Cubs surge past Cardinals for 7-1 win
Monday, July 7, 2008 10:30 AM PDT
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| Jeff Roberson | Associated Press
Chicago Cubs’ Geovany Soto hits a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday in St. Louis. The Cubs won 7-1. |
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A day after a tough loss, the Chicago Cubs again showed why they have the league’s best mark and a team-record seven players heading to the All-Star game.
Chicago got 16 hits and strong starting pitching in a 7-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Aramis Ramirez had two hits and three RBIs and Sean Marshall won his first game of the year with six strong innings.
Geovany Soto hit his 15th homer and Derrek Lee had three hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who took two of three in the series.
The Cubs concluded a 4-6 road trip, their longest of the year, on a high note by extending their NL Central lead to 3 1/2 games over the Cardinals and Milwaukee.
Soto and Ramirez will be joined on the All-Star team by outfielders Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano and pitchers Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster.
‘‘It’s flattering,’’ Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. ‘‘We’ve played well the first half and these guys that are going are, in a way, largely responsible. We have a few others but these guys have all done their jobs and done them well, and they’re being rewarded.’’
Ryan Ludwick, selected for his first All-Star game, hit his 17th homer and first since June 11 for the Cardinals. Manager Tony La Russa informed Ludwick before the game that he was heading to Yankee Stadium.
‘‘Of course it’s an accomplishment and you get excited,’’ Ludwick said. ‘‘I told him it was a long ways from the Toledo All-Star game in the International League.’’
Marshall (1-2) won for the first time in five starts dating to last season, allowing one run on six hits in six innings.
The Cubs scored single runs in the second, third and fifth, peppering Todd Wellemeyer (7-4) with nine hits. Mark DeRosa had an RBI single in the first and Ramirez added an RBI single in the third and sacrifice fly in the fifth.
