MLB
Scores/Schedules Standings
Statistics
Transactions
Injuries
Players
Message board
Weekly lineup

  Friday, May 5 3:20pm ET
Sosa homer can't keep Pirates from winning
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

CHICAGO (AP) -- Wil Cordero and Luis Sojo took advantage of Wrigley Field and the wind. The Chicago Cubs didn't.

Cordero and Sojo each hit solo homers Friday to support Todd Ritchie and lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Chicago Cubs 4-2.

Todd Ritchie
Ritchie

"I heard a lot of things about this place from guys," said Sojo, who was playing in Wrigley for the first time. "If you hit the ball in the air, you know it's going to go."

Sammy Sosa hit his 10th home run with one out in the fourth, and Eric Young hit a leadoff homer in the eighth for the Cubs.

Cubs manager Don Baylor was miffed at missed opportunities.

"We can't really put big innings together," said Baylor, who noticed the wind blowing out at 18 mph. "You give up four runs in the ballpark when the wind's blowing out and you're not taking advantage of the ballpark."

Baylor doesn't want his players looking for home runs, either.

"We never advanced a runner," he said. "Contact -- that's all you're looking for a lot of times."

"He's really a stickler about those things," Young said of Baylor. "More importantly, he's concerned about the approach in situations like that. Knowing that with runners at second and third, nobody out, just getting a good at-bat -- we have to do the little things to win ballgames."

Ritchie (2-1) gave up two runs and eight hits and one walk in 7 1/3 innings, striking out eight.

"I just want to keep the ball low, get ground balls and not give up homers with men on base," Ritchie said.

Mike Williams got three outs for his fourth save in five opportunities as the Pirates won for the seventh time in their last 12 games. Pirates manager Gene Lamont said Ritchie's effort was key.

"He's probably been our most consistent starter this year and last," Lamont said.

Kevin Tapani (1-4) lost for the 13th time in 14 starts -- his first defeat in six career starts against the Pirates. He gave up four runs on six hits and one walk in seven innings, striking out six.

"I made a couple of mistakes and gave up a solo homer there, and you figure in your own ballpark that that can't beat you," Tapani said.

Cordero hit his third home run with two out in the second.

With one out in the fourth, Jason Kendall was hit by a pitch, advanced on Brian Giles' double and scored on Kevin Young's groundout. Shortstop Ricky Gutierrez bobbled Young's groundball and opted to throw to first rather than home.

Sosa hit a line-drive homer in the fourth to make it 2-1. The ball barely cleared the basket rimming the outfield wall and dropped back onto the field.

"If Sammy hit the ball in the air, you might have been able to trace it to O'Hare (Airport)," Lamont said.

"Juiced or not, Sammy's ball is going out," Ritchie said. "But if (shortstop Pat) Meares jumps, he might get it. It whizzed by him."

Sojo hit his first home run with one out in the fifth, a towering shot that cleared the left field bleachers. One out later, Chad Hermansen doubled and scored on Warren Morris' single to go ahead 4-1.

Game notes
Tapani had ended a 12-game losing streak with a win in his last start April 28 against Arizona. ... Young singled leading off for his 1,000th career hit. ... Damon Buford singled in the third to extend his hitting streak to nine games. ... The Pirates are 5-1 in Ritchie's six starts. The Pirates also are 2-11 at Wrigley Field in the last two seasons.

 


ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard

Pittsburgh Clubhouse

Chicago Cubs Clubhouse


RECAPS
Boston 5
Tampa Bay 3

NY Yankees 12
Baltimore 10

Toronto 11
Cleveland 10

Kansas City 5
Chi. White Sox 1

Detroit 10
Minnesota 8

Texas 17
Oakland 16

Anaheim 6
Seattle 5

Pittsburgh 4
Chicago Cubs 2

Cincinnati 3
St. Louis 2

NY Mets 4
Florida 1

Atlanta 6
Philadelphia 5

Montreal 10
Milwaukee 2

Arizona 5
San Diego 3

Los Angeles 3
Houston 2

San Francisco 5
Colorado 0