Cubs rally from 7-run deficit to top Indians 8-7

[June 20, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Ryan Theriot hit a bad-hop single with two outs in the 10th inning and the Chicago Cubs, saved by Derrek Lee's late homer, rallied from an early seven-run deficit to beat the Cleveland Indians 8-7 Friday. Lee homered twice, including a solo shot with one out in the ninth off former Cubs ace Kerry Wood that made it 7-all.

Alfonso Soriano, who hit a game-winning single in the ninth Thursday to beat the Chicago White Sox, drew a two-out walk in the 10th from Luis Vizcaino (1-3) and stole second. Theriot followed with a grounder that took a crazy bounce past first baseman Victor Martinez.

The Cubs trailed 7-0 against Cliff Lee going into the fifth and were still down 7-2 in the eighth.

The Indians loaded the bases off Kevin Gregg (2-1) in the 10th before Kosuke Fukudome made a nice catch of pinch-hitter Ryan Garko's liner to center field. The Cubs beat Vizcaino, whom they released earlier this season.

Wood, who saved 34 games for the Cubs last season and spent a decade with the team before signing with Cleveland as a free agent in the offseason, got a rousing ovation when announced in the bottom of the ninth in his return to Wrigley Field.

But after retiring Milton Bradley, he served up Lee's homer. The crowd of 40,155 went wild as Wood absorbed his third blown save in 11 chances.

The Indians took their big lead behind Lee, last year's AL Cy Young winner, on three-run homers from Luis Valbuena and Martinez.

Homers by Reed Johnson in the fifth and Derrek Lee in the sixth cut it to 7-2.

Joe Smith relieved for the Indians after Bradley opened the eighth with a single. Geovany Soto doubled, Johnson walked and a bases-loaded, two-run single by Andres Blanco made it 7-4.

Facing reliever Rafael Perez, pinch-hitter Koyie Hill hit a hard grounder that went off third baseman Jhonny Peralta for an error, cutting it to 7-5. Soriano then delivered an RBI single that made it a one-run game.

Former Cubs player Mark DeRosa also made his return to Wrigley. He got a standing ovation in his first at-bat and went 1 for 3 with two walks and an RBI.

DeRosa played left field and was shaken up in the third inning chasing a foul fly by pitcher Rich Harden. As DeRosa reached for the ball in the Cubs' bullpen along the left-field line, he appeared to hit the brick wall with his hip and then came down on a telephone box, knocking the door open and exposing the phone.

DeRosa limped, bent over at the hip and then after meeting with a trainer, stayed in the game. In the top of the fourth, he delivered a two-out single to put Cleveland up 7-0.

Harden, in his second start since coming off the disabled list, allowed seven hits and seven runs in five innings, including the homers to Valbuena in the second and Martinez in the third.

After walks to Jamey Carroll and DeRosa to start the third, Martinez sent his 100th major league homer into the right-field bleachers to make it 6-0.

Valbuena hit his second homer of the season following a triple by Jhonny Peralta, whose high drive to center went off normally sure-handed Johnson's glove, and a walk to Kelly Shoppach.

NOTES: Derrek Lee has a 16-game hitting streak. ... The start of the game was delayed one hour, 26 minutes by rain.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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