The Cubs outfielder finally makes contact and sends Chicago to a 1-0 win.
CHICAGO – After striking out five times over 15 scoreless innings, Sammy Sosa hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 16th to give the Chicago Cubs a 1-0 win over the Houston Astros.
Pitchers ruled a blustery, 48-degree day at Wrigley Field, with the Cubs setting a team record by striking out 23 times.
With the wind blowing in from the northeast at 24 mph, several hard-hit balls to the outfield were knocked down.
Sosa had been 0-for-6 and was getting booed before his one-out single won it.
Alex Gonzalez walked with one out in the 16th off Ricky Stone (4-1) and made it to third when Corey Patterson singled and right fielder Brian Hunter bobbled the ball.
With center fielder Craig Biggio brought in as a fifth infielder, Sosa hit a sharp single off second baseman Jeff Kent’s glove, pumping his fist after his first hit since coming off the disabled list Friday.
Sosa has struck out eight times in 11 at-bats since coming off the disabled list Friday.
When Sosa grounded out in the 14th, the crowd erupted in a loud cheer.
The fans made even more noise when Sosa got the winning hit.
Todd Wellemeyer (1-0) got his first major league win with two innings of relief.
Houston loaded the bases in the top of the 14th before Brad Ausmus flied out against Kyle Farnsworth
Mets 4, Braves 2
NEW YORK – Jae Seo pitched into the ninth inning to win for the first time in more than six weeks and Tsuyoshi Shinjo hit a two-run double to lead the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
On a rainy day at Shea Stadium, the Mets had their former ace Mike Hampton (2-3) in constant trouble.
New York put the leadoff man on base in each of the first five innings and had a runner in scoring position in each of those frames.
Seo (2-2) benefited from the early offense in his second straight strong start against the first-place Braves. He got a no-decision last Sunday despite holding the NL’s top-scoring team to one run in seven innings.
Seo allowed two runs and six hits, leaving following Chipper Jones’ leadoff double in the ninth.
Armando Benitez finished for his 16th save in 20 chances, allowing singles to the first two batters he faced to make it 4-2.
Pirates 4, Cardinals 3
ST. LOUIS – Kenny Lofton went 0-for-5 and ended his 26-game hitting streak, but the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals and previously unbeaten Woody Williams 4-3.
The Pirates have won five of six, including the first two games of the three-game series.
The Cardinals fell to 2-4 on a 13-game homestand, their longest of the season, despite the return of center fielder and cleanup hitter Jim Edmonds after missing two games with bruised ribs.
Williams (7-1) failed in his bid to become the NL’s first eight-game winner, allowing four runs – two earned – in eight innings. He lost for the first time in 15 starts since Aug. 29, 2002 at Cincinnati, although his ERA remained at an NL-leading 2.19.
Tigers 4, Yankees 2
DETROIT – Dmitri Young hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
The loss was New York’s second in its last 11 games against the Tigers and ended its three-game winning streak.
Adam Bernero (1-6) ended his team-record 17-start winless streak, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk in seven innings. He matched a career high with seven strikeouts in his first win since beating Montreal on June 10, 2002.
Franklyn German pitched the ninth for his third save.
Jeff Weaver (3-4) faced the Tigers for the first time since going from Detroit to the Yankees in a three-way trade last July. He allowed three runs on 10 hits and a walk in seven innings, striking out two. He also hit two batters.
The score was tied going into the bottom of the seventh. Ramon Santiago led off with a double over the head of Hideki Matsui in center and took third on a groundout.
Joe Torre chose not to walk Young, Detroit’s hottest hitter, and he lined an RBI single up the middle. Young, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, has 25 RBIs in 29 games in May.
Angels 6, Devil Rays 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Kevin Appier came within one strike of his first shutout since 2001, pitching the Anaheim Angels past the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 6-1.
Travis Lee hit an RBI double on a 2-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth inning for Tampa Bay’s only run.
Appier (4-2) improved to 8-0 lifetime against the Devil Rays, giving up eight hits while walking four and striking out one.
Appier came close to his first complete game since Sept. 25, 2001, when he beat the Montreal Expos 2-0 while pitching for the New York Mets.
After Lee doubled, Francisco Rodriguez relieved and got the final out.
Benji Gil had two RBIs, while Chone Figgins went 2-for-4, drove in one run, stole two bases and scored three times for the Angels.
The victory was just the fourth in the last 10 games for the World Series champions, who went 13-13 in May.
Tampa Bay starter Joe Kennedy (3-5) left after one inning because of stiffness in his left shoulder.
The Devil Rays said a preliminary examination by a team doctor determined the injury was not serious.
Athletics 7, Royals 6
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eric Byrnes hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Kansas City closer Mike MacDougal, boosting the Oakland Athletics over the error-plagued Royals 7-6.
Shortstop Angel Berroa, whose fielding error had allowed an unearned run earlier in the game, fumbled a potential double-play grounder with one out in the ninth and the Royals ahead 5-4.
Byrnes extended his hitting streak to 21 games when he connected against MacDougal (1-3) for a 7-5 lead. MacDougal has blown four of 16 save chances.A’s shortstop
Miguel Tejada made a diving catch on Ken Harvey’s liner up the middle for the final out with runners on first and third.
Tejada also hit a three-run homer.
Jim Mecir (1-0) pitched one inning of hitless relief for the win. Keith Foulke got his 13th save despite allowing Joe Randa’s RBI single in the ninth.
Mariners 5, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS – Edgar Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki hit solo home runs, leading Ryan Franklin and the Seattle Mariners over the Minnesota Twins 5-2 for their fifth straight victory.
The Mariners beat Minnesota for the third straight day. They’ll go for a four-game sweep at the Metrodome on Sunday.
Franklin (4-3) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 13 chances.Suzuki homered, doubled, singled and scored twice as the Mariners won for the 12th time in 15 games.
Martinez’s home run came in the fifth inning off Rick Reed (3-6) and made it 4-0.
Suzuki homered in the seventh for a 5-1 lead.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
