Maddux Records 324th Career Victory As Cubs Down Reds
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POSTED: 11:59 pm CDT May 30, 2006
Chicago, IL -- (Sports Network) - Greg Maddux tied Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton for 13th place on baseball's all-time victories list with 324, as the Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati, 8-3, in a game that was delayed over a hour due to rain at Wrigley Field.
Maddux (6-4) gave up three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings to end a four- game losing streak.
"Greg was masterful, especially before the rain delay," said Chicago manager Dusty Baker. "Then he got stiff and we got him. He told me he was stiff and that was it."
Jacque Jones went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and four runs batted in for the Cubs, who won their second in a row after losing six straight.
"I've always stuck with it and had confidence in myself," said Jones. "I think we've been playing good the last week, but we lost some games we should have won."
Todd Walker went 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI.
Chicago will go for the three-game series sweep on Wednesday.
Adam Dunn hit two doubles and scored twice for the Reds, who lost for the fifth time in their last six games.
Brandon Claussen (3-6) was saddled with the loss, yielding five runs -- four earned -- on six hits and two walks through five innings of work.
Cincinnati drew first blood in the second inning behind Edwin Encarnacion's two-out RBI single. Dunn led off the inning with a ground-rule double, but Austin Kearns and Javier Valentin both flied out. Encarnacion came to the rescue when his single to right scored Dunn from second.
After the rain delay, the Cubs plated four runs in the fourth to jump in front. With two outs and Matt Murton on base with a double, Claussen issued back-to-back walks to Walker and Ronny Cedeno to load the bases. Jones stepped to the plate and cleared the bases with a double into the right-field corner. Henry Blanco's subsequent single scored Jones to make it a 4-1 game.
Chicago took a four-run lead in the fifth as Juan Pierre doubled, stole third and scored when Valentin's throw to third slipped out of his hand and sailed into left field.
The Reds scored twice in the top of the sixth to cut their deficit to two. Ken Griffey Jr. singled and Dunn followed with his second double of the game to put runners on second and third. Kearns' groundout scored Dunn while moving Griffey to third. Valentin followed with a single that plated Griffey and chased Maddux from the game.
The Cubs, however, got both runs back in the home half of the inning. Rick White replaced Claussen, but he was greeted by Aramis Ramirez, who led off the inning with a single. Walker sent Ramirez home with a double to center. Cedeno then tried to move Walker over to third, but Encarnacion fell down trying to field the ball and his throw to first sailed high, which allowed Walker to score and Cedeno to advance to third. White avoided further damage when he struck out Jones, Blanco and pinch-hitter Freddie Bynum to end the inning.
However, Jones gave the Cubs an insurance run in the eighth when he led off the inning with a home run and Chicago's relievers held Cincinnati hitless over the last three innings to preserve the victory.
Game Notes
The Cubs improved to 7-0 in night games at Wrigley Field this season...Maddux picked up his only win in the month of May.
Copyright 2006 Courtesy of The Sports Network. |
