Extended Box

PITTSBURGH (3) VS CHICAGO CUBS (2) - FINAL

PITTSBURGH             ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
T Redman cf             4  0  1  0   1  1   1  .330
A Nunez 2b              3  1  0  0   1  0   2  .248
J Kendall c             3  0  2  2   0  0   1  .325
M Stairs 1b             4  0  2  0   0  1   2  .292
 J Hernandez 3b         0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .225
C Wilson rf             4  0  0  0   0  2   3  .262
J Bay lf                2  0  0  0   2  1   3  .287
R Mackowiak 3b          4  0  0  0   0  2   5  .270
 B Meadows p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .071
 J Tavarez p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
J Wilson ss             4  2  3  1   0  0   0  .256
K Wells p               1  0  0  0   0  0   0  .191
 a-J Davis ph           1  0  0  0   0  0   0  .200
 J Beimel p             0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 C Rivera 1b            1  0  0  0   0  1   1  .221

Totals                 31  3  8  3   4  8  18

a-grounded to shortstop for K Wells in the 7th.

BATTING: 3B - M Stairs (1, S Mitre). HR - J Wilson (9, 7th inning off J Cruz 0
on, 0 Out). S - K Wells. RBI - J Kendall 2 (58), J Wilson (62). 2-out RBI - J
Kendall 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - R Mackowiak 3. GIDP - J
Kendall. Team LOB - 7.

BASERUNNING: SB - A Nunez (9, 2nd base off A Alfonseca/J Paul). CS - J Wilson
(5, 2nd base by T Wellemeyer/J Paul), J Bay (1, 2nd base by M Guthrie).


CHICAGO CUBS           ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
K Lofton cf             0  0  0  0   1  0   0  .296
 T Goodwin cf-rf        4  0  0  0   0  1   2  .287
M Grudzielanek 2b       1  0  0  0   1  0   0  .314
 T Womack 2b            2  0  0  0   0  1   1  .226
D Glanville rf-cf       4  0  1  0   0  1   2  .235
T O'Leary lf            4  0  2  0   0  0   2  .218
A Ramirez 3b            1  0  0  0   0  0   2  .272
 R Martinez 3b-ss       3  0  0  0   0  2   3  .283
E Karros 1b             2  1  1  1   0  0   0  .286
 A Alfonseca p          0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 M Guthrie p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 a-D Kelton ph          1  0  0  0   0  1   2  .167
 J Cruz p               0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .250
 b-P Bako ph            1  0  0  0   0  1   1  .229
 T Wellemeyer p         0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
A Gonzalez ss           1  1  1  1   0  0   0  .228
 A Ojeda ss-3b          3  0  2  0   0  1   2  .120
J Paul c                3  0  0  0   0  2   1  .000
S Mitre p               1  0  0  0   0  1   0  .500
 R Simon 1b             2  0  1  0   0  0   0  .276
 H Choi pr-1b           1  0  0  0   0  0   1  .218

Totals                 34  2  8  2   2 11  19

a-struck out swinging for M Guthrie in the 6th;  b-struck out looking for J
Cruz in the 8th.

BATTING: HR - A Gonzalez (20, 2nd inning off K Wells 0 on, 1 Out), E Karros
(12, 4th inning off K Wells 0 on, 2 Out). S - J Paul. RBI - A Gonzalez (59), E
Karros (40). 2-out RBI - E Karros. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - T
Goodwin 1, A Ramirez 1, A Ojeda 2. Team LOB - 8.

BASERUNNING: SB - T O'Leary (3, 2nd base off K Wells/J Kendall).

FIELDING: DP: 2 (M Grudzielanek-E Karros-A Gonzalez-E Karros-M Grudzielanek,
J Paul-R Martinez).


----------------------------------------------------
    PITTSBURGH      - 000 020 100   --   3
    CHICAGO CUBS    - 010 100 000   --   2
----------------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH                   ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
K Wells (W, 10-9)             6       5   2   2   2   7   2   3.28
J Beimel (H, 14)              1       1   0   0   0   1   0   5.05
B Meadows (H, 5)                2/3   1   0   0   0   1   0   4.72
J Tavarez (S, 11)             1 1/3   1   0   0   0   2   0   3.66

CHICAGO CUBS                 ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
S Mitre                       4       4   0   0   1   3   0   8.31
A Alfonseca                   1       2   2   2   1   0   0   5.83
M Guthrie                     1       0   0   0   1   0   0   2.74
J Cruz (L, 2-7)               2       1   1   1   1   3   1   6.05
T Wellemeyer                  1       1   0   0   0   2   0   6.51

WP - K Wells. HBP - J Kendall (by J Cruz). Pitches-strikes: K Wells 101-59; J
Beimel 13-9; B Meadows 8-6; J Tavarez 10-9; S Mitre 67-42; A Alfonseca 26-15; M
Guthrie 15-8; J Cruz 36-23; T Wellemeyer 12-8. Ground balls-fly balls: K Wells
6-5; J Beimel 1-1; B Meadows 0-1; J Tavarez 1-1; S Mitre 7-2; A Alfonseca 2-1;
M Guthrie 1-1; J Cruz 2-1; T Wellemeyer 0-0. Batters faced: K Wells 25; J
Beimel 4; B Meadows 3; J Tavarez 5; S Mitre 16; A Alfonseca 6; M Guthrie 3; J
Cruz 9; T Wellemeyer 3.

