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Hill Helps Cubs Win 1st Game at Wrigley

Posted on: Saturday, 14 April 2007, 15:00 CDT

By RICK GANO

CHICAGO - Rich Hill might be the No. 4 starter in the Chicago Cubs' rotation. So far in the early season, he's looked like their ace. Hill limited the Cincinnati Reds to three singles over seven innings on a cold and windy day at Wrigley Field as the Cubs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-0 win Saturday.

It was the second straight strong start by the 27-year-old lefty. In his first outing this season, Hill allowed only one hit and one run in seven innings against the Brewers.

The Cubs broke through against Bronson Arroyo in the fifth, using a sacrifice fly by Ronny Cedeno and a suicide squeeze bunt by Cesar Izturis to take a 2-0 lead.

They drove the lanky Arroyo out in a five-run seventh inning that began with an error on Reds first baseman Jeff Conine for missing a throw.

Alfonso Soriano had an RBI infield hit and Ryan Theriot a run-scoring single to finish Arroyo (0-2). After reliever Jon Coutlangus walked Jacque Jones to load the bases, Derrek Lee hit a three-run double off Victor Santos.

Hill (2-0), who had his only major league shutout against the Reds in September, was backed by strong defense that turned a pair of double plays.

The 17 mph wind blowing in held up Ryan Freel's long drive to left-center in the fifth and allowed Chicago's Cliff Floyd to catch it on the warning track.

Michael Barrett and Floyd opened with singles in the fifth and moved up on Arroyo's wild pitch. Cedeno delivered the sacrifice fly to left, also moving Floyd to third. With Floyd breaking for the plate, Izturis fell down in the box as he dropped the bunt out in the front of the plate to make it 2-0.

Floyd reached on Conine's error in the seventh and moved up on a sacrifice and a grounder. With two outs, the Reds intentionally walked pinch-hitter Daryle Ward and Soriano then beat out a grounder to shortstop to make it 3-0. Theriot followed with an RBI single to center to finish Arroyo. Moments later, Lee cleared the bases with a drive to right-center.

Bob Howry replaced Hill for the eighth and Ryan Dempster pitched the ninth to finish the six-hitter.

Notes:@ Lee has hit in all 10 of the Cubs' games. ... One day after manager Lou Piniella's angry outburst during a postgame news conference, the Cubs finally won at home for the first time in four games ... The Reds had played four straight one-run games before Saturday. ... The Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. and the Cubs' Lee, Jones, Ward and Floyd will wear No. 42 during Sunday's game to honor Jackie Robinson. Cubs coaches Gerald Perry and Lester Strode will also wear the number. ... The gametime temperature Saturday was 46. Announced attendance was 38,598.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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