Extended Box

PITTSBURGH (2) VS CHICAGO CUBS (4) - FINAL (1ST GAME)

PITTSBURGH             ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
T Redman cf             5  0  2  0   0  1   0  .332
A Nunez 2b              3  0  0  0   1  1   1  .250
 M Lincoln p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 b-C Rivera ph          0  0  0  0   1  0   0  .233
J Kendall c             5  1  1  0   0  1   4  .324
M Stairs 1b             3  0  0  0   1  2   2  .289
C Wilson rf             4  1  2  1   0  1   1  .265
R Mackowiak 3b          4  0  2  1   0  1   1  .271
J Bay lf                3  0  1  0   1  1   3  .305
J Wilson ss             4  0  0  0   0  2   4  .255
J Fogg p                2  0  0  0   0  1   2  .190
 a-J Reboulet ph-2b     2  0  0  0   0  1   0  .241

Totals                 35  2  8  2   4 12  18

a-struck out looking for J Fogg in the 7th;  b-walked for M Lincoln in the
9th.

BATTING: HR - C Wilson (18, 4th inning off M Prior 0 on, 1 Out). RBI - C Wilson (48),
R Mackowiak (19). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - J Fogg 1, J Kendall 1,
M Stairs 1, J Wilson 1, J Bay 1. Team LOB - 10.

BASERUNNING: SB - T Redman (7, 2nd base off M Prior/D Miller), R Mackowiak
(6, 2nd base off K Farnsworth/D Miller).

FIELDING: E - M Lincoln (1, throw). DP: 2 (J Wilson-M Stairs,
J Wilson-J Reboulet-M Stairs).


CHICAGO CUBS           ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
K Lofton cf             3  0  2  0   1  0   1  .298
M Grudzielanek 2b       3  1  1  0   0  0   2  .315
S Sosa rf               2  1  0  1   1  0   2  .279
M Alou lf               3  0  0  0   1  0   1  .279
A Ramirez 3b            4  0  1  1   0  0   1  .272
R Simon 1b              3  0  1  1   0  1   1  .275
A Gonzalez ss           3  0  1  0   0  1   1  .226
 K Farnsworth p         0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 a-T O'Leary ph         1  0  0  0   0  0   2  .212
 J Borowski p           0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
D Miller c              3  1  1  1   0  1   1  .233
M Prior p               2  1  1  0   0  1   1  .250
 R Martinez ss          1  0  0  0   0  0   0  .287

Totals                 28  4  8  4   3  4  13

a-grounded to second for K Farnsworth in the 8th.

BATTING: 2B - A Gonzalez (37, J Fogg); A Ramirez (32, M Lincoln). HR - D Miller
(9, 5th inning off J Fogg 0 on, 0 Out). S - M Grudzielanek. SF - S Sosa,
R Simon. RBI - A Ramirez (106), R Simon (72), D Miller (36), S Sosa (102).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - K Lofton 1, S Sosa 1, M Alou 1. GIDP -
M Grudzielanek, T O'Leary. Team LOB - 6.

FIELDING: E - A Ramirez (33, ground ball).


----------------------------------------------------
    PITTSBURGH      - 000 101 000   --   2
    CHICAGO CUBS    - 000 220 00x   --   4
----------------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH                   ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
J Fogg (L, 10-9)              6       6   4   4   2   3   1   5.26
M Lincoln                     2       2   0   0   1   1   0   5.20

CHICAGO CUBS                 ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
M Prior (W, 18-6)             6 2/3   7   2   2   2  10   1   2.43
K Farnsworth (H, 18)          1 1/3   0   0   0   1   1   0   3.30
J Borowski (S, 33)            1       1   0   0   1   1   0   2.63

Pitches-strikes: J Fogg 92-54; M Lincoln 22-14; M Prior 133-92; K Farnsworth 22-13;
J Borowski 22-14. Ground balls-fly balls: J Fogg 12-3; M Lincoln 5-0; M Prior 5-4;
K Farnsworth 2-1; J Borowski 1-1. Batters faced: J Fogg 25; M Lincoln 9; M Prior 29;
K Farnsworth 5; J Borowski 5.

UMPIRES: HP--Wally Bell. 1B--Ted Barrett. 2B--John Hirschbeck. 3B--Matt Hollowell.

T--2:49.
Weather: 60 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 6 mph, out to right.
 

