Sosa slugs No. 522 in rout of Giants

Sammy Sosa hit a league-leading 13 homers in July. AP

CHICAGO (AP) -- Carlos Zambrano escaped a big jam against baseball's biggest hitter and he wasn't shy about celebrating.

With the bases loaded and the Cubs up by four runs in the fifth inning, Zambrano got Barry Bonds on a soft liner to the mound to end the inning and Chicago went on to win 9-4 Thursday.

The excitable Zambrano pounded himself in the chest and pumped his fists twice as he walked off the field before tossing the ball about 12 rows into the stands behind the Cubs dugout.

"Well, I just try to be myself. I don't try to [embarrass] anybody. He's a big man in baseball," Zambrano said. "It was a situation that was a big deal in the game. I was happy." The Cubs right-hander said after the game that he didn't expect Bonds to be annoyed by his antics.

He was wrong.

"I don't get upset about things like that, brother. He will learn respect eventually. I promise you," Bonds said. "He'll learn respect, I guarantee that."

Zambrano won for the third straight start and Sammy Sosa hit a three-run homer and had an RBI double in the first as the Cubs took two of three from the Giants. Chicago has won four of six from Dusty Baker's old club this season.

Sosa's 23rd homer of the season capped a four-run sixth inning for the Cubs. Sosa, who missed 24 games earlier in the season because of a toe problem and the corked-bat suspension, had 13th homers in July, the most in the major leagues, and 29 RBIs.

"He's a quality guy. As I told you before, nobody loses it that quickly," Baker said. "Sammy missed a lot of time. It's just a matter of repetition, it's just a matter of him having at bats. Sammy Sosa is a long way from through."

Moises Alou hit a two-run double in a four-run first inning against Jim Brower (7-3). Scheduled starter Kirk Rueter was scratched prior to the game because of stiffness in his left shoulder.

During the game, San Francisco acquired 14-game winner Sidney Ponson from Baltimore for right-hander Kurt Ainsworth, left-hander Damian Moss and minor leaguer left-hander Ryan Hannaman.

Zambrano (9-8) allowed four runs, nine hits and five walks in eight innings.

Brower gave up five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits in five innings.

Kenny Lofton and Mark Grudzielanek led off the Cubs' first with singles, and Sosa doubled. Alou followed with a double over center fielder Marquis Grissom, and Damian Miller made it 4-0 with an RBI single.

Eric Karros hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Edgardo Alfonzo's second homer in two days cut it to 5-2 in the sixth. On Wednesday, he ended a 221 at-bat homerless streak with a grand slam.

San Francisco scored twice in the eighth on an RBI groundout by Jose Cruz Jr. and a balk by Zambrano with Andres Galarraga on third base.

Chicago walked Bonds intentionally in the first and unintentionally on four pitches in fourth, but he came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth.

Bonds took a big cut at Zambrano's first pitch, fouling it straight back, then hit a weak liner back to the pitcher.

The Giants slugger appeared to take exception to Zambrano's demonstrative celebration -- the second incident this season between Bonds and a Cubs pitcher.

On May 1, Mark Prior plunked Bonds in third inning of a 5-1 win over San Francisco, causing both benches to clear. Bonds was hit in the upper right leg on a 1-1 curveball two days after he got hit twice on breaking pitches by Kerry Wood. Bonds began walking to the mound and Prior motioned him on as they exchanged words.

Baker defended Zambrano after the game, saying he didn't have any problem with the 22-year-old showing some fire.

"I'd rather have a guy with a lot of emotion and try and settle him down than a guy with no emotion," he said. "I didn't bother me. He's not showing up the opposition or anything. He's just into the ballgame and he's trying to psychic himself."

Giants manager Felipe Alou saw things a differently.

"Hopefully we'll see them in October," he said.

Notes: Rueter was sent back to San Francisco during the game to have an MRI on his shoulder. He threw just two pitches while warming up when the shoulder tightened up. ... Every team the Cubs played in the month of July was above .500. ... Giants reliever Jason Christiansen was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes. After he was kicked out of the game, Christiansen walked off the field and flipped the ball in the direction of plate umpire Sam Holbrook. ... The Giants had won eight of their previous 13 road games. ... Bonds came out of the game in the bottom of the seventh.

 

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