Manager Dusty Baker called it ''the wildest game I've seen.'' In a season
where little has been memorable for the Cubs, at least Baker has Tuesday's 9-8
extra-inning victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers to savor.
Despite six errors and a 7-0 deficit, the Cubs came back to hand the
pennant-contending Dodgers a painful loss, though Baker said the outcome wasn't
about being ''a spoiler.''
''You can't play like that,'' Baker said. ''It's just about winning.''
CUBS
9
DODGERS
8
The winning run was as bizarre as the game. Pitcher Juan Mateo, pinch-running
at second for catcher Geovany Soto, made a mad dash rounding the bases on Cesar
Izturis' single up the middle in the 11th with two outs. Mateo barely touched
third, then ran toward home, never sliding, and eluded the tag of catcher
Russell Martin.
''Mateo was the only guy I had left,'' Baker said. ''I asked Rich Hill if he
could run faster than Soto, and he said no.''
Baker and the Cubs might have another positive coming with starter Carlos
Zambrano declaring himself well enough to return to the rotation, perhaps by
this weekend.
With a second medical opinion confirming his back problems aren't serious,
Zambrano threw on the side before Tuesday's game and vowed to return to help the
team avoid a 100-loss season and continue his quest for the Cy Young Award.
''First of all, I don't want this team to have 100 losses,'' Zambrano said.
''It's embarrassing to lose 100 games.
''Second of all, I'm competing for something, and I want to finish the season
strong and come back and be ready for my future. I'm not a guy who's going to be
comfortable with 14 [wins]. I'm a competitor. I need to go out and get three or
four more wins.''
His team was in danger of one more loss Tuesday, falling behind 7-0 in the
first three innings, with four of the runs against starter Sean Marshall
unearned because of four errors.
Three of the errors were by second baseman Freddie Bynum, including two in
the first, leading to two unearned runs in the four-run inning.
The Dodgers added two more in the second after Bynum dropped pitcher Derek
Lowe's pop fly in the rain. Jacque Jones was charged with the other error in the
third when he couldn't catch a fly ball near the right-field corner off the bat
of Matt Kemp, who reached third and later scored.
Bynum was lifted for right-handed-hitting Ryan Theriot in the sixth against
lefty reliever Joe Beimel. Theriot was a hero later, scoring a go-ahead run in
the eighth. He reached third when right fielder J.D. Drew missed his fly ball
near the wall and scored on Derrek Lee's sacrifice fly.
''I'll talk to Freddie later,'' Baker said. ''There have been other guys who
have had tough nights.''
The last Cub to commit three errors in a game was Shawon Dunston on May 9,
1997, in a game against the San Francisco Giants, according to baseball
historian Ed Hartig.
But the Cubs committed two more errors in the ninth -- by Izturis and Lee --
leading to an unearned run against Ryan Dempster. It was the only run allowed by
relievers Jae Kuk Ryu, Will Ohman, Michael Wuertz, Bob Howry, Scott Eyre,
Dempster and David Aardsma (2-0).
The Cubs' five-run fifth featured six singles and Matt Murton's double, and
the two-run seventh was highlighted by Aramis Ramirez's pinch-hit single with
the bases loaded.
Zambrano returned from Miami on Tuesday morning after meeting with a back
specialist. He said the rest helped his arm.
''Probably at the end of the week,'' Zambrano said about his return. ''Carlos
will be on the mound Thursday, Friday or Saturday.''
