MLB Selecciones
HOU

9

61-56
Final
CHC

6

50-66
CronicaNumeritos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
HOU 0 1 0 2 0 2 4 0 0 9 13 0
CHC 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 6 7 0

W: Oswalt (19-9)

L: Wood (12-11)

S: Wagner (35)

Wrigley Field, Chicago
22y

Sosa reaches fifth straight 40-homer season

CHICAGO (AP) -- Sammy Sosa has had a lot of impressive streaks in
his career. This one, though, has got to rank as one of his best.

Sosa went deep for a third straight game, hitting his major
league-leading 40th home run and No. 490 of his career Monday
night. But it wasn't enough as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago
Cubs 9-6.

"I really love baseball,'' said Sosa, who has five homers and
16 RBI in his last three games. "This is what I know, this is my
career, this is my life. When I step to the line, I want to do
good.''

He's good, all right. After a big weekend at Coors Field, Sosa's
two-run shot made him only the third player in NL history with five
straight 40-homer seasons.

Hall of Famers Ralph Kiner (1947-51) and Duke Snider (1953-57)
also accomplished the feat.

"He's a joy to watch and he's a joy to manage because all he
does is come to play,'' Cubs interim manager Bruce Kimm said. "And
he comes to win.''

But the Cubs need more than Sosa. In a game in which Cubs ace
Kerry Wood and Houston pitcher Roy Oswalt were both ejected, the
Astros took a 9-2 lead and held on.

Daryle Ward led the Astros with three RBI and a career-high
four hits, finishing a triple away from hitting for the cycle.

Jeff Bagwell and Ward hit consecutive homers, and Brad Ausmus
added a pair of RBI for Houston.

But the Astros win was spoiled by the news that Julio Lugo will
miss six weeks with a broken left forearm. Lugo, the Astros leadoff
hitter, was hit by Wood in the third inning.

"It's hard to have a career night and then hear about'' Lugo,
Ward said. "It's tough. He's been good for us in the leadoff spot
and he's very important to this team.''

Wood (9-6) was tossed in the sixth inning after arguing with
home plate umpire Mark Carlson.

Oswalt (14-6) was ejected in the seventh after hitting Alex
Gonzalez in the back in the seventh. Oswalt had already hit Fred
McGriff in the second inning.

Astros manager Jimy Williams also was ejected because warnings
had been issued to both teams after Lugo was hit.

"I went in today telling myself not to blow up about anything
and I got my first ejection,'' said Wood, who was unhappy about
being pinch-hit for after six innings in his last start.

"So that worked well for me.''

Wood allowed five runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking
out 10 and walking none. Oswalt gave up three runs and four hits in
six-plus innings, striking out seven.

Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his 26th save.

"I know Kerry Wood wasn't hitting anybody on purpose. There's
no way I'm trying to hit anybody on purpose,'' Oswalt said. ''(The
league) needs to do something about taking away the inside of the
plate. They really do.''

Sosa had one of the more impressive two-day stretches in
baseball history Saturday and Sunday, homering four times and
driving in an NL-record 14 runs at Colorado. He looked as if his
seven-game hitting streak might be snapped, going 0-for-3 against
Oswalt.

But with Oswalt out of the game, Sosa worked rookie reliever
Ricky Stone to a 1-1 count in the seventh. He then sent the next
pitch soaring over the left-field fence.

Cubs fans gave him a standing ovation, continuing to applaud
until he popped out of the dugout for a curtain call.

"Patience is what got me there,'' Sosa said. "As a player,
when you're patient, you're going to find a good pitch to hit.

But his heroics came too late for the Cubs, who fell behind by
seven runs before rallying in the seventh. Todd Hundley, booed
loudly every time he went to bat, also hit a two-run homer in the
seventh.

The Astros jumped on Wood early, as Bagwell hit an arching shot
well over the left-field fence for a solo homer in the fourth. Ward
followed with a homer to the bleachers in center.

The Cubs pulled within 3-2 on consecutive homers by Corey
Patterson and Gonzalez. But Ausmus made it 5-2 with his two-run
single that prompted Wood's ejection.

Ward then gave the Astros a comfortable lead, hitting a two-run
single up the middle that put Houston ahead 8-2.

Game notes
Sosa needs three more homers to tie Lou Gehrig for 18th
place on the all-time list. ... The Astros have hit back-to-back
homers six times this year. ... McGriff left the game in the fifth
inning with a bruised right shin. ... Jim McMahon, quarterback of
the Chicago Bears Super Bowl team, threw out the first pitch and
sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game.''

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