Closer Wood blows lead in Cubs' 4-3 loss to Reds

[September 08, 2008]  CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jolbert Cabrera hit a game-ending RBI single off Chicago Cubs closer Kerry Wood to complete Cincinnati's three-run ninth inning and give the Reds a 4-3 win on Sunday.

Edwin Encarnacion started the rally with a leadoff single into center field and hustled to second when the ball got past a charging Jim Edmonds. After Jay Bruce walked, Encarnacion was cut down at third when Ryan Hanigan bunted into a forceout but Wood (4-4) walked pinch-hitter Javier Valentin to load the bases.

Pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson followed with a chopper up the middle that glanced off the glove of shortstop Ronny Cedeno and into short center field for what originally was ruled a two-base error that allowed the tying runs to score. The official scorer later changed the error to a hit.

Cabrera then ripped a single into left field, giving Wood his sixth blown save.

Francisco Cordero (5-4) pitched a scoreless ninth to help send the Cubs to their seventh loss in their last eight games.

Chicago scored two runs in the seventh to take a 3-1 lead, taking advantage when Aaron Harang hit Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa to start the inning. Cedeno had a one-out RBI single and pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot drove in DeRosa with a sacrifice fly.

Sean Marshall, subbing for ailing Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano, allowed one run and three hits in six innings. Zambrano left Tuesday's start against Houston after five innings because of a tired arm.

After combining to score 35 runs while splitting the first two games of the weekend series, the teams struggled to put together any offense against Harang, who went into the game tied with the Cubs' Ted Lilly for second in the major leagues in home runs allowed with 31, and Marshall, whose start was just his sixth of the season in 29 appearances.

The Reds capitalized on Marshall's control problems to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. After Encarnacion singled with one out, Marshall hit Bruce with a pitch and walked Hanigan to load the bases for Corey Patterson, who lined out to right fielder Micah Hoffpauir for a sacrifice fly.

The Cubs loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth on consecutive singles by Hoffpauir, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, and Hoffpauir scored on Soto's double-play ball.

Harang lasted seven innings, giving up six hits and three runs.

Notes: CF Chris Dickerson was scratched from Cincinnati's lineup with a sore left ankle. ... Patterson's bunt single to lead off the fifth inning was his 10th bunt hit of the season. ... Alfonso Soriano, who hit three home runs in Chicago's 14-9 win Saturday, hit the first pitch of the game to the warning track in right for an out.

[Associated Press]

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