LOS ANGELES, May 4 (UPI) -- The Chicago Cubs hit three home runs Friday night, but it was a ball hit 100 feet that decided the game.
Corey Patterson's bunt double in the seventh inning scored Delino DeShields and snapped a tie as the Cubs posted an 8-3 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth, Chicago rallied for four runs in the seventh.
DeShields greeted reliever Jesse Orosco with a double to deep left field, bringing Patterson to the plate. Without initially indicating bunt, Patterson punched the ball past a charging Adrian Beltre. As DeShields rounded third base, shortstop Cesar Izturis picked up the ball and fired it home. DeShields beat
the throw to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead and chase Orosco.
Patterson rounded first and didn't stop, pulling into second with a double. Righthander Paul Quantrill hit Mark Bellhorn with a pitch before retiring Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou. But Fred McGriff followed with his second home run of the night to break open the game.
McGriff homered in the sixth to become the 27th major leaguer to hit 450 home runs. His homer in the seventh left him one behind Carl Yastrzemski for 26th place on the all-time list.
Ron Mahay (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory for the Cubs, who have won two straight after dropping their previous five contests.
After allowing just one earned run in his previous 10
appearances, Orosco (0-1) surrendered two runs and two hits without retiring a batter.
