DeRosa, Lilly help get Cubs back on track

[July 01, 2008]  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Mark DeRosa and Ted Lilly got the Chicago Cubs back on track -- DeRosa with two fine swings and Lilly with another impressive outing.

DeRosa hit a grand slam and also a two-run homer to match his career high with six RBIs, Lilly pitched eight shutout innings and the Cubs ended a four-game skid with a 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

DeRosa hit his third career grand slam and produced his second multihomer game, which he also did on Aug. 9, 2006, at Oakland while with Texas. His power stroke helped Lilly (9-5) win his fourth straight decision.

Lilly was on the cusp of his fifth career complete game and third shutout, his first since he blanked Boston in a 3-0 win on Aug. 23, 2004, for Toronto.

DeRosa's two-run homer came in the fifth off Barry Zito (3-12), then he connected for the grand slam in the eighth against Billy Sadler to give him 10 home runs, matching his 2007 total. All five of his June home runs were hit in California. DeRosa had five total RBIs over his previous 17 games.

Lilly struck out for the fifth time to start the ninth and the Cubs fans still jumped to their feet to give him a warm ovation, despite him becoming the first pitcher to do so since Clay Hensley in 2006. The fans cheered again when manager Lou Piniella lifted Lilly for Kerry Wood in the ninth following consecutive singles. Wood allowed Rich Aurilia's two-run double.

Matt Murton hit a two-run double and Kosuke Fukudome also drove in a run for the Cubs, who were swept by the Chicago White Sox over the weekend to end interleague play and had dropped eight of 12 coming into this four-game series.

Lilly outpitched Zito in a matchup of a pair of lefties and former A's teammates, with Zito becoming the major league leader for losses and falling to 0-8 at home in the Giants' waterfront ballpark -- where a large contingent of Cubs fans were in attendance.

Zito had to throw an extra 16 pitches after an error by third baseman Jose Castillo in the second, allowing Fukudome's RBI single for the Cubs' initial run. Zito, trying to win back-to-back starts for the first time all year, has a 5.99 overall ERA and 7.33 at home. Zito walked five in five innings to up his season total to 22. That's after he didn't walk a batter in his last outing for the first time in 2008.

The $126 million pitcher also became the franchise leader for losses before the All-Star break.

Lilly now has 17 career wins in June, matching his winningest months of May and September. He is 9-2 over his last 14 starts after starting the year 0-3.

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is away from the team for three days to attend to a personal family matter, Piniella said. DeRosa is playing in his place.

Notes: Giants LHP Jonathan Sanchez was named NL Player of the Week. Sanchez went 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA, throwing 14 2-3 innings in which he allowed two earned runs on nine hits. "I did not expect to get it," Sanchez said. "There are a lot of good players in this league. This makes me feel better about myself." ... The Cubs will get OF Reed Johnson (lower back spasms) off the DL on Thursday. "I can start resting my outfield a little bit again," Piniella said. ... The Giants' Double-A Connecticut C Pablo Sandoval was added to the World roster for the All-Star Futures game.

[Associated Press; By JANIE McCAULEY]

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