May 2, 2007 3 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Alfonso Soriano hit his first homer for the Cubs and Cliff Floyd had a go-ahead, two-run shot during a four-run rally in the seventh inning that left Chicago leading the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 when the game was suspended because of rain Tuesday night. After a delay of 2 hours, 18 minutes, the game was suspended with the Pirates about to bat in the seventh. It will be finished at 12:35 p.m. EDT on Wednesday before the teams play their regularly scheduled game.

While the game lasted longer than the required five innings to become official, it was suspended because the Pirates had not yet batted in the seventh.

Soriano, who signed a $136 million contract with Chicago as a free agent in the offseason, was coming off what he called the worst month of his career. But he needed only one at-bat in May to equal his RBI total in April – one. He finished 3-for-4.

Soriano and Matt Murton each doubled in the seventh to drive in a run ahead of Floyd’s 451-foot drive that bounced into the Allegheny River behind the right-field seats for his second homer of the season.

The Cubs withstood a rough outing from starting pitcher Ted Lilly, who gave up three runs in the first while allowing only one ball out of the infield. Lilly also wound up on his backside not once but twice while fielding bunts.

Pirates starter Tony Armas began the game with an 11.57 ERA to Lilly’s 2.18, but limited the Cubs to two runs in six innings – solo homers by Soriano on his third pitch of the game and Jacque Jones in the second. Armas left with a 5-2 lead, but the usually reliable Pirates bullpen couldn’t hold it.

Murton had a pinch-hit double off John Grabow, and Soriano doubled off Jonah Bayliss, who allowed extra-base hits to three consecutive batters. Bayliss did not allow any of his 10 inherited runners to score in April.

Back in the first, the bunt proved the Pirates’ key to a three-run inning. After Chris Duffy singled, Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez each reached on bunt singles handled by Lilly, who slipped on the grass on Sanchez’s single and couldn’t make a play.

Ryan Doumit walked to force in a run, and shortstop Cesar Izturis threw the ball away for a two-base error on Jose Bautista’s force-play grounder as two runs scored. Bautista was credited with one RBI.

In the second, Ronny Paulino’s single, a sacrifice bunt and Jack Wilson’s sacrifice fly scored another run. Paulino hit his second homer of the season to make it 5-2 in the fourth.

NOTES: Wilson, the Pirates’ shortstop, made an excellent backhand catch of Jones’ foul popup well down the left-field line in the seventh. … Derrek Lee, 12-for-32 with four homers against Armas, doubled and singled against the right-hander. Lee is one of only seven players in the last 50 years to double in seven consecutive games. … Floyd’s homer was the 21st, by 16 players, to reach the Allegheny River since PNC Park opened in 2001. All but one homer bounced into the river. … Lee has a 10-game hitting streak (19-for-44, .432).