Sammy Sosa hit two of the Cubs' six home runs for his first multihomer game of the season and 59th of his career as Chicago defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 on Tuesday.
Kerry Wood, Mark Grudzielanek and Alex Gonzalez hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. Corey Patterson also homered for the Cubs.
The Cubs hit back-to-back homers off Brewers starter Ruben Quevedo in the first inning, when Patterson hit a two-run homer to left field and Sosa followed with a 126m shot to center. It was Sosa's first home run at Wrigley Field since April 17.
Sosa declined to talk to reporters after the game. On Friday, Sosa said he isn't going to talk to the media for two to three weeks.
Cubs manager Dusty Baker isn't sure whether Sosa is more relaxed since boycotting the media. Earlier this month, Sosa was suspended for seven games for using a corked bat.
"I don't know. I have yet to talk to him about it, but I will," he said.
Quevedo (1-4) lasted just 2-3 of an inning, giving up four runs on five hits and walking one.
In the fifth, Sosa hit his ninth homer of the season, which carried over Waveland Ave. and landed on Kenmore Ave. That prompted the capacity crowd of 40,389 to give Sosa a standing ovation and brought the slugger out for a curtain call.
"That was one of the longest ones I have seen," said Baker. "I couldn't tell how far it went. I lost sight of it after a while."
Sosa, who finished 3-for-3, was suspended for seven games earlier this season for using a corked bat.
Expos 6, Pirates 4
In Montreal, Brad Wilkerson became the fifth Montreal player to hit for the cycle and the first since 1995, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and leading the Expos over Pittsburgh.
The two-run homer followed Jose Vidro's RBI double, giving Wilkerson a career-high four RBIs for the fourth time.
Japanese pitcher Tomo Ohka (6-7) allowed four hits and one run in six innings as Montreal won for the fourth time in six games. Rocky Biddle pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 24 opportunities.
Marlins 8, Mets 4
In New York, Luis Castillo triggered a four-run sixth inning with a two-run homer and Mike Lowell drove in two more runs to help Florida beat New York.
Florida has won five successive games and is now 39-39, reaching the .500 mark for the first time since May 1.
Braves 5, Phillies 3
In Atlanta, Javy Lopez homered twice and Andruw Jones also went deep against former teammate Kevin Millwood as Atlanta defeated Philadelphia.
It was the sixth two-homer game of the season for Lopez.
Millwood (8-6), traded from Atlanta to Philadelphia during the offseason, lost to his former team for the second time in less than a week.
Russ Ortiz (9-4) escaped early trouble to earn the win. The Phillies loaded the bases in each of the first three innings, but managed only two runs.
Giants 2, Dodgers 1
In San Francisco, Marquis Grissom's two-run homer was set up by a key balk call against Los Angeles starter Odalis Perez, who was ejected along with manager Jim Tracy in San Francisco's win.
Jason Schmidt had another masterful start for the Giants, throwing a four-hitter to beat the Dodgers for the second time in six days.
A tense pitchers' duel between Perez (4-6) and Schmidt (7-3) turned in the sixth inning when Perez appeared to pick off Ray Durham at first base. But umpire Angel Hernandez called a balk against Perez, and Tracy was ejected for arguing.
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