Blum: Two-run bomb
(c) Associated Press
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After a long night Monday, a grueling season and their best player on the bench, the Houston Astros could be forgiven if they'd packed it in after being down by five runs early on the road against the division-leading Chicago Cubs. But the Astros used three homers to claim a 7-6 lead before falling, 11-7.
Alfonso Soriano's three-run homer in the seventh off Doug Brocail was the decisive blow that reclaimed the lead for Chicago, which had tallied six tuns off Wandy Rodriguez in the first two innings to stake a 6-1 advantage.
Ty Wigginton, Geoff Blum and Carlos Lee went deep as the Astros played "dueces wild" in the fifth, six and seventh to get back into the game only to see the bullpen give it back in a five-run seventh.
The rubber game of the series comes Wednesday afternoon in a 1:20 Central start. Brandