Cubs Score 5 in the 8th, Put Mets Away
Cubs Win 7-1
CHICAGO -- Ronny Cedeno wasn't supposed to start, but he came through with a clutch, two-out, two-run single. Felix Pie has spent the last weekwatching more video of his swing than the actual games, and he delivered a three-run homer. And Kosuke Fukudome did exactly what he's been doing since Day1, keeping an inning alive with a single after a 10-pitch at-bat.
All of that came in the eighth inning Monday night, a confidence booster for the Cubs, as they posted a 7-1 win over the New York Mets.
Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer, and Pie added his three-run shot to back Carlos Zambrano and power the Cubs, now 13-6 to open the season for the firsttime since 1985. Think about it: In April 2007, the Cubs won 10 games.
"These kids are playing ball," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "The confidence has slowly been building. We just have to go out and play.It's good to see. We still have a ways to go. We're pleased with the progress, and we just have to keep going."
Zambrano (3-1) scattered five hits, walked two and struck out four over seven innings. He was grooving his sinker at the right time, inducing four doubleplays.
"When my sinker is going good, which is my best pitch, I throw it in any situation, like ground ball or strikeout," Zambrano said. "It'sgood to have a good sinker. That was basically what I did today was use my sinker."
Ramirez homered in the fourth, driving in Derrek Lee, who had singled. The Cubs third baseman launched the first pitch from John Maine (1-2) into thebleachers in left-center. Maine struck out six and gave up five hits over six innings.
The Mets closed to 2-1 in the sixth, when Endy Chavez doubled, advanced on a sacrifice and scored as Jose Reyes hit into a double play.
Then came the Chicago eighth. Reyes couldn't get his glove on Lee's grounder to start the inning for an error, and Ramirez was hit by a pitch byAaron Heilman. Fukudome outlasted Heilman in a 10-pitch at-bat and singled to load the bases. The Japanese outfielder leads the Major Leagues, seeing 4.58pitches per plate appearance.
"It came from my lack of ability to connect on a ball that could've been hit for a base hit," Fukudome said through interpreter Ryuji Araki."That's why I fouled a lot of the pitches."
It seems like the rest of the Cubs are more patient this year, too. Maybe they're copying him?
"Perhaps it just seems that way," Fukudome said.
Mark DeRosa then struck out, and Geovany Soto popped up. Cedeno, starting in place of Ryan Theriot, whose back locked up before the game, had another goodat-bat, which ended with a two-run single to center for a 4-1 lead.
"I saw DeRosa and Soto swing too hard in that situation, so I tried to keep my swing more short," Cedeno said. "This guy [Heilman] has goodstuff. I said, 'I'll take it to the middle,' and that's what I did, was take it to the middle."
Heilman exited, and Pie greeted Jorge Sosa with his first home run. The young outfielder pumped his fist as he ran the bases. He hasn't started sinceApril 15, as the Cubs try to improve his swing.
"It's a good feeling -- something in my life I'll never forget," Pie said.
