CHICAGO, July 14 (UPI) -- Mark Prior tossed six strong innings and added a two-run double and the Chicago Cubs used four late homers to pull away Sunday for a 10-3 victory over the Florida Marlins.
Prior (3-2) had received just 13 runs of support in his last five starts and had not won since June 7. But the prized prospect helped his cause with a two-run double in the second inning that opened the Cubs' scoring. Prior allowed two runs and five hits and threw 97 pitches, the first time he had thrown less than 100 in seven starts.
The Cubs held a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, when they put away the game with a series of homers. Sammy Sosa's 29th homer was a two-run shot and provided a three-run cushion.
Chicago connected three times in the eighth, the first time it has hit three homers in an inning this season. Corey Patterson and Alex Gonzalez hit back-to-back blasts with one out before Joe Girardi walked. Bill Mueller followed with a two-run homer off Marlins reliever Oswaldo Mairena.
Florida starter Michael Tejera (5-2) had his four-game winning streak snapped after yielding four runs and nine hits in six innings.
The Cubs completed their first three-game sweep of Florida since June 1-3, 1998.
