 17. Ramon Martinez added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. Quevedo (1-4) got just two outs, giving up four runs on five hits and walking one. In the fifth, Sosa hit his ninth homer of the season, which carried over Waveland Avenue and landed on Kenmore Avenue. That prompted the capacity crowd of 40,389 to give Sosa a standing ovation and brought the slugger out for a curtain call. "That was one of the longest ones I have seen," said Baker. I couldn't tell how far it went. I lost sight of it after a while."
Sosa finished 3-for-3. "That's probably the longest ball I have seen hit here, that's just amazing," said Wood. Wood believes that Sosa is finally warming up. "He's been getting there the last week or so, but today it looked like he was locked in. That was outstanding to see and if he gets hot, look out." Wood (7-5) pitched seven innings, scattering eight hits and allowed only one run. Wood also hit his sixth career home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning off Milwaukee reliever Luis Vizcaino. Grudzielanek followed with a home run that chased Vizcaino. Gonzalez greeted Brooks Kieschnick with a homer to left on an 0-1 pitch, giving the Cubs a 9-1 lead. It was the ninth time in Cubs history that they have hit three homers in a row. The last time was on Sept. 29, 2001, when Fred McGriff, Rondell White and Todd Hundley did it against Houston. Wood finally got some help from the Chicago offense, which has averaged just 2.8 runs in his last 11 outings. That stretch includes the Cubs' 4-2 win in 17 innings at Milwaukee on May 15, when Wood threw seven scoreless innings. Martinez drove in another run in the third when he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Sosa to make it 5-1. Geoff Jenkins homered off Wood in the first inning. Milwaukee catcher Eddie Perez and manager Ned Yost were ejected in the bottom of the eighth for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Andy Fletcher.
"It was a difference of opinion, just balls and strikes," said Yost.
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