Pie, Cubs Beat Pirates 6-4 in 15 Innings

[April 10, 2008]  PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Felix Pie's two-run single in the 15th inning allowed the Chicago Cubs to outlast the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 in a wild game Wednesday night.

Pie's hit to left off Phil Dumatrait (0-1) with the bases loaded scored Ryan Theriot and Alfonso Soriano, helping the Cubs win their fourth in a row.

Twice the Pirates tied the Cubs with home runs to extend the game. Jason Bay hit his first of the season to lead off the ninth against Kerry Wood, who blew his first save. Adam LaRoche then broke out of an 0-for-25 slump by homering off Kevin Hart (2-0) with Bay aboard in the 14th to tie the game at 4.

That came after ex-Pirate Aramis Ramirez had given the Cubs the lead with a two-run shot, his second, in the top of the inning. Ramirez had three hits and scored two runs.

Bay went 3-for-5 with a walk for Pittsburgh, which has lost four of five.

Sean Marshall, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Iowa, pitched the bottom of the 15th for his first career save.

The Pirates were forced to use seven pitchers, one day after using eight in a 10-8, 10-inning loss to the Cubs. In that game, rookie Evan Meek walked five batters in the 10th, giving up two runs without allowing a hit.

On Wednesday night, the team sent Phil Dumatrait out for three innings and didn't use Meek. Dumatrait allowed four runs and three hits with four walks.

Ryan Dempster pitched seven innings for Chicago, allowing one hit and only one Pirates base runner to reach second. He walked two and struck out five, retiring 20 of the final 21 batters he faced.

The Pirates' offense came to life after Dempster exited the game, with Nate McLouth's double scoring Jose Bautista in the eighth.

Reed Johnson singled in Ronny Cedeno for the game's first run in the third. Chicago's second run came in the eighth on an error by Pirates reliever Franquelis Osoria, who couldn't handle a flip from first baseman LaRoche after a ground ball.

Pirates lefty Zach Duke allowed seven hits, a walk and hit a batter in seven innings, but limited the Cubs to only one run.

Notes: The Indianapolis Indians of the International League will remain the Triple-A affiliate of the Pirates at least through the 2012 season. The Indians said Wednesday they had signed a four-year extension of their player development contract with Pittsburgh. ... The Pirates have played four extra-inning games out of eight, going 2-2.

[Associated Press]

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