How They Scored

PITTSBURGH 4TH:   M Stairs struck out swinging.  C Wilson homered to left.
R Mackowiak singled to right.  R Mackowiak out at second on runner's fielder's
choice. J Bay walked.  J Wilson struck out swinging. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
PITTSBURGH 1, CHICAGO CUBS 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 4TH:   M Grudzielanek singled to right.  S Sosa walked,
M Grudzielanek to second.  M Alou walked, M Grudzielanek to third, S Sosa to
second.  A Ramirez grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, M Grudzielanek
scored, M Alou out at second, S Sosa to third.  R Simon hit sacrifice fly to
left, S Sosa scored.  A Gonzalez struck out swinging. (2 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors)
PITTSBURGH 1, CHICAGO CUBS 2.

CHICAGO CUBS 5TH:   D Miller homered to right center.  M Prior singled to
center.  K Lofton singled to shallow center, M Prior to second.  M Grudzielanek
sacrificed to pitcher, M Prior to third, K Lofton to second.  S Sosa hit
sacrifice fly to right, M Prior scored, K Lofton to third.  M Alou grounded out
to third. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors)  PITTSBURGH 1, CHICAGO CUBS 4.

PITTSBURGH 6TH:   J Kendall reached on infield single to shortstop.  M Stairs
flied out to left.  C Wilson singled to shallow right, J Kendall to second.
R Mackowiak singled to center, J Kendall scored, C Wilson to second.  J Bay
struck out looking.  J Wilson grounded into fielder's choice to third, C Wilson
out at third. (1 Run, 3 Hits, 0 Errors)  PITTSBURGH 2, CHICAGO CUBS 4.

Game Story

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Mark Prior has the Chicago Cubs on the
verge of going to a place they don't go often.

The red-hot Prior struck out 10 over 6 2/3 innings as the Cubs
clinched a tie for the National League Central Division title
with a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game
of a doubleheader.

Needing to sweep the doubleheader and a loss by the Houston
Astros to clinch their first division title since 1989, and just
their fourth playoff appearance since 1945,  the Cubs had the
right guy on the mound in the opener.

A 23-year-old righthander, Prior (18-6) had to work for the
ninth win in his last 10 starts.  He allowed two runs and seven
hits, walking two while throwing 133 pitches.

"I didn't feel as strong as I would have liked or as comfortbale
as I would have liked," Prior said.  "But I just worked with
Damian (Miller), who called a great game."

Kyle Farnsworth worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Joe Borowski
pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his 33rd save in 37
chances.

While Prior and the bullpen did the job, the Cubs (87-73) also
received the necessary help from the Brewers, who posted a 5-2
win over the Astros (86-75).

"Everybody's into it, the whole town is into it and I think
everybody is rooting for the Cubs," Chicago manager Dusty Baker
said.

Pirates starter Josh Fogg (10-9) surrendered four runs and six
hits over six innings, walking two and striking out three.

"It's a great environment, but not when you lose," Fogg said.
"I wasn't worried about the scoreboard, just getting outs."

After Pittsburgh stranded a runner in scoring position in each
of the first two innings, it broke on top with one out in the
fourth on Craig Wilson's 18th homer.

But the Cubs, who managed one hit through three innings,
responded in the bottom of the fourth.

Mark Grudzielanek led off with a single and Fogg walked Sammy
Sosa and Moises Alou.  Former Pirate Aramis Ramirez bounced into
a forceout to plate a run and Randall Simon followed with a
sacrifice fly, giving the Cubs a 2-1 lead.

Prior, who had to battle for much of the day, had one of his
easiest innings in the fifth when he struck out a pair.

In the bottom of the inning, Miller led off with his ninth homer
and Prior and former Pirate Kenny Lofton singled.  After
Grudzielanek sacrificed, Sosa lofted a sacrifice fly to make it
4-1.

The Pirates got back a run in the sixth on Rob Mackowiak'a RBI
single.  But with two runners on, Prior got Jack Wilson to
bounce into an inning-ending forceout.

After issuing a two-out walk to Abraham Nunez in the seventh,
Prior departed to a standing ovation.

Borowski easily retired the first two batters in the ninth
before Tike Redman reached on an infield hit and pinch hitter
Carlos Rivera walked.  But Borowski got Jason Kendall to pop out
to second to end it.

"It was a good game, we just didn't get the big hit when we
needed it," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said.