Scales, Dempster lead Cubs over Padres 11-3

[May 15, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Bobby Scales drove in four runs with two doubles and Ryan Dempster excelled with both his arm and bat as the Chicago Cubs took advantage of 10 walks Thursday for an 11-3 victory over the skidding San Diego Padres.

Adrian Gonzalez homered for the fourth consecutive game but couldn't prevent San Diego from losing its 11th straight on the road, its longest skid in 38 years. Since starting the season 10-6, the Padres are 3-16.

Dempster (3-2) allowed two runs and three hits over seven innings. He also drove in two runs with a double and a single as the Cubs completed a three-game sweep, their first home sweep of the Padres since 1999.

San Diego was outscored 42-18 during an 0-6 road trip.

Scales, a 31-year-old rookie who made his big league debut last week after 11 years in the minors, has at least one hit in each of his six games and is batting .444.

Chicago, which has a four-game winning streak, matched its season high for runs despite playing without Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee and Milton Bradley. Ramirez is on the disabled list and the other sluggers were given the day off.

Gonzalez's 14th homer made it 1-all in the fourth. He became the first batter this season to hit a ball over Wrigley Field's right-field bleachers and onto Sheffield Avenue.

Chad Gaudin (0-3) issued seven walks in 4 1-3 innings for the Padres, who lead the majors with 148 walks allowed.

The former Cubs reliever, bitter after being released during spring training, allowed only one hit and pitched out of some major jams in the first four innings. But Gaudin opened the fifth by walking the bases loaded and was relieved by Luis Perdomo, who walked Geovany Soto to put the Cubs ahead.

Reed Johnson and Scales followed with consecutive two-run doubles, and Scales scored on Dempster's bloop single off Duaner Sanchez to make it 7-1.

The Cubs added four more in the sixth on Scales' second two-run double, Aaron Miles' RBI single and Dempster's double into the gap. Before his run-scoring hits, Dempster was 0 for 17 without an RBI this year.

Notes: Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs' $91.5 million ace, said he won't be bunting for hits when he comes off the DL next week. "For a month, I'll be running like Geo Soto, just taking my time," he said. Zambrano, who strained his left hamstring while legging out a bunt on May 3, is scheduled to make a minor league rehab start Sunday before returning to the Cubs' rotation May 22 at San Diego. ... Padres SS Luis Rodriguez, who sprained his left ankle Wednesday, is expected to go on the DL. ... Cubs OF Kosuke Fukudome is batting .462 during a seven-game hitting streak. ... Since Jake Peavy won April 16, San Diego starters are 0-12 with a 5.47 ERA.

[Associated Press]

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