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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) -- There's been a Slammin' Sammy sighting.
|  | | Sammy Sosa ended an 11-game HR drought with two blasts Thursday. |
Sammy Sosa emerged from a 1-for-15 slump with two home runs,
ending an 11-game drought and leading the Chicago Cubs to a
come-from-behind 6-5 victory Thursday over the Colorado Rockies.
Sosa, who had not homered since May 10, hit a solo shot in the
seventh for his 350th career home run. He put the Cubs ahead with a
two-run homer, his 15th, off Mike DeJean (0-1) in the eighth.
"I was hitting the ball hard in Chicago, and the wind was
killing me and there's nothing much you can do about it," Sosa
said. "But the way that I've been doing this year, I've been
taking my walk, taking my base hit. I just want to pick it up again
and hopefully I can continue it all year long."
Sosa went 45 at-bats between home runs before becoming the 57th
player in major league history to reach the 350 mark. He also has
40 multihomer games.
"It has been a long time in between home runs," Cubs manager
Don Baylor said. "When you aren't trying to hit home runs, you are
taking good swings. Sammy had better swings today."
Jon Lieber (5-3) allowed five runs -- three earned -- and seven
hits in seven innings for Chicago. He struck out seven and walked
two in his first start against Colorado since August 1998.
Rick Aguilera retired Jeffrey Hammonds on a hard grounder to
third baseman Willie Greene with the bases loaded for his seventh
save in 11 chances.
"I thought we were in pretty good position," Rockies manager
Buddy Bell said. "Hammer did his job again. It's just unfortunate
he hit it right at Greene and Greene made a good play."
Chicago erased a 5-0 lead to spoil a strong performance by
Rockies starter Kevin Jarvis, who gave up two runs and four hits in
seven innings. He lefa after Damon Buford's double to start the
eighth.
Colorado's bullpen proceeded to collapse as Joe Girardi greeted
Julian Tavarez with an RBI double -- his third hit of the day -- and
Glenallen Hill followed with a pinch-hit homer to pull the Cubs to
s glad to see him hit a home run with a man on base," Baylor said.
"Otherwise it is a 5-1 loss and the Sammy show. Everyone else
contributed today."
After Hill's 11th career pinch homer, DeJean retired Eric Young
on a fly out but gave up a single to Dave Martinez and Sosa's
408-foot home run to left on a 1-0 slider.
"I wouldn't even call it a slider. It wasn't good enough to be
considered anything but a terrible pitch," DeJean said. "It was a
complete and total momentum killer. I can take a loss and home runs
getting hit off me, but to come into a game like that and make such
asinine pitch it's really tough to take."
The Rockies, who had their eight-game home winning streak
snapped, took a 4-0 lead in the fourth when Darren Bragg singled
and Neifi Perez followed with his fourth homer of the year.
Colorado added an unearned run in the fifth as Brian Hunter
singled, went to second on a groundout, moved to third on an errant
pickoff throw by Lieber and scored on a balk.
Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the third on an RBI single by Hunter
and Jeff Cirillo's sacrifice fly.
Game
notes
Colorado OF Larry Walker did wind sprints for about 20
minutes Thursday as he tries to return from an injured right elbow.
Walker said he does not feel pain in the elbow and has started
strength exercises. The two-time defending NL batting champion has
not thrown or swung a bat since being placed on the 15-day disabled
list May 11. ... Cubs SS Ricky Gutierrez did not play after
injuring his left hamstring and right shoulder Wednesday night. ...
Jarvis singled in the third inning for his first hit since Aug. 31,
1996. ... Sosa's 11-game homer drought was his longest since May
1998. He finished with 66 home runs that season. ... Colorado's
bullpen had been 9-0 at home. ... Baylor said the Cubs planned to
recall RHP Matt Karchner from Triple-A Iowa, and RHP Kyle
Farnsworth would be optioned to the same club.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
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