UMPIRES: HP--John Hirschbeck. 1B--Ted Barrett. 2B--Wally Bell. 3B--Bill
Welke.

T--2:54. Att--39,940.
Weather: 54 degrees, cloudy. Wind: 10 mph, left to
right.
 

How They Scored

CHICAGO CUBS 2ND:   E Karros grounded out to second.  A Gonzalez homered to
left.  J Paul struck out looking.  S Mitre struck out swinging. (1 Run, 1 Hit,
0 Errors)  PITTSBURGH 0, CHICAGO CUBS 1.

CHICAGO CUBS 4TH:   T O'Leary lined out to right.  R Martinez flied out to
center.  E Karros homered to left.  A Ojeda singled to shallow right.  J Paul
struck out looking. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)  PITTSBURGH 0, CHICAGO CUBS 2.

PITTSBURGH 5TH:   A Alfonseca relieved S Mitre. R Simon at first base. J
Wilson reached on infield single to third.  K Wells sacrificed to first, J
Wilson to second.  T Redman walked.  A Nunez grounded into fielder's choice to
pitcher, T Redman out at second, J Wilson to third.  A Nunez stole second. J
Kendall singled to left, J Wilson and A Nunez scored.  M Stairs flied out to
right. (2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)  PITTSBURGH 2, CHICAGO CUBS 2.

PITTSBURGH 7TH:   J Cruz relieved M Guthrie. T Goodwin in right field. D
Glanville in center field. R Martinez at shortstop. A Ojeda at third base. J
Wilson homered to left.  J Davis hit for K Wells. J Davis grounded out to
shortstop.  T Redman popped out to shortstop.  A Nunez grounded out to second.
(1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors)  PITTSBURGH 3, CHICAGO CUBS 2.

Game Story

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates may have finished their 11th straight losing season, but they also may have developed an ace.

Kip Wells pitched six strong innings as the Pirates finished their year with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

It was a meaningless game for the Cubs, who clinched the National League Central Division on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep.  They open their Division Series
with the Braves on Tuesday in Atlanta.

Wells (10-9) allowed two runs - both homers - and five hits while walking two and striking out seven.  He went 5-2 with a 1.50 ERA in his last seven starts and finished 11th in the NL with a 3.28 ERA.

"I think I've pitched good as a Pirate," said Wells, acquired two years ago from the Chicago White Sox. "And I think I've had a pretty good year on a team that's been as inconsistent as we've been."

Jack Wilson hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning for the Pirates, who finished the season at 75-87.  They were 72-89 last season - both under manager Lloyd McClendon, who received a contract extension before the All-Star break.

"We had a lot of small victories, obviously, but our record is not where we want it," McClendon said. "We made strides, especially over the last 100 or so games, going 50-48.  Our guys are excited about the near future."

So are the Cubs, who are headed to the postseason for the first time since they won the NL wild card in 1998.  They edged out the Houston Astros for their first division title since 1989.

With their rotation, the Cubs could be dangerous in the playoffs, especially in the five-game series with the Braves.  Kerry Wood pitches the opener for Chicago, followed by Carlos Zambrano and Cy Young Award candidate Mark Prior.

"I feel in a short series, not a lot of teams would want to play us," said Wood, who led the major leagues in strikeouts. "If our pitchers pitch up to their potential, we should be a tough team to beat."

Rookie Sergio Mitre likely will not be on Chicago's playoff roster, but he pitched four scoreless innings in a starting role Sunday, allowing four hits with a walk and three strikeouts opposite Wells.

Alex Gonzalez opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo homer off Wells and Eric Karros made it 2-0 with a solo blast in the fourth.

With Antonio Alfonseca replacing Mitre, the Pirates tied it in the fifth on Kendall's two-out, two run single to left field.

Juan Cruz (2-7) started the seventh and immediately gave up Wilson's ninth homer.

Former Cub Julian Tavarez pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his 11th save and Pittsburgh's only win in the three-game set, one McClendon hopes helps his team.

"This series was important in a lot of different ways for our growth," he said. "And nothing but positives came out of our team watching the ceremony the Cubs had yesterday."