Theriot connects again to help Cubs beat Giants

[May 05, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Ryan Theriot hit another home run, Ryan Dempster pitched seven strong innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Monday night for their season-best fourth straight win.

Theriot hit a two-run drive in the second inning for his third homer in the last four games. He entered the month with just seven career homers, never more than three in a season.

In Friday's 8-6 win over Florida, Theriot ended a streak of 620 at-bats without a homer by hitting his first career grand slam.

Dempster (2-1) allowed two runs and five hits, struck out seven and walked two. Carlos Marmol worked the eighth and Kevin Gregg finished for his fourth save in five opportunities.

Jonathan Sanchez (1-2) gave up four runs and five hits over four-plus innings for the Giants.

Aaron Miles led off the second with a double off Sanchez. Dempster struck out and Alfonso Soriano grounded out before Theriot hit the next pitch into the left-field bleachers.

Sanchez, who hadn't allowed an earned run in his last 12 2-3 innings before Monday's game, gave up a leadoff double to Soriano in the first. With two outs and the bases loaded, Sanchez walked in a run on a 3-2 pitch to Geovany Soto.

With runners on first and second and no outs in the fifth, Sanchez's night ended when right fielder Randy Winn lost Soto's ball in the lights. Soto ended up with a single and Sanchez left with the bases loaded. Reed Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly off Justin Miller.

Dempster, pitching with a 4-0 lead in the sixth, surrendered an RBI single to Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina's fielder's choice scored Edgar Renteria.

Cubs slugger Aramis Ramirez was back after being out of the starting lineup for nine games with a left calf strain. He went 0-for-2 with two walks.

Notes: The Cubs placed RHP Carlos Zambrano on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and called up utility INF Bobby Scales from Triple-A Iowa. Scales hit .303 in 21 games for Iowa. ... Manager Lou Piniella said the Cubs plan to call up RHP Randy Wells from Triple-A Iowa on Friday to take Zambrano's spot in the rotation at Milwaukee. Wells will be making his first major league start. He made four appearances as a reliever for the Cubs in 2008. ... The Cubs also released reliever Luis Vizcaino.

[Associated Press]

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