Sprague Grand Slams Cubs
Nearly a week into the season, Sammy Sosa is still putting up zeros. Surprisingly, so is the Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen.
Ed Sprague hit a grand slam in Pittsburgh's six-run fifth inning
his first NL homer and three Pirates relievers allowed one hit over seven shutout innings Saturday in an 9-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Sprague's homer helped rally the Pirates from a 3-0 deficit created by Tyler Houston's three-run homer in the second off Francisco Cordova.
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"We battled back, and it feels real good that my first homer here was able to help us win," said Sprague, whose other 116 homers came in the American League.
Pirates manager Gene Lamont went to three left-handers Scott Sauerbeck, Jeff Wallace and Jason Christiansen to shut out the Cubs after Cordova lasted only two innings.
In their last three games, Pirates relievers have permitted only four hits and one run in 16 innings off Rich Loiselle in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 4-3 loss to Montreal.
"Every one of those guys is ready when they come in," catcher Jason Kendall said of a young bullpen that includes three rookies. "You just hope they keep doing it because they're pitching great."
Five Pirates relievers have combined for 10 shutout innings in the first two games of the three-game Cubs series, even as Lamont was changing roles by deciding not to use Loiselle as the closer.
"They just shut us down," said manager Jim Riggleman, whose Cubs have scored more than three runs only once while starting 2-3.
The Cubs' problems don't start at the top, but rather in the No. 3 hole. Sosa's homer slump continued as he went 0-for-4 with a pair of long flyouts.
After hitting a major league-high 12 home runs during spring training, Sosa is batting .059 (1-for-17) with only one extra-base hit during the regular season.
"It's going to come," Sosa said. "It's not going to be like this all year. Today I felt more comfortable. ... It's early. As a team, sometimes when the main guy is struggling everybody is going to follow. When I got hot, I'm going to get hot for a long time."
Cordova was lifted after two innings because he couldn't get his right shoulder loose on the mound. Cordova also gave up a three-run homer to Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero in the Expos' 9-2 opening night victory Monday and has yielded seven runs in seven innings in his two starts.
"I don't think there's any problem," Lamont said. "It was chilly and cool in the bullpen, but we thought he'd loosen up on the mound. He didn't say he needed to come out but we thought it was the best thing."
Sauerbeck (1-0) followed with three hitless innings to become the second Pirates pitcher in as many days to win his first in the majors; Kris Benson also did so Friday. Wallace pitched the sixth and seventh and Christiansen finished up with two more scoreless innings.
Kendall, batting fifth after leading off the Pirates' first four games, homered leading off the second against Brad Woodall (0-1), then doubled leading off the fourth and scored on Jose Guillen's sacrifice fly.
Woodall left following Brian Giles' tying RBI single in the fifth, but Kurt Miller a former Pirates' first-round draft pick didn't retire any of his five batters. Kevin Young and Kendall walked ahead of Sprague's fourth career grand slam, on a 3-2 fastball down the middle.
"He had thrown eight straight balls, so I had to be real patient there," Sprague said. "I had to wait until he threw a strike and it was hard because I knew he was going to come with a fastball. I'm happy I was patient enough to wait him out."
Miller was lifted after Guillen walked, and rookie Abraham Nunez doubled for the second time in the game.
Notes: Hideo Nomo is to start Sunday for Triple-A Iowa, his first appearance since signing with the Cubs. He also is scheduled to start April 16 and April 21. ... Sosa has not homered in seven games dating to last season, since his Sept. 25 homer in Houston gave him a 66-65 lead over Mark McGwire. ... Miller was the Pirates' first-round pick in 1990, when Cam Bonifay, now the general manager, was their scouting director. ... Pirates right-hander Jose Silva (facial injuries) will make a rehabilitation start Wednesday for Triple-A Nashville. ... Loiselle, whose velocity is down since he saved 29 games as a rookie in 1997, will be used at least temporarily in middle relief or in a setup role.
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