Cubs Top Brews 6-3; Dempster Notches Win

[April 04, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Former closer Ryan Dempster was a winner in his return to the rotation, Aramis Ramirez homered and Alfonso Soriano had two RBIs Thursday as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3.

Moved back to the leadoff spot after hitting second the first two games, Soriano drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to force in the go-ahead run and added an RBI single in the sixth to snap a season-starting 0-for-11 slump.

Starter-turned-closer Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his first career save as the Cubs averted an opening three-game sweep.

Dempster made his first start since May 4, 2005 -- when he was in his second season with the Cubs, began the year in the rotation and then became the closer. He had 87 saves from 2004 through last season.

Surviving a shaky first when the Brewers scored twice, Dempster (1-0) settled down and allowed just three hits in six innings with two walks and five strikeouts to win as a starter for the first time since April 16, 2005. With the Marlins in 2000 and 2001, Dempster won 29 games as a member of the Florida Marlins' rotation from 2000-01 before his career was sidetracked in 2003 by elbow ligament-replacement surgery.

Ramirez was 0-for-12 when the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs last year by Arizona and then 0-for-7 to start this season. He homered against Dave Bush (0-1) in the fifth to put the Cubs ahead 4-2.

The game got off to raucous start in the first when leadoff hitter Rickie Weeks flattened Cubs catcher Geovany Soto as he raced home on Prince Fielder's sacrifice fly.

Weeks, hit twice by pitches in Monday's opener, led off with a walk and moved to third on Tony Gwynn's double. Chicago right fielder Kosuke Fukudome made a strong throw to the plate after catching Fielder's fly, but Weeks knocked Soto down before he could catch the ball.

The ball rolled away and Dempster retrieved it, but his throw to Soto couldn't get Gwynn, who also raced home and made it 2-0. Fukudome was charged with an error on the throw.

Chicago tied it in the second on Fukudome's double, which left fielder Ryan Braun misjudged, Mark DeRosa's bad-hop RBI single and Soto's sacrifice fly.

Soriano was 0-for-11 when he drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk off Bush to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Bush had walked two, including Fukudome, and hit DeRosa, to load the bases. After two strikeouts, he also walked Soriano.

Chicago added two in the sixth when pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot doubled and Soriano dropped a soft run-scoring single to left. After Soriano stole second, Ryan Theriot greeted reliever Seth McClung with an RBI double.

Fielder had an RBI single off Carlos Marmol in the eighth.

Notes: Cubs manager Lou Piniella reiterated Thursday that moving Soriano back to the leadoff spot from second in the order was not that big of a deal. "I'm telling you that I don't need to justify it. I think I know what I'm doing," Piniella. Soriano feels more comfortable batting first, where he hit last season. He also is not encumbered by leg problems that slowed him last season and were a worry earlier this spring. ... Brewers C Jason Kendall batted ninth for a third straight game, one spot below the pitcher. ... Gwynn left before the bottom of the sixth with a tight left hamstring.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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