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.
Reds 7, Cardinals 4, 14 innings
In St. Louis, pinch-hitter Kelly Stinnett's two-run single snapped a 14th-inning tie as Cincinnati beat St. Louis for the seventh time in eight games this season.
Tino Martinez homered twice for the Cardinals. He hit a solo shot in the eighth that made it 2-all, then had a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth to tie it at 4.
Rockies 5, Padres 2
In San Diego, Darren Oliver retired the first 13 batters and Larry Walker homered for the second straight game as Colorado beat San Diego for its fourth successive win.
Oliver (5-5), who's been awful on the road and crisp at home, took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before allowing a bloop single with one out to pitcher Adam Eaton, pinch-hitting for starter Brian Lawrence (4-9).
Diamondbacks 12, Astros 5
In Phoenix, Alex Cintron homered for the second straight game as Arizona beat Houston to win its season-high seventh in succession.
Cintron also singled and doubled, driving in three runs and scoring twice.
Carl Everett hit a three-run homer and Mario Ramos earned his first major league victory as the Texas Rangers halted an eight-game losing streak by holding off the Oakland Athletics 7-6 on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the Rangers reached agreement to trade two-time American League Most Valuable Player Juan Gonzalez to Montreal -- but his attorney, Jeff Moorad, said the slugger "in all likelihood" would reject the deal.
"I think it's pretty impressive that we won a game on a day when all this was swirling around," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said.
Expos general manager Omar Minaya, who has a long history with Gonzalez, was to meet with the slugger yesterday in Texas.
Gonzalez has 72 hours to exercise his no-trade clause. His window of decision begins at 14:00 GMT Wednesday. He did not appear in Tuesday's game.
"He has that prerogative," Showalter said. "We knew that going in. We'll see what the next 72 hours brings. Right now it's up to Juan and his people."
Red Sox 10, Tigers 1
In Boston, Nomar Garciaparra went 5-for-5 and Derek Lowe pitched eight strong innings to lead Boston over Detroit.
Garciaparra singled five times and scored three runs before he was removed for a pinch-runner in the seventh. The only other time in his career he has had at least five hits in a game was Saturday, when he went 6-for-6 in a 13-inning game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Yankees 10, Devil Rays 9
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Juan Rivera hit a three-run homer and Todd Zeile added an RBI double as New York scored four times in the ninth inning to beat Tampa Bay.
White Sox 2, Twins 1
In Minneapolis, Esteban Loaiza pitched eight impressive innings to move into a tie for the major league lead in wins, as Chicago beat Minnesota.
Loaiza (11-2) allowed only an unearned run and six hits, striking out six and walking one. He joined Toronto's Roy Halladay and Colorado's Shawn Chacon as the only pitchers in the majors with 11 wins.
Royals 3, Indians 1
In Cleveland, Chris George pitched out of trouble for most of his 5 2-3 innings as Kansas City beat Cleveland.
Orioles 6, Blue Jays 4
In Toronto, Jeff Conine and Tony Batista homered as Baltimore ended an eight-game losing streak to Toronto.
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