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Harris hits grand slam, 2-run homer to lead Nats

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[August 24, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Willie Harris hit his first career grand slam and a two-run homer, and the Washington Nationals overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Chicago Cubs 13-5 Friday.

The Nationals entered the game with the worst record in the majors while the Cubs had the best. Washington won its second in a row following a 12-game losing streak.

Harris hit his slam off reliever Neal Cotts to cap a six-run sixth inning that put the Nationals ahead 6-4. He added a two-run shot in the ninth off Chad Gaudin for his first multihomer game in the majors.

The Nationals ended their long losing streak Thursday night in Philadelphia and reached their Chicago hotel at 1:45 a.m. On a muggy day at Wrigley Field, they didn't play like a tired team.

Lefty John Lannan (7-12) allowed seven hits and five runs in 6 1-3 innings to beat the Cubs for the second time this season.

Washington's Ronnie Belliard had four hits, including his 11th homer, and pinch-hitter Aaron Boone hit a three-run double.

Working on nine days' rest, Chicago starter Jason Marquis took a 4-0 lead into the sixth. He ran into trouble as a single by Emilio Bonifacio and walks to Cristian Guzman and Ryan Zimmerman loaded the bases with no outs.

Lastings Milledge hit a sacrifice fly and Belliard had an RBI double to slice the lead to 4-2 and finish Marquis. Pinch-hitter Austin Kearns worked a walk from Cotts (0-2) to reload the bases and Harris hit a drive over the right-field wall for his 11th home run.

Boos came down from the crowd of 40,513 as the Cubs came off the field after the Nationals' big inning.

Harris wasn't through. He fielded Mark DeRosa's liner as it bounced off the left-field wall in the bottom half and made a strong throw to second to nail him.

Guzman added an RBI single in the seventh. Chicago cut it to 7-5 in the bottom half on Ryan Theriot's two-out RBI single off reliever Steven Shell.

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Boone delivered his big double off Gaudin in the eighth to break it open. Harris and Belliard homered in the ninth.

Chicago's Derrek Lee hit his first homer since July 27, a solo shot and his 18th of the season, to make it 2-0 in the third. DeRosa cleared the left-field bleachers with his 16th homer in the fourth, a two-run drive that gave him a career-high 75 RBIs.

The Cubs scored in the first on a double steal by Lee and Alfonso Soriano.

Notes: The start of the game was delayed 62 minutes by rain. ... Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios, a Chicago native, threw out the first pitch - two of them, actually, after the first one sailed to the backstop. ... Harris had seven career homers entering this season. He was intentionally walked in the eighth. ... Soriano made two nice catches in left against his former team.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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