AP Photo/Charles Cherney
CHICAGO (AP) — Alfonso Soriano and Blake DeWitt each hit three-run homers, and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 7-6 on Friday.
It was a wild start to a weekend series between two disappointing teams, but the Cubs ultimately hung on after taking two of three from Pittsburgh.
David Wright delivered a two-run double and scored in the first as the Mets grabbed a 3-0 lead against Randy Wells. Then, with the Cubs ahead 7-4, Wright homered off Andrew Cashner leading off the seventh, giving him three hits.
Things really got interesting when Luis Hernandez started the eighth against Sean Marshall with his second career homer and first since Sept. 27, 2007. That made it 7-6, but the Mets came up short for the fourth time in five games.
Former Mets outfielder Xavier Nady had three hits. Starlin Castro had a pair of singles for his fifth straight multihit game, but the biggest blows came from Soriano and DeWitt.
Soriano capped a four-run fourth off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (9-6) with his 22nd homer, briefly putting the Cubs ahead 4-3. The Mets tied it in the sixth when Angel Pagan singled with two out and came around on a double to the right-field corner by Lucas Duda, the first hit and RBI of his career.
That chased Wells, who gave up eight hits and was shaky again after going 1-4 in six starts last month. James Russell (1-1) came on and retired a pinch-hitting Carlos Beltran to end the Mets’ rally, and the Cubs answered in a big way in the bottom half.
Aramis Ramirez led off with a walk, Nady followed with a single and, with two out, DeWitt drove a 1-0 pitch over the right-field wall for his fifth homer, making it 7-4.
But the Cubs couldn’t relax thanks to the homers by Wright and Hernandez, who had come on in the seventh as part of a double switch. The Mets had the tying run on in the ninth after Carlos Marmol walked Joaquin Arias, but he retired Josh Thole on a fly for his 26th save in 31 chances.
It was a rough afternoon for Dickey, who saw his ERA rise from 2.57 to 2.91. The seven runs allowed were the most for him since Aug. 20, 2008, when he allowed eight for Seattle in a loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Wells, meanwhile, looked like he might get knocked out early after that rough first inning.
The Mets wasted no time jumping on him even though they came in with a .221 average since the All-Star break, getting a leadoff single from Pagan and a walk by Duda before Wright drove them in with a one-out double off the left-field wall over a leaping Soriano.
Wright scored from third on Arias’ force to make it 3-0.
Notes: Mets ace Johan Santana remains day to day with a strained left pectoral muscle after leaving Thursday’s win over Atlanta. … The Cubs will unveil a statue of Hall of Famer Billy Williams outside Wrigley Field before Tuesday’s game against Atlanta. The sculpture at the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue takes the place of Harry Caray’s, which is now by the bleachers entrance. … C Geovany Soto was back in the lineup after missing three games with swelling in his right knee. … Tom Gorzelanny will miss his next start because of a bruised left hand. He was hit by a line drive by Pittsburgh’s Jose Tabata on Wednesday. … GM Jim Hendry said he had lunch with but did not formally interview Triple-A Iowa manager Ryne Sandberg for the Cubs’ job during a visit to Albuquerque.
