Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Cubs 9, Astros 5
The Associated Press
HOUSTON — The Chicago Cubs had an unexpected leader for their second biggest offensive production of the season. Todd Hundley, who started the game hitting .159, went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 9-5 victory Tuesday night over the Houston Astros.
The Cubs had 13 hits, two short of their season high. For Hundley, it was his first three-hit game of the season.
“I'm getting some at-bats now and some playing time,” Hundley said. “It feels good. All I needed was some at-bats and I knew everything would come together. I'm feelings more comfortable.”
With the score tied 5-5 in the eighth inning, Hundley led off with his third hit and was replaced by pinch-runner Bobby Hill, who went to third on Mark Bellhorn's double off Pedro Borbon (1-1).
Hill scored the go-ahead run on a grounder by Corey Patterson, and Bill Mueller's sacrifice fly gave the Cubs a 7-5 lead. Borbon allowed three hits in one inning of work.
“Todd's putting the ball in play,” Cubs manager Don Baylor said. “If he keeps swinging the bat like that, he's going to play. He's just making more contact, using the middle of the field.”
Bellhorn stretched the lead to 9-5 with a two-run homer, his seventh of the season, in the ninth off Jim Mann.
Hundley raised his average to .192. He is hitting .304 (7-for-23) on the current road trip with eight RBIs and two homers.
“Offensively, it was a good night,” Hundley said. “We haven't been able to do that in a long time. It was nice to put up some good numbers offensively for a change.”
Kyle Farnsworth (2-0) pitched two-thirds of the seventh inning for the victory.
Jason Bere went six innings for Chicago and came close to ending a string of seven straight losing decisions. He allowed four runs, struck out seven and walked three before Houston tied it in the seventh.
“Several players were sitting with him on the bench, trying to pull him through it,” Baylor said. “He's pitched well. He didn't have his great fastball today but he got the outs when he had to have them.”
The Astros loaded the bases with one out on three straight singles, and Jeff Bagwell hit a sacrifice fly off Farnsworth for a 5-5 tie.
Until Sammy Sosa's solo homer in the third, his major league leading 23rd of the season, the Cubs hadn't scored a run for Bere in 16 straight innings.
“I just don't take that (losing streak) out there with me,” Bere said. “That's easy to say, but it's hard to do. It's nice that my teammates are behind me.
“They know what I'm about. They know I battle even if I don't have my good stuff and that they can count on me to go deep in the game.”
Trailing 4-2 with two out in the fifth, the Cubs rallied for three runs off Carlos Hernandez on Hundley's two-run single and a wild pitch.
Houston got four runs in the second inning off Bere on Bagwell's leadoff homer, his 10th of the season, an RBI single by Hernandez and a two-run double by Craig Biggio.
“Carlos lost that strike zone,” Astros manager Jimy Williams said. “When that happens against a team like this, you're in trouble. Good hitters take advantage of you then.”
Hernandez's RBI was his first in the major leagues. He's the Astros leading hitter among pitchers with a .250 average (6-for-24).
Alex Gonzalez tripled to start the fourth and scored on Hundley's single to center field to cut Chicago's deficit to 4-2.
Notes: The Cubs have had scoring problems this season, getting three or fewer runs in 31 of their 62 games. ... The Cubs improved to 6-12 when opponents start a left-handed pitcher. ... The Cubs signed ninth round draft pick, outfielder Adam Greenberg from the University of North Carolina. The Cubs have signed 17 of their draft picks. ... The Astros have won the season series with the Cubs the past nine years. They are 4-4 against the Cubs this season with 11 games remaining.
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Cubs 9, Astros 5 
