Pittsburgh, PA (Betting Express) - Jason Marquis threw seven scoreless innings
and combined with two relievers on a five-hit shutout, as the Chicago Cubs
completed a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 2-0 victory at
PNC Park.
Ronny Cedeno and Henry Blanco knocked in runs for the Cubs, who have won five
in a row and increased their lead in the NL Central to 5 1/2 games over the
Milwaukee Brewers.
Marquis (9-7) allowed five hits and struck out three without walking a batter.
He improved to 3-0 in his last four starts and hasn't lost since falling to
Pittsburgh on August 1.
Zach Duke (4-13) was the hard-luck loser and fell to 0-9 in 14 starts since
his last victory on June 9 against Arizona. The lefty was charged with two
runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts in eight innings.
Raul Chavez had two hits for the Pirates, who have lost seven in a row and 11
of their last 13.
The Cubs finally broke the stalemate in the seventh inning. Reed Johnson led
off with a bunt single, raced to third on a double to left by Mark DeRosa and
scored when Cedeno was retired on a slow bouncer to third. Blanco then popped
up a suicide squeeze bunt, but the ball fell just fair along the first base
line and DeRosa scored to make it 2-0.
Marquis retired Pittsburgh in order in the bottom of the seventh, then left
for Carlos Marmol in the eighth. Doug Mientkiewicz drew a walk to start the
eighth, but Marmol got Nyjer Morgan to pop up a bunt before fanning Jack
Wilson and Nate McLouth.
Kerry Wood struck out the first two batters he faced in the ninth, then got
Freddy Sanchez on a grounder to short to end the game and notch his 27th save.
After the Cubs posted victories of 12-3 and 14-9 in the first two games of the
series, pitching dominated Wednesday.
Chicago stranded Alfonso Soriano after a leadoff double in the first. Soriano
was picked off first following a two-out single in the third and the Cubs also
made another baserunning mistake in the fourth when Ryan Theriot doubled and
was thrown out at third trying to advance on a grounder to short by Aramis
Ramirez. Soriano also stranded a pair of runners in the fifth when his fly
ball to deep left was caught by Brandon Moss.
The Pirates stranded a runner in the first, then failed to score with two on
and one out in the third as Wilson flied out and McLouth popped up. Sanchez
tripled with two outs in the fourth, but was left at third when Andy LaRoche
flied to center.
Game Notes
The Cubs finished 14-4 against the Pirates this season, their most victories
against Pittsburgh since a 15-7 mark in 1954. It also marked the most wins for
the Cubs against one opponent in a single season since posting 15 against St.
Louis in 1978...The Pirates purchased the contract of pitcher Jesse Chavez
from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game and optioned pitcher Craig Hansen
to the minor league club while also opening a spot on the 40-man roster by
transferring pitcher Phil Dumatrait to the 60-day disabled list.
