Sweeping success for Cubs
Mark Prior pitched six scoreless innings for his first win in more than a month, and the Chicago Cubs won their fourth straight by completing a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, 5-1, yesterday in Denver.
Derrek Lee and Corey Patterson each hit a solo home run for the Cubs, who moved a season-high 12 games over .500 (60-48) and swept Colorado at Coors Field for the first time. It was the Cubs' first sweep against the Rockies in 10 years -- since they took three straight July 18-20, 1994, at Mile High Stadium.
Prior (3-2) got his first win since beating the White Sox, 7-4, June 25, a span of six starts. Glendon Rusch pitched 2 1/3 solid innings for his first save. He allowed a two-out triple in the ninth by pinch hitter Kit Pellow, who scored when Sammy Sosa bobbled the ball in right for an error. Nomar Garciaparra went 0 for 5 and is 4 for 18 with three RBIs in his first four games with the Cubs after being traded from the Red Sox Saturday. But he made several nice plays at shortstop despite being clobbered a few times by the Rockies' aggressive baserunning.Dodgers 8, Pirates 3 -- Milton Bradley hit two home runs, including one of three straight by host Los Angeles in the first, and the Dodgers beat Pittsburgh to finish their first season sweep of any NL team since moving to the West Coast in 1958. Jayson Werth, Adrian Beltre, and Jose Hernandez also homered for the West-leading Dodgers, who outscored the Pirates, 30-16, in their six meetings and outhomered them 13-3.
Jeff Weaver (9-10) allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings and struck out five, leading the Dodgers to their 24th win in 30 games to put them a season-high 21 games over .500. They are 22-5 against Pittsburgh the last four seasons.
Marlins 11, Diamondbacks 5 -- Carl Pavano pitched into the eighth inning on three days' rest and hit an RBI single, as Florida snapped a season-worst four-game losing streak in Phoenix. Paul Lo Duca and Miguel Cabrera homered for the Marlins, who also stopped a five-game skid on the road.
Pavano (12-4) won his third straight to match his career-high victory total, allowing five runs on seven hits. Reds 12, Giants 3 -- Aaron Harang pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, and Sean Casey went 4 for 5 with four RBIs in visiting Cincinnati's victory over slumping San Francisco.Mets 11, Brewers 6 -- At Milwaukee, David Wright homered and drove in six runs, helping Victor Zambrano win in his debut for New York.
