Lee’s grand slam leads Cubs to win over Pirates
CHICAGO (AP) – Derrek Lee hit a grand slam on his 31st birthday, leading the Chicago Cubs over the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2 Wednesday night. Chicago trailed 2-1 in the eighth against John Grabow (4-2) when pinch-hitter Angel Pagan, Juan Pierre and Ryan Theriot loaded the based with singles.
With one out, Lee connected off Matt Capps for his seventh career slam, his first since Aug. 24, 2004, against Milwaukee. Henry Blanco and Angel Pagan added RBI singles in the six-run inning.
Michael Wuertz (2-1) got two outs in the eighth to win in relief of Rich Hill, who struck out 11 in 7 1-3 innings. Hill set a team record for strikeouts by a left-hander, topping Steve Wilson’s 10 on July 15, 1990, against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chicago passed Pittsburgh and moved out of last place in the NL Central, ending its five-game losing streak to the Pirates.
Pirates starter Zach Duke allowed one unearned run on six hits in seven innings.
Ronny Paulino’s passed ball allowed Ronny Cedeno to score from third base in the third.
Pittsburgh rallied for a 2-1 lead in the eighth. Hill threw wildly on pinch-hitter Jack Wilson’s bunt single for a run-scoring error and the Pirates got another run on an RBI grounder to shortstop by Jose Bautista in which Cedeno threw wildly to the plate for another error.
NOTES: Pittsburgh SS Jack Wilson continues his recovery from an inner ear infection. Pirates manager Jim Tracy thinks Wilson could make his return to the starting lineup on Saturday when the team travels to Cincinnati. Wilson has missed 12 straight starts. … With runners on first and third and one out in the sixth inning, Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez hit a hard grounder behind the bag at second, SS Freddy Sanchez made a diving stop and flipped it from his glove to 2B Jose Castillo, who barehanded it and threw to first to complete the double play.