Sosa Hits No. 66 In Cubs Loss

Neither Sammy Sosa nor the Chicago Cubs wound up with the lead Friday night.

Sosa

The loss left the Cubs tied with the New York Mets, who were beaten by Atlanta 6-5. San Francisco, which began the day one game behind Chicago and New York, played later at Colorado.

Sosa was more disappointed about losing the game than losing his brief home run lead.

"If we just keep losing, somebody has to win," Sosa said. "I hope the last two games, something happens. Maybe we'll get a little help from Harry Caray and play much better."

All three teams in the wild-card chase have two games left after Friday.

"Odds are, there will be a playoff, and hopefully we'll be in there somewhere," Cubs manager Jim Riggleman said. "But it's looking like a very good chance that we'll have a playoff."

Leading off the fourth inning against friend and fellow Dominican Jose Lima, Sosa hit a 462-foot drive into the third level of the Astrodome. About 45 minutes later, however, McGwire hit his 66th in St. Luis' game against Montreal.

Asked if he was disappointed that McGwire came back to tie the record, Sosa said: "Disappointed? For what, man? Mark is my friend, not my enemy."

Shortly after Sosa's homer at the Astrodome, a fan displayed a sign saying "Sosa loves Lima."

Lima also gave up Nos. 50 and 51 to Sosa at Wrigley Field Aug. 23. Following Sosa's two-homer game off Lima, there was a published report questioning whether Lima grooved a pitch for the Cubs star. Both players denied the allegation.

"When I cross the white lines, even my dad is my enemy," Lima said after Friday night's game. "There's no way I'd put up a pitch for him to hit. My ERA is my money. My big concern is that we won the game. I don't care if I give up 50 homers if they don't hurt me and we win. Tonight, I gave up two solo homers and the score was 6-2. That's fine."

Sammy Sosa connects on his 66th, but Mark McGwire rallied for his 66th to tie the race. (AP)

Derek Bell hit a two-run homer and Moises Alou singled home the go-ahead run in the fourth inning for the NL Central champion Astros. The Cubs lost for the fifth time in six games.

Sosa had been ahead of McGwire in the home-run chase only once earlier this season. Aug. 19, Sosa hit No. 48 in a game against St. Louis. About an hour later, McGwire also hit his 48th and the Cardinals slugger connected later in the game to take the lead.

Lima (16-8) has been generous with home runs this season. He leads the team with 34 home runs allowed, fourth in the NL.

Astros starter Sean Bergman also yielded homer No. 47 to Sosa Aug. 16. Sosa has four against the Astros this season.

Sosa has 157 RBIs this season, fourth-most in NL history. He broke out of an 0-for-21 slump Wednesday with two home runs in a loss at Milwaukee.

Kevin Tapani (19-9), trying to become the Cubs' first 20-game winner since Greg Maddux in 1992, got off to a rough start.

After Craig Biggio grounded out to start the game, Bill Spiers singled and Derek Bell hit the next pitch over the left-field fence for his career-best 22nd homer and a 2-0 lead.

Lima got the first two batters out in the second inning before Tyler Houston hit his ninth homer.

The Astros have wrapped up the Central, but they were still trying to catch the Atlanta Braves for the home-field advantage in the playoffs. They started their regular lineup.

Sosa's homer tied it at 2-2 in the fourth. Alou put the Astros ahead for good with his single in the bottom half.

Houston closer Billy Wagner, who struck Sosa out to start the ninth, was booed when he threw two balls to the Chicago slugger.

"I started laughing," Wagner said. "I guess they expected me to throw one down the middle and let him hit it 500 feet."

Wagner said he's astounded by what Sosa and McGwire are doing.

"These guys are amazing," he said. "To watch them with all the pressure that's on them, to hit a home run every time, it's really something."

Lima had a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Carl Everett's sacrifice fly in the sixth made it 5-2. Jeff Bagwell drove in a run in the seventh.

Lima allowed five hits in seven innings. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter.

Tapani went six innings, allowed eight hits, five runs, walked three and struck out two.

Notes