Soriano's RBI single sends Cubs over Dodgers

[May 29, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Alfonso Soriano singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th Wednesday night and the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 to complete a three-game sweep.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs tied it against Dodgers' closer Takashi Saito on Geovany Soto's bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

In the 10th, pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot doubled with one out off Chan Ho Park (1-1) and scored on Soriano's single to left. Bob Howry (1-2) pitched the top of the inning.

Dodgers' starter Derek Lowe, winless since April 23, was on his way to victory after pitching seven shutout innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Jonathan Broxton struck out the side in the eighth.

Saito, who blew his third save in 11 chances, walked Ryan Theriot and Aramis Ramirez in the ninth before Kosuke Fukudome reached on an infield single to load the bases when Dodgers' first baseman James Loney made a nice diving stop on his high hopper. Fukudome was ruled safe at first after Saito raced over to cover the bag and take the flip from Loney.

Soto then hit the sacrifice fly to tie the game and pinch-runner Ronny Cedeno advanced to third before Saito retired Mark DeRosa on a fly ball to end the inning.

The Dodgers, who scored one run in each of the three games at Wrigley Field, used a bout of two-out wildness by Carlos Zambrano in the fourth inning to score on a bases-loaded walk.

Zambrano allowed six hits, walked four and had a costly hit batter during his season-high 130-pitch outing over eight innings and left trailing 1-0.

Zambrano gave up two-out singles to Russell Martin and Loney in the fourth before hitting Matt Kemp in the back to load the bases. On a 3-2 pitch, he walked Blake DeWitt to force in the run.

Andre Ethier and Martin singled with two outs in the eighth and when Theriot made an error on Loney's grounder to shortstop, the Dodgers had the bases loaded again.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella visited the mound but left Zambrano in before he struck out Kemp with his 130th and final pitch of the night.

Zambrano, who was 4-for-5 at the plate against Pittsburgh in his previous start, went 0-for-2, striking out twice against Lowe.

Notes: Lowe pitched a one-hit shutout against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Aug. 31, 2005. The lone hit was an infield single by leadoff hitter Jerry Hairston in the first. ... Jeff Kent, who was out of the lineup Tuesday with back spasms, missed his second straight game. ... Cubs OFs Soriano and Fukudome were 1-2 in early fan voting for the NL All-Star team. ... Dodgers' INF Tony Abreu underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip Wednesday in Colorado. He will be out at least three months. ... The pitch count was the second highest of Zambrano's career. He threw 136 against the Phillies in May 2005.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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