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O's End Cubbies' 14-Game Home Winning Streak

Posted on: Wednesday, 25 June 2008, 03:00 CDT

 Nick Markakis and Luke Scott drove in two runs each for Baltimore, as the Orioles bested the Chicago Cubs, 7-5, in the opener of a three-game interleague set at Wrigley Field.

Markakis was 2-for-5 with a run scored and Scott added a triple, single and a run scored. Brian Roberts was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a run batted in for Baltimore, which halted a two-game slide. George Sherrill got out of a bases-loaded jam with nobody out in the ninth with three straight strikeouts to earn his 26th save.

Jeremy Guthrie (4-7) tossed six effective innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits and a walk. Guthrie was mainly hurt by a three-run homer in the seventh and pitched well otherwise to earn the win. The hard-luck righthander has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in seven of his last 11 starts with only four wins to show for it.

Jim Edmonds connected for a three-run homer and Kosuke Fukudome was 2-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored. Aramis Ramirez added two hits, an RBI and a scored a run for Chicago, which ended both a three-game winning streak and the Cubs' 14-game winning streak at Wrigley Field, their longest such streak since June 4-July 10, 1936.

"These guys basically are ready to go," Cubs manager Lou Pinella said while addressing a letdown following the Cubs sweep of the White Sox. "The White Sox had nothing to do with this. Absolutely nothing. Baltimore came in here and played a good ballgame. Give them credit."

Sean Marshall (0-1) lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk. The righthander recorded seven strikeouts in the loss.

Baltimore got to Marshall in the fourth for the game's first runs. Kevin Millar worked a one-out walk and Ramon Hernandez singled to left before Scott laced a triple to right, scoring both baserunners. Marshall recovered to get Adam Jones and Alex Cintron on strikeouts, stranding Scott.

Fukudome got one back in the home half, with a leadoff home run over the center-field wall.

The O's came back with two in the fifth. Roberts lined a single to center and Markakis doubled to left plating one. Markakis tagged, moving to third on a fly out, and scored on a Millar single back up the middle ending Marshall's day. Michael Wuertz came on for the final out.

Baltimore added three more runs in the sixth. Scott reached on an error and scored when Cintron lined a one-out double to left. Wuertz got Guthrie swinging but Roberts laced a triple to the gap in right-center, scoring Cintron. Neal Cotts entered for Wuertz and allowed an RBI single to Markakis.

"(Sean) Marshall was OK," Cubs manager Lou Pinella said. "Middle relief wasn't very good. They've been struggling. They've got to get better."

Edmonds erased Baltimore's three-run sixth with a three-run blast to the stands in left in the seventh. Derrek Lee and Ramirez both singled to start the inning in front of Edmonds. Edmonds' homer ended Guthrie's day as Jim Johnson came on to record all three outs in the inning.

Chicago inched closer with a run in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Daryle Ward worked a leadoff walk and Fukudome grounded into a force out at second. Eric Patterson followed with a single and Johnson was pulled in favor of Chad Bradford. Lee hit into a force out at second moving Fukudome to third and Ramirez followed with an RBI single to right.

The Cubs loaded the bases off Sherrill in the ninth. Geovany Soto led off with a single and Mark DeRosa drew a walk. Ryan Theriot managed an infield single to load the bases with nobody out but Sherrill bore down and retired Ronny Cedeno, Fukudome and pinch-hitter Henry Blanco on three consecutive strikeouts to end the game.

"I made the first few hitters look pretty good," Sherrill said. "But somehow I was able to get out of it. That's what a closer does. They battled and battled us. But we were able to hold on and come out on top. I don't get nervous when I'm out there. I get nervous when it's somebody else, not me."

Game Notes

This is the Orioles first-ever visit to Wrigley Field. The Cubs took two of three from the O's in a 2003 meeting at Camden Yards...Roberts extended his hitting streak to 11-games and has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 contests...The Cubs recalled Marshall from Triple-A Iowa prior to Tuesday's contest and activated Ward from the 15-day disabled list. Chicago also placed outfielder Reed Johnson on the 15-day disabled list and optioned infielder Micah Hoffpauir to Iowa...Roberts recorded his 1,000th career hit in the win.

06/25 00:53:53 ET

Source: The Sports Network

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