SB Nation Chicago - Aramis Ramirez' Three Homers, Seven RBI Lead Cubs Past Astroshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2010-07-20T22:41:09-05:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13430342010-07-20T22:41:09-05:002010-07-20T22:41:09-05:00Cubs Come From Behind, Pound Astros 14-7
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<p>Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Aramis Ramirez recorded his fourth career three-homer game and drove in seven runs, as the Chicago Cubs rallied past the Houston Astros, 14-7, in the second installment of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.</p>
<p>Derrek Lee knocked in three runs and scored three times for the Cubs, who bounced back from an 11-5 loss in the opener of this series on Monday. Geovany Soto hit a solo homer for the victors.</p>
<p>Ryan Dempster went five innings in the start, allowing seven runs — four earned — on eight hits. Andrew Cashner (1-3) tossed two innings of scoreless relief to pick up his first win in the majors.</p>
<p>Chicago manager Lou Piniella announced earlier in the day that he will retire at the conclusion of the season. Piniella is in his fourth year as the manager of the Cubs. He guided the team to a winning record in each of his first three years, but the team is just 43-52 this season.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2010/7/20/1579724/cubs-come-from-behind-pound-astrosAl Yellon2010-07-20T15:00:31-05:002010-07-20T15:00:31-05:00Piniella Has 68 Games Left As Cubs Manager; Tonight Vs. Astros Is One Of Them
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<p>(Sports Network) - The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Cubs</a> had the wind taken out of their sails in last night's loss to the <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Astros</a> and will try for a measure of revenge Tuesday in the second installment of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cubs</a> won three of four games against the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia Phillies</a> and were feeling pretty good about themselves. However, the <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Astros</a> crashed the party with Monday's 11-5 pounding of Chicago in the series opener. Cubs starter <span>Carlos Silva</span> failed in his bid for win No. 10 and lasted just one inning, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks with no strikeouts.</p>
<p>"He's not as sharp as he was earlier, that's for sure," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "We have to get him straightened out. We're a little short of pitching. We're probably going to have to get a pitcher up here for tomorrow's game."</p>
<p><span>Aramis Ramirez</span> hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBI, while <span>Tyler Colvin</span> cracked a solo shot and ended with a pair of runs batted in for the Cubs, who are 3-2 on a 10-game homestand. Ramirez owns six home runs and 17 RBI this month, and has hit safely in 15 of his last 19 games.</p>
<p>Chicago veteran <span>Ryan Dempster</span> will take the ball for Tuesday's game and has won two straight and five of his last seven decisions. He last took the hill in Thursday's 12-6 drubbing of the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phillies</a> and gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts.</p>
<p>Dempster, a right-hander, improved to 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA in 19 starts this season and will face Houston for the third time in 2010. He is 1-0 over the first two starts, but owns a 5-10 record and a 4.27 ERA with 16 saves through 46 career games, 20 of which have been starts, against the Astros.</p>
<p>The Astros won for just the third time in seven tries last night and set the tone with five runs in the first inning. <span>Jason Castro</span> clubbed a three-run homer and <span>Chris Johnson</span> contributed a two-run shot and three RBI for Houston, which got two RBI apiece from <span>Hunter Pence</span> and <span>Carlos Lee</span>.</p>
<p>"The guys were getting some quality at-bats, that's the biggest thing," Astros manager <span>Brad Mills</span> said after the 17-hit barrage. "It was nice to see everybody pitch in up and down and have a balanced attack the way they swung the bats."</p>
<p>Astros starter <span>Wandy Rodriguez</span> yielded eight hits and five runs over six innings to win for the fourth time in five starts.</p>
<p><span>Wesley Wright</span> is expected to make his first major league start tonight for Houston and is 0-0 with a 5.59 ERA in six relief appearances this season. He has made 13 starts at Triple-A Round Rock, going 4-0 with a 4.18 ERA.</p>
<p>The left-hander last took the mound for the 'Stros in a 9-3 loss versus Texas on June 18, as he yielded two runs and two hits in two innings with a pair of strikeouts. In 13 career relief appearances against the Cubs, Wright is 2-0 with a 5.06 earned run average.</p>
<p>Houston has won five of seven matchups with Chicago this season, one year after the Cubs took 11 of the 17 matchups between the two clubs.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2010/7/20/2318134/piniella-has-68-games-left-as-cubs-manager-tonight-vs-astros-is-oneAl Yellon