MORE FROM THE WEB
More fan contributions from Philly.com Sports partner Bleacher Report
CHICAGO - Rookie Randy Wells won his fourth straight start, Derrek Lee homered, and the Chicago Cubs got their sixth win in eight games by beating the Atlanta Braves, 4-2, last night.
Wells gave up seven hits and two runs in six innings, including a homer to Nate McLouth, to become the first Cubs rookie to win four straight starts since Kerry Wood in 1998, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Get Your Philadelphia Phillies Gear Here
Kevin Gregg worked the ninth for his 15th save in 18 chances.
Jair Jurrjens, who held the Phillies hitless for 62/3 innings in his previous start, gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings, including Lee's 16th homer, a two-run shot in the first.
Jurrjens had surrendered only six homers all year before Lee drove a pitch deep into the leftfield bleachers.
The Cubs tacked on two more in the second with four straight two-out hits. Mike Fontenot and Wells singled, Kosuke Fukudome lined an RBI double into the right-field corner, and Ryan Theriot beat an out an infield single to short as Wells scored for a 4-0 lead.
Chicago loaded the bases in the third, but Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar went deep in the hole to collect Wells' grounder and made a strong throw to first to end the inning.
Atlanta had three singles off Wells in the fourth, including an RBI liner to center by Escobar that cut the lead to 4-1. And when Wells fumbled Casey Kotchman's dribbler to the left of the mound for an error, the Braves loaded the bases. Wells escaped by striking out Matt Diaz and getting Jurrjens to hit into a forceout.
McLouth led off the fifth with his 14th homer - his fifth since joining the Braves from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a June 3 trade - to cut the lead in half.
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez returned to the lineup after missing two months with a dislocated left shoulder and got a loud ovation in his first at-bat. He went 0 for 4.
Jeff Francoeur was out of Atlanta's starting lineup for a third straight day, benched in favor of Diaz, who was 12 for 19 in the previous five games. Francoeur pinch-hit in the seventh and had an infield single.
Atlanta 000 110 000 – 2 9 0
Chicago 220 000 00x – 4 9 1
Atlanta AB R H BI Avg. Chicago AB R H BI Avg.
McLouth cf 5 1 3 1 .270 Fukudome cf 3 1 2 1 .268
Prado 2b 5 0 0 0 .319 Theriot ss 3 0 1 1 .289
C.Jones 3b 3 1 1 0 .292 D.Lee 1b 4 1 2 2 .288
McCann c 4 0 1 0 .303 Bradley rf 2 0 0 0 .242
G.Anderson lf 4 0 0 0 .279 Ar.Ramirez 3b 4 0 0 0 .343
Y.Escobar ss 3 0 2 1 .297 A.Soriano lf 4 0 1 0 .227
Kotchman 1b 4 0 1 0 .272 Soto c 3 0 1 0 .230
M.Diaz rf 4 0 0 0 .311 Fontenot 2b 4 1 1 0 .236
Jurrjens p 2 0 0 0 .147 R.Wells p 3 1 1 0 .190
a-G.Blanco ph 0 0 0 0 .195 Marshall p 0 0 0 0 .231
b-Francoeur ph 1 0 1 0 .247 Marmol p 0 0 0 0 ---
