Cubs score 4 in 8th, beat Brewers 7-6

[April 20, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot each hit two-run singles with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 on Wednesday.

The Cubs prevailed even though left fielder Alfonso Soriano got lifted after more defensive lapses. Theriot had four hits, Fukudome drove in three runs and Geovany Soto hit his first homer.

LaTroy Hawkins (0-1) retired the first two Cubs hitters in the eighth, but a single by Jeff Baker and walks to Geovany Soto and Tyler Colvin loaded the bases. Theriot singled and stole second, setting up Fukudome's go-ahead hit.

Jeff Gray (1-0) won despite giving up two runs in the eighth. Carlos Marmol struck out the side in the ninth for his third save, and sent the Brewers to their fourth loss in five games.

Soriano had another rough day in the field, bobbling Rickie Weeks' two-run double down the line in the fifth and allowing Corey Hart's RBI double off the wall to carom by him in the seventh. That made it 4-2 and chased starter Randy Wells.

One batter later, got pulled for Colvin and trotted off the field to loud boos in a double-switch that also saw reliever James Russell replace Justin Berg with two outs in the seventh.

Soriano's latest misadventures came after manager Lou Piniella tried to give him a confidence boost.

"Look, I love this guy to death, I really do," Piniella said before the game. "I want to see Sori do well. He's a good young man, he works hard. He's had such a great career, and you want to see that continue."

What he doesn't want to see is Soriano dropping a fly ball, as he did Sunday in Cincinnati, or misplaying balls the way he did against Milwaukee. It would help if Soriano started producing at the plate, and to that end, his second-inning double was a good start.

Soriano drove the ball to the right-field corner and scored on a double by Mike Fontenot to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead, but the good vibe ended in the fifth.

Carlos Gomez got nailed by center fielder Marlon Byrd trying to go from first to third on Alcides Escobar's one-out single, but Wells walked pitcher Dave Bush.

Both runners came around when Weeks drove a 3-2 pitch down the left-field line. Soriano had trouble picking the ball up for his second error this season, allowing Weeks to reach third.

The Brewers wasted a solid effort by Bush, who allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings.

NOTES: The Cubs held Derrek Lee out of the lineup because of inflammation in his right thumb. He is expected to play Thursday. ... Chicago placed RHP Esmailin Caridad on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right forearm and recalled right-hander Jeff Gray from Triple-A Iowa. ... Ted Lilly was expected to throw about 60 pitches Wednesday in a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa and will likely pitch for Double-A Tenessee before the Cubs activate him. He's recovering from shoulder surgery and had been bothered by a sore back. ... Slumping Carlos Gomez was back in the Brewers' lineup after sitting out the past two games. He had gone 1-for-16 in his previous four games after collecting four hits in the opener. ... Weeks has a hit in all eight games.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW SELIGMAN]

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