Saturday, May 3, 2008

Cubs use big fourth to blow past Cards

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Fontenot hit a three-run homer and Geovany Soto added a two-run double to highlight a six-run fourth inning and power the Cubs to a 9-3 victory Saturday over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Kosuke Fukudome, batting fourth in place of injured Aramis Ramirez, also hit a pair of RBI doubles to back Ted Lilly (2-1).

Lilly served up six hits, including solo homers to Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols, over seven innings, in his longest outing of the year. The left-hander struck out four, and walked one. He also hit a double, the second of his career, and scored on Alfonso Soriano's double in the seventh.

The win, played in front of a record-setting crowd of 46,792 at Busch Stadium, snapped the Cubs' mini losing streak at two. They have not lost more than two in a row so far this season.

With one out in the Chicago fourth against Kyle Lohse (3-1), Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee each singled, and Fukudome smacked an RBI double. Mark DeRosa walked to load the bases, the 14th straight game in which the Cubs have had at least one plate appearance with the bases full. The last National League team to have a streak that long was the 1999 Dodgers, who had a string of 13 consecutive games with at least one plate appearance with the bases loaded.

Soto hit a ground-rule double, driving in two to make it 3-0. Fontenot then belted his second homer to open a 6-0 lead.

Ryan Ludwick hit a one-out RBI double in the Cardinals' fourth, Molina led off the fifth with his second homer, and Pujols hit his sixth with one out in the sixth to make it 6-3.

After Soriano's RBI double in the seventh chased Lohse, Russ Springer walked Lee and Fukudome added his second RBI double to go ahead 8-3. Fontenot picked up his career-high fourth RBI when he drew a walk with the bases loaded in the seventh. It's the eighth time the Cubs have scored at least nine runs in a game this season.

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