Soriano leads Cubs over Astros 8-5

[May 08, 2009]  HOUSTON (AP) -- Alfonso Soriano homered twice to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8-5 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

Soriano hit a solo home run in the fourth and a two-run shot in the ninth.

Mike Fontenot had two RBIs and Milton Bradley, Micah Hoffpauir and Aramis Ramirez all drove in a run as the Cubs swept the two-game series from their NL-Central foe.

Cubs starter Ted Lilly (4-2) allowed four hits and two runs with five strikeouts in six innings to extend his winning streak against the Astros to five games.

Miguel Tejada had a two-run homer, two doubles and a single for the Astros.

Bradley's RBI-single with one out in the third chased Astros starter Russ Ortiz (2-1) and tied it at 2-all. Kosuke Fukudome scored on Fontenot's sacrifice fly off Tim Byrdak later in the inning to give Chicago a 3-2 lead.

Ortiz's early departure continued a troubling trend for an overextended and injury-plagued Houston bullpen that is missing both Doug Brocail and closer Jose Valverde.

The Astros haven't had a starter get through six innings since April 28, spurring manager Cecil Cooper to add a 13th pitcher -- Alberto Arias -- to the roster on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Astros needed six pitchers: Ortiz, Byrdak, Chris Sampson, Wesley Wright, Felipe Paulino and Arias.

Ortiz allowed six hits and three runs with three walks in 2 1-3 innings.

Soriano made it 4-2 with a solo homer to center in the fourth.

A run-scoring single by Hoffpauir put Chicago up 1-0 in the first.

Tejada hit his first home run since September, a two-run shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field that made it 2-1 in the first.

Tejada's second double came in the eighth inning, but Carlos Marmol struck out Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence to end the inning.

Ivan Rodriguez had an RBI-triple for Houston in the ninth and he scored on a groundout by Jeff Keppinger. Darin Erstad followed with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 8-5. Tejada singled before Berkman struck out to end the game.

Notes: Cubs 1B Derrek Lee missed his second straight game because of recurring stiffness in his neck. "He's a little better today," manager Lou Piniella said. "The only concern is that three-hour airplane trip to Milwaukee tonight. We'll see how he is tomorrow." Piniella doesn't expect Lee to end up on the DL. ... An MRI revealed Brocail has a torn hamstring that will likely keep him out at least a month. He has been on the DL since Monday. ... Houston C Humberto Quintero, who is on the 15-day DL with a strained right shoulder, is scheduled to begin a four-day rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Friday. ... Astros hitting coach Sean Berry is scheduled to have surgery Friday morning to have what is believed to be a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney.

[Associated Press; By KRISTIE RIEKEN]

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