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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- With Kevin Tapani in the game, the Cincinnati
Reds could barely get a hit, let alone a run. Take him out, though,
and things change in a hurry.
|  | | Sammy Sosa hits a three-run homer in the fifth inning Friday off Reds pitcher Rob Bell at Wrigley Field. But the Reds hit three homers in the eighth to rally for the win. |
After Tapani left with a knee injury, Ken Griffey Jr., Dmitri
Young and Pokey Reese homered in the eighth inning off reliever
Steve Rain as the Cincinnati Reds rallied for a 6-4 victory Friday over the Chicago Cubs.
Sammy Sosa hit his 36th home run, tying him with Gary Sheffield
for the major league lead.
"Tap's been tough on us all year," Reds manager Jack McKeon
said. "You're always glad to see him out of the game."
Tapani pitched seven scoreless innings and the Reds were in
danger of being shut out for the first time this season. But after
giving up singles to pinch-hitter Alex Ochoa and Chris Stynes in
the eighth, manager Don Baylor sent the trainers out to check
Tapani's right knee. Tapani, who has had tendinitis knee all
season, left with a 4-0 lead.
With the left-handed Griffey looming and lefties hitting only
.154 against Rain (3-2), Baylor went with him over Felix Heredia.
Two batters later, though, Griffey homered to right-center to cut
Chicago's lead to 4-3.
"Steve Rain has gotten hitters out all year," Baylor said. "I
never thought he was going to give up a homer on a split finger."
He did, though. Rain struck out Dante Bichette, but then gave up
a single to Sean Casey and back-to-back homers to Young and Reese.
Young's homer came on a splitter.
Baylor pulled Rain, and the fans booed Rain as he left the
field. He gave up four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an
inning.
"I didn't think (the splitter) was as sharp today. If it was,
they probably wouldn't have hit them," said Rain, who still looked
distraught a half-hour after the game ended. "Right now, I don't
want to face the guys. I just want to get out of here."
Reliever Mark Wohlers (1-1) got his first win since Sept. 4,
1997. He pitched one inning, walking one and striking out two. He
also made an error on a throw to first.
Wohlers lost his ability to throw strikes after he got hurt in
1998. The Atlanta Braves traded him to the Reds, who sent him to
the minors to try to work out his problems last season.
"It's not like I went out there and pitched eight scoreless
innings," Wohlers said. "It's like being in the right place at
the right time. I didn't ask for the game ball or anything." Danny Graves pitched the eighth and ninth for his 19th save in
22 chances.
Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin returned to the lineup after
missing five games with a sprained knee and went 0-for-5.
Sosa hit a three-run shot in the fifth. With two outs, Eric
Young had reached second on an error by Griffey. Griffey had
started for right-center as soon as Young hit the ball, but
Bichette went after it, too. Griffey appeared to pull up when he
saw Bichette coming at him, and the ball glanced off his glove.
"I just couldn't hear Bichette and he couldn't hear me,"
Griffey said. "We were both calling for the ball."
It didn't end up mattering, anyway. "Let's just say Griffey made up for his miscue," Dmitri Young said.
Eric Young stole third, his 40th stolen base of the season, and
Rob Bell walked Ricky Gutierrez to bring up Sosa. The fans knew it
was gone as soon as he made contact, roaring as Bell's 0-1 pitch
sailed over the fence in left field.
"It was one of those days you think you have the opportunity.
We're thinking we're going to win this game," Sosa said. "It
doesn't happen and we're like, 'Wow -- we let that one get away.'"
Game notes
Young's 40 steals are the most for a Cubs player since
1985. ... Cubs RHP pitcher Kerry Wood, still bothered by a strained
muscle in his rib cage, will miss his next start. Wood has been on
the disabled list since Sunday, retroactive to July 30. ... The
crowd of 40,586 was the largest at Wrigley Field since Sept. 13,
1998, when the Cubs played the Milwaukee Brewers.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve Rain feels bad about his outing on Friday.
wav: 77 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Don Baylor says his bullpen has to get the job done.
wav: 100 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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