Blum's 11th-inning homer gives Astros win

[September 03, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Geoff Blum hit a two-run homer off Kerry Wood in the 11th inning to send the Houston Astros to their seventh straight victory, 9-7 over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.

The first-place Cubs, who have lost four straight, all at home, remained 4 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee in the NL Central.

Carlos Zambrano, whose start was pushed back two days because of what the Cubs said was a tired arm. left after five innings because of what manager Lou Piniella said was arm problems.

"He told our pitching coach he wasn't feeling good," Piniella said. "It has to be in his arm. I just don't know. We'll let you know tomorrow when we find out."

Wood (4-3) walked Lance Berkman and Blum sent the first pitch into the bleachers in right for his 14th homer. Wood struck out four in two innings.

The Cubs had 15 hits and eight walks, but they also hit into four double plays and stranded 12 runners. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez committed errors in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings.

Wesley Wright (4-3) went two scoreless innings and Jose Valverde worked the 11th for his 39th save, ending a game that took 4 hours, 17 minutes in stifling, humid conditions.

Derrek Lee hit into a costly double play in the bottom of the eighth after Doug Brocail walked the bases loaded with one out. Lee hit a grounder to third and couldn't beat the throw from second. Lee also struck out with two on and two outs to end the 10th.

Houston scored four runs in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead.

Miguel Tejada tied the game 3-3 with a two-run single off Zambrano. Bob Howry replaced Zambrano in the sixth and six batters later, he was booed off the field.

Hunter Pence started the carnage with a triple off the wall in center and David Newhan followed with a single. Humberto Quintero singled and Howry walked pinch-hitter Reggie Abercrombie. Michael Bourn hit a two-run single through a drawn-in infield, ending Howry's night, and the Astros scored one more on Tejada's double play grounder.

The Cubs scratched back in the bottom of the inning, cutting the Astros' lead to 7-6. Ryan Theriot hit a two-run double and scored from third on Mike Fontenot's single.

Jim Edmonds snapped a 1-for-14 slump with a solo homer in the seventh to tie it 7-7.

Chicago took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on homers by Mark DeRosa and Geovany Soto off Brandon Backe. The Cubs had been mired in a mini-hitting slump and had gone three games without an extra-base hit. Alfonso Soriano reversed that trend in the first with his fourth leadoff homer of the season, and the Cubs added three more solo homers and three doubles, but it wasn't enough.

Zambrano was coming off a poor August and was pushed back two days with arm fatigue. He didn't overpower the Astros, rarely hitting 90 mph, and gave up three runs, five hits and three walks in five innings. He was pulled after 86 pitches.

Backe gave up the three solo homers in 4 1-3 innings. He allowed nine hits and walked two, but induced two double plays. After he was pulled with two on and one out in the fifth, Fernando Nieve got out of the jam with another double play.

Notes: Slumping Cubs OF Kosuke Fukudome didn't start Tuesday and won't play Wednesday against lefty Randy Wolf, but the left-handed hitter should be back in the lineup this weekend, Piniella said. ... The Astros activated 2B Kaz Matsui from the 15-day DL, but he won't play until the weekend. Houston also brought up C J.R. Towles, RHP Alberto Arias and IF Edwin Maysonet. ... Cubs RHP Angel Guzman pitched for the first time since June 1, 2007, after undergoing Tommy John surgery. ... The Cubs set a club record, surpassing 3 million fans in 74 games, beating the previous record, set last year, by one game.

[Associated Press]

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