Barrett's slam gives Cubs sweep

CHICAGO -- Michael Barrett hit a grand slam off Jason Isringhausen in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-4, last night to complete a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field.

With St. Louis leading, 4-3, Ricardo Rincon walked Todd Walker to open the eighth. Isringhausen (0-1) relieved and walked Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez on eight pitches to load the bases for Barrett, who homered for the second straight day.

It was Barrett's second career grand slam, and made a winner out of reliever Scott Williamson (1-0), who pitched a scoreless inning. The Cubs scored another run on a wild pitch by Josh Hancock.

Fans chanted ''Sweep!" after Barrett's shot, and the Cubs did just that, finishing their first three-game home sweep of the Cardinals since June 2001.

The win was also the 1,100th for Cubs manager Dusty Baker.

Barrett had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh inning to tie Saturday's game before the Cubs rallied for a 3-2 victory.

Scott Rolen hit a two-run homer in the first, and Albert Pujols singled in two runs in the fifth to give the Cardinals 4-3 lead. Sidney Ponson allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings in his first start since signing with the Cardinals in the offseason but did not figure in the decision.

His lone mistake was a three-run homer by Jacque Jones -- his first hit as a Cub.

Chicago starter Sean Marshall allowed four runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings in his major league debut. He left with a 3-2 lead and the bases loaded in the fifth.

Michael Wuertz, making his first appearance this season, relieved and allowed a two-out, two-run single to Pujols that put the Cardinals ahead.

The 23-year-old Marshall, who had never pitched above Double A, started the game by retiring David Eckstein and Juan Encarnacion on grounders. He then walked Pujols and Rolen hit a 3-2 pitch to left for his second homer.

Marshall retired 10 of the next 11 batters before running into trouble in the fifth.

Jones gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead in the fourth with his homer after two-out singles by Ramirez and Barrett.

Booed after a second-inning grounder that made him 0 for 13 on the season, Jones won the fans over when he lined a 3-2 pitch from Ponson into the shrubs beyond the center-field wall.

Ponson wasn't spectacular, though he was good enough after a disastrous ending last season in Baltimore.

He started 5-1, but lost his last seven decisions to finish at 7-11 before going on the disabled list with a strained right calf and getting released Sept. 1.

After the game, the Cardinals returned to St. Louis to open the new Busch Stadium today against Milwaukee. The Cardinals played a minor league game there last Tuesday, and Ponson was the lone major leaguer to participate.

''Those guys told me to let them know how the mound is, and I like it," Ponson said. ''I think everybody on this pitching staff is going to like it."