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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Leave it to Lieber to get the Chicago Cubs a
victory in their first game back from a distraction-filled and
unsuccessful two-week road trip.
|  | | John Lieber's shutout Monday pushed his ERA down to 3.74. |
Working quickly and throwing the ball across the plate as he
usually does, Jon Lieber pitched a career-best two-hitter for his
second major league shutout Monday as the Cubs beat the Pittsburgh
Pirates 3-0.
"I've said it all along. He should have 11 or 12 wins. We
haven't scored much for him," Cubs catcher Joe Girardi said.
Lieber (7-5) has pitched seven innings-plus in 16 of his 18
starts this season. His approach is basic: get the ball, throw it
quickly and get his team into the dugout.
"It's something I've always done and I really started
concentrating on it more two or three years ago," Lieber said.
"I kind of know the guys don't want to be out there that long.
They want to get in there and hit. And I don't like to be out there
that long. So that's what I try and do, get guys on and off the
field as quickly as possible."
Lieber, 4-0 in five career games against the Pirates, his former
team, gave up singles to Kevin Young in the second and Warren
Morris in the sixth. He walked two and struck out three.
Lieber, who joined the Cubs last season, said beating the
Pirates is not any more special.
"That's just one of those things. I know those guys over there
and they know me, too," he said.
His other shutout was a 9-0 victory over Atlanta on May 14,
1999. Lieber's previous low-hit game was a three-hitter against the
Pirates last Sept. 25.
"Lieber was about as good as we've seen him. He just
overmatched us," Pirates manager Gene Lamont said.
"He just didn't leave much over the plate," Pirates center
fielder Brian Giles said. "He got ahead, pitched well to both
sides and that didn't leave much for us to do anything with."
The victory was just the fourth in 13 games for the Cubs after a
two-week trip filled with daily trade rumors about Sammy Sosa.
Sosa, whose future is still unclear, went 0-for-4 with two
strikeouts.
Sosa, looking for a contract extension, got a rousing ovation
from the bleacher fans in right field when he raced to his position
to start the game.
"They showed me a lot of love today and that makes me really
happy," Sosa said. "I always say I want to stay here in Chicago.
I never said I wanted to leave. Let's see what happens. I don't
have any control about it, but I still love Chicago. And I'm still
here."
Pirates starter Francisco Cordova, who spent time on the
disabled list with an elbow problem earlier this season, left
because of a sore elbow after he came out to warm up in the fifth.
Lamont said he would probably miss his next start.
Cordova (5-7), also the subject of recent trade talk, gave up
four hits and a run in four innings and that scored because of his
own error. Damon Buford singled in the third, advanced to third on
a sacrifice and grounder and then scored when Cordova couldn't come
up with Girardi's grounder to the mound.
The Cubs added a run off Josias Manzanillo, after he replaced
Cordova, on Girardi's RBI double in the fifth. Henry Rodriguez hit
his 15th homer leading off the bottom of the eighth to make it 3-0.
He has homered in three straight games.
Game
notes
The Pirates had beaten the Cubs four straight at Wrigley
before Monday. Pittsburgh still leads the season series 5-2. ...
The Pirates have lost 12 of 16 road games. ... Through 81 games,
the Cubs are 33-48. Last year they were 38-43. The Pirates are
34-47 to go a season-low 13 games under .500. Last year after 81
games, they were 40-41. ... The game was played in fall-like
conditions with a game-time temperature of 67 degrees and a north
wind at 18 mph. ... Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie" fame led
the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the
seventh-inning stretch. ... The crowd of 40,524 was the largest of
the season and pushed total attendance at Wrigley Field over 100
million. The Cubs moved into Wrigley Field in 1916 when it was
known as Weegham Park. ... The Pirates activated left-hander Scott
Sauerbeck from the disabled list and optioned right-hander Bronson
Arroyo to Triple-A Nashville.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
Sosa says respect, not money, is what he craves
RECAPS
Toronto 6
Baltimore 4
Detroit 5
Tampa Bay 4
Chi. White Sox 14
Kansas City 10
Boston 11
Minnesota 8
Texas 8
Oakland 3
Seattle 8
Anaheim 6
Chicago Cubs 3
Pittsburgh 0
Cincinnati 3
Arizona 2
Florida 2
NY Mets 0
Montreal 17
Atlanta 1
Philadelphia 5
Milwaukee 3
Colorado 3
San Diego 1
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