Sosa Hits No. 57 In Cubs Loss

He's creating a big fuss again.

Sammy Sosa's every swing and at-bat is being scrutinized. His locker is surrounded by cameras.

"I'm not thinking about the home run race. No matter how many I'm ahead. I'm just not concerned about it," Sosa said Friday after hitting his major league-leading 57th homer as the Chicago Cubs lost again, 8-6 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sosa's two-run, first-inning homer was his 14th in 19 games. He also struck out twice leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and flied out twice.

He's still well ahead of his 66-homer pace last year, when he hit No. 57 in the Cubs' 141st game. Friday's homer, which came in Chicago's 133rd game, moved Sosa five ahead of Mark McGwire and within 13 of McGwire's record with 29 games remaining.

"I don't know what else there is to say about what he is doing. It's extraordinary. Everybody is amazed," Cubs manager Jim Riggleman said. "There is no way to take the deep bruise off this season, but Sammy's home runs have lightened it a little."

Earlier this week in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Sosa said the Cubs should approach him now to discuss another contract extension, one that would keep him with the team through the end of his career. He signed $42.5 million, four-year deal in June 1997 that runs through the 2001 season.

"All I said is that it would be a good time to to talk to me," he said. "The only reason I said that is that I want to finish my career in Chicago."

Sosa wasn't the only one to show his power Friday. The Dodgers hit three homes in winning for the 10th time in 14 games.

Todd Hundley's sixth-inning home run gave the Dodgers a 6-5 lead, and Mark Grudzielanek and Gary Sheffield also connected for Los Angeles.

Chan Ho Park (9-10) won his third straight decision despite allowing five runs and nine hits in five innings, including the Sosa homer. Jeff Shaw pitched the ninth for his 30th in 34 chances.

Park struck out Sosa and Henry Rodriguez with the bases loaded in the fifth before giving up a walk to Jeff Reed and RBI single to Jose Nieves.

"It was good to get Sammy out," Park said. "He's a tough power hitter. It was an outstanding moment of the year, especially in today's game."

With Randy Hundley, a former Cubs catcher and occasional Chicago broadcaster, watching from the stands, son Todd hit his 20th homer in the sixth off Scott Sanders (4-7). Eric Karros added an two-run single in the seventh off Mark Guthrie, the Cubs' newly acquired reliever.

Grudzielanek's homer put the Dodgers ahead in the first, but Sosa hit a two-run shot in the bottom half and Lance Johnson made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the second.

Los Angeles went ahead 5-3 in the fifth on Park's RBI double, Grudzielanek's run-scoring single and Sheffield's two-run homer.

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