Cubs score 8 runs in 7th to roll past Marlins 9-2

[August 18, 2008]  MIAMI (AP) -- Two-run doubles by Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez and a three-run double by Reed Johnson sparked an eight-run seventh that rallied the Chicago Cubs past the Florida Marlins 9-2 on Sunday.

Ryan Dempster struck out 10 batters in six innings to win for the fourth time in six starts. He gave up two runs, the sixth straight game in which he has allowed two runs or fewer.

The Cubs, who had their nine-game road winning streak snapped with a 2-1 loss on Saturday, rebounded to win for the sixth time in seven games overall. Chicago began the day with a 4 1/2 game lead in the NL Central.

The third-place Marlins lost for the fourth time in five games to fall 4 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East.

Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, the Cubs sent 12 batters to the plate.

Mike Fontenot opened with a double to right and took third on Johnson's single. Florida starter Chris Volstad was replaced by Renyel Pinto (2-5), who walked pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa.

Soriano then hit a liner to left that fell in front of diving Luis Gonzalez to go for a double that scored Fontenot and Johnson to tie the score. After Ryan Theriot grounded out, Derrek Lee was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Ramirez then smashed a 3-2 pitch to the right of third baseman Jorge Cantu to score DeRosa and Soriano for a 4-2 lead.

Following Kosuke Fukudome's sacrifice fly and a walk to Geovany Soto, Logan Kensing replaced Pinto. Kensing walked pinch-hitter Ronny Cedeno before yielding Johnson's bases-clearing double to deep left-center that made the score 8-2.

Volstad was charged with two runs and six hits in six-plus innings. Pinto gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning. It was the third straight appearance in which Pinto has allowed at least a run, and he has allowed 11 earned runs in 3 2-3 innings in August.

The Cubs' highest-scoring inning of the season was a nine-run frame against the Chicago White Sox on June 21.

The Marlins runs scored on John Baker's third-inning groundout and Gonzalez's sixth-inning double.

DeRosa had a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

[Associated Press]

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