Cubs Lose Despite Sosa's 35th

The Milwaukee Brewers had trouble hitting Kerry Wood. He had no trouble hitting them.

Wood

"It was nothing noble like me taking one for the team. I just couldn't get out of the way," said Loretta, who was hit in the ribs. "It felt like it went right through me."

Wood said his eight-day layoff might have accounted for his wildness.

As far as the opne that hit Loretta: "Maybe I was pumped up and tried to throw it too hard," Wood said. "It jumped out a little bit and got away."

Loretta went to a hospital for X-rays after the game. He had company -- Bobby Hughes, who also was hit by Wood in the seventh.

"It was an extremely hard fastball," Hughes said, his left hand wrapped in ice and tape. "I thought it was broken at first because I couldn't straighten out my hand."

But Hughes stayed in the game, adding a clutch two-run single off Terry Adams in the eighth and scoring on pinch-hitter Marc Newfield's double for a 6-2 lead, which proved crucial when Jose Hernandez hit a three-run homer off Bob Wickman in the ninth.

Hughes said he didn't think he had any broken bones. But if he does, Brian Banks will be the only catcher on the Brewers roster for Saturday afternoon's game. Starter Mike Matheny has been on the disabled list with a pulled ribcage muscle was due to start a two-game minor league rehabilitation assignment Saturday.

Wickman gave up Hernandez's 13th home run with two outs in the ninth, but struck out Mickey Morandini to end it.

"That's why they call them insurance runs," Brewers manager Phil Garner said.

Sammy Sosa hit his 35th homer in the second inning, joining Ernie Banks as the only players in Cubs history to hit at least that many homers in four consecutive seasons.

"To me, it's just another ballpark. Everywhere I go, I do my job," said Sosa, who also homered Thursday night. "I'm a lot more disciplined than when I played here with the White Sox. I'm a much better player now."

The second game of the four-game series, the Cubs' first visit to County Stadium in 33 years, drew 43,575, the Brewers' largest crowd since opening day.

"We get fired up when there's more people here cheering us," said Brewers starter Scott Karl, who gave up two runs on five hits while striking out a season-high seven in 5 1-3 innings.

Wood (8-4), who yielded four hits and three walks in seven innings, hit Fernando Vina with his first pitch and Vina later scored.

In the seventh, the Cubs rookie hit Hughes in the left hand with one out and plunked Loretta in the ribs on a 2-2 fastball with two outs and the bases full, giving the Brewers a 3-2 lead. Wood struck out Jeff Cirillo to escape further damage.

Rookie Bronswell Patrick (4-0) worked 1 2-3 scoreless innings for the victory.

The Cubs broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth on Kevin Orie's two-out, RBI single. The Brewers tied it in the bottom half on David Nilsson's two-out RBI double.

Vina, who was hit by two pitches Thursday night, was hit by Wood's first pitch of the game. He moved to third on Loretta's single to center and scored on Jeromy Burnitz's groundout for a 1-0 lead.

An inning later, Sosa sent an 1-0 fastball from Karl 428 feet to left-center field. Sosa trails major league leader Mark McGwire by two homers.

Burnitz was ejected by Reliford after a called third strike in the eighth.

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