Thursday, May 02, 2002
Padres 4, Cubs 3
The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO — No team has had a more prolific closer than the San Diego Padres. Trevor Hoffman saved San Diego's 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, setting a major league record for saves with one team.
The Padres overcame two homers by Sammy Sosa to send the Cubs to their season-high fifth consecutive loss.
Hoffman pitched a perfect ninth for his 321st save with the Padres. Dennis Eckersley set the old record with Oakland from 1987-1995.
“I hold this very dear to me,” said Hoffman, who joined the Padres in 1993. “When you've had the opportunity to be in one place as long as I have, in the role I have, it is really special. It's a situation where you try to focus in on your job on a daily basis. Then you look up some night, and a milestone is being achieved.”
Hoffman has nine saves in nine opportunities this year.
“This (record) is pretty special, especially knowing the kind of person Trevor is,” Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. “Obviously, we know what kind of talent he is. Something like this doesn't just happen. It takes a lot of work.”
Bobby Jones (3-1) beat the Cubs for the ninth straight time, allowing two runs on six hits in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out a season-high seven and walked two in improving to 11-1 in 15 career appearances against Chicago.
“I'm thrilled we got a win, but I'm disappointed that I just got into the sixth,” Jones said. “I'm not going to be dominating all the time, but it's my job to work late into the game and give our team a chance to win.”
Sosa closed the Clubs to 4-3 in the eighth with a solo homer off Jeremy Fikac, his 10th of the season. It also marked his first multihomer game of the year.
“The more that I do for the team, the more we have a chance to win,” Sosa said. “I just continue my plan and keep playing.”
Jon Lieber (3-1) lost despite pitching the first complete game of the season for the Cubs. He allowed six hits with five strikeouts and one intentional walk.
“I lost this game,” Lieber said. “You have got to be able to make your pitches. I left too many pitches down the middle of the plate.”
The Padres, who got their sixth victory in seven games, also extended their home record to 9-2 to match the best start ever at this point, first set in 1984.
Sean Burroughs hit a two-run single to give the Padres a 4-2 lead in the fourth after the Cubs tied it in the top half on a two-run homer by Sosa.
Ray Lankford doubled to put runners at second and third before Burroughs delivered his second go-ahead hit in two games. Until he hit a go-ahead triple on Tuesday, Burroughs was 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
The Padres opened the scoring in the first on a two-run homer by Mark Kotsay, his second of the season. D'Angelo Jimenez singled, and Kotsay sent the next pitch over the left-center field fence.
The Padres' Ryan Klesko left with a right calf contusion after striking out in the fifth. In the fourth, he fouled a ball off one leg but then singled. His status is day-to-day.
Jones' only loss to Chicago came on April 11, 1994, when he pitched for the New York Mets.
Notes: Corey Patterson led off the game with an infield single to extend his hitting streak to eight games, best on the Cubs this season. However, he was thrown out trying out to advance to second base on an overthrow. ... Sosa came into this month with 88 career home runs in May for his second-best total in any month, behind 98 in August. ... The Padres remained uncertain about their starting pitchers for Friday and Saturday, pending the likely return of Kevin Jarvis after recovering from a sore elbow. Brian Tollberg and Ben Howard are the candidates for the other assignments. ... San Diego entered May with a winning record (14-12). The last two times the Padres did so, they won the NL West (1996 and 1998).
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Padres 4, Cubs 3
