PHILADELPHIA -- If Aramis Ramirez had turned in more performances like
Monday's, after Derrek Lee was injured in April, the Cubs might have played a
few more meaningful games.
Instead, the Cubs have to settle for playing the role of spoiler, which is
exactly what they did in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park
as Ramirez drove in seven runs in an 11-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
One day after Lee announced he would miss the remainder of the season to be
with his ailing daughter, Ramirez stepped into the third spot in the order and
belted a pair of three-run home runs and added a run-scoring single -- all in
the first four innings.
CUBS
11
PHILLIES
6
The seven RBI were the most by a Cub since Corey Patterson also had seven
March 31, 2003 against the New York Mets. It was his fourth multi-homer game of
the season.
''Boy, he's been swinging the bat great,'' manager Dusty Baker said of
Ramirez. ''He's finishing strong and it came right on time for us.''
Right on time is debatable because of his struggles early in the season, but
there no doubt Ramirez's current numbers are impressive: .293 average, 35 homers
and 110 RBI.
''I'm not trying to do too much,'' he said. ''Hit the ball wherever the pitch
is,, and it's paying off right now.''
Is it different from his approach in late April and May when Lee went down
with a broken wrist?
''I can't think about that right now, and I can't even remember what my
approach was in April,'' Ramirez said. ''I have to take it from now. I can't
think about April.''
In his three previous starts since returning earlier this month from a
strained right oblique muscle, Cubs starter Sean Marshall had allowed 16 runs
(12 earned) in 13-1/3 innings.
Marshall seemed in excellent position to pick up his first win since July 5
when the Cubs staked him to the 8-0 lead in the fourth.
The problems started when he hit Ryan Howard with a slow curveball on top of
the head with one out. With such a big lead, it hardly seemed to matter, but
Jeff Conine, Pat Burrell and Chris Coste followed with singles. Abraham Nunez
walked and pinch hitter Jose Hernandez brought the crowd of 31,101 back to life
when he hammered a 3-2 pitch into the left-center stands for a grand slam to
make it 8-6.
Suddenly, Marshall was gone after just 3-1/3 innings because he couldn't
avoid the big inning. The Cubs bullpen then came on to restore order. Despite
allowing two walks, Will Ohman finally ended the marathon fourth (11 batters
came to the plate) by striking out Howard with a pair of runners on base.
Michael Wurtz (3-1) tossed two shutout innings and Scott Eyre, Bob Howry and
Ryan Dempster each had a scoreless inning.
The Cubs got a run back in the top of the fifth as rookie Scott Moore --
playing first base in place of Lee -- hit a solo homer (his second) to left
field to make it 9-6. The Cubs closed out the scoring with a pair of runs in the
ninth.
