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 It was just the third win in eight games for Chicago, and lifted the Cubs into a first-place tie with Milwaukee, which lost 9-0 at Pittsburgh. St. Louis is three games back of the NL Central leaders.
"I didn't even think about it. Whether you're in first, second or third, you got to win baseball games," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said before watching his team get 17 hits.
St. Louis, which started the day three back of the Brewers, lost its fourth straight and dropped to 69-72.
Both teams made a quick detour to play the makeup, caused by an Aug. 19 rainout.
The Cardinals came to Chicago from Arizona and didn't land until around 11:30 p.m. Sunday night. Next, the World Series champions have three games at Cincinnati.
The Cubs arrived home from Pittsburgh and head to the road for a critical swing that takes them to Houston for three games and St. Louis for four.
"This little stretch here favors the Milwaukee situation because of the fact the two teams closest to them are playing each other," Piniella said. "This week will tell a lot, starting today and ending Sunday. It will tell a whole lot about what is going to happen in this division and how close it will be."
Lilly (15-7) matched his career high for victories, set last year with the Blue Jays. He allowed five hits, including homers to Jim Edmonds and So Taguchi, and struck out seven in seven innings.
Derrek Lee and Ramirez homered in a five-run fourth and Ramirez added a second solo shot in a four-run eighth.
Joel Pineiro (4-3) gave up two homers, three doubles and a single in a span of seven batters in the fourth. Lee led off with his 18th homer and, one out later, Ramirez followed with his 21st for a 3-1 lead.
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Mark DeRosa singled and then Jacque Jones, Jason Kendall and Lilly all lined RBI doubles in succession to finish Pineiro, who beaten the Cubs at Wrigley three weeks ago. Pineiro lasted 3 1-3 innings, his shortest outing in eight starts since the Cardinals acquired him July 31 from Boston, where he'd been a reliever.
Chicago loaded the bases in the fifth against Brian Falkenborg on a walk, double by Ramirez and hit batter, and Jones hit an RBI single to make it 7-1.
One pitch after Lilly knocked him down with a high-and-tight offering, Taguchi hit a two-run homer in the sixth. DeRosa had been drilled in the arm by Falkenborg the previous inning.
Kelvin Jimenez hit Kendall in the seventh, loading the bases, and Yadier Molina's passed ball allowed Chicago's eighth run to cross.
Cliff Floyd had a two-out RBI single in the first after a double by Lee. Edmonds' 11th homer tied the game in the second.
Notes: Cardinals OF Chris Duncan returned to St. Louis on Monday morning to have a sore groin examined. ... The Cubs are 8-4 against the Cardinals. Next weekend's series in St. Louis features a day-night doubleheader on Saturday, and Lilly is scheduled to pitch in one of those games. ... Plate umpire Ed Rapuano was momentarily shaken up in the seventh when he was hit by Alfonso Soriano's bat. The bat went out of Soriano's hands as he hit a fly ball and the bat struck Rapuano, initially knocking him to his knees. After several minutes attention from Cubs trainer Mark O'Neal, he stayed in the game. ... The Cubs passed 3 million in attendance for the fourth straight season, this time in 75 home dates
-- the fastest ever.
[Associated Press;
by Rick Gano]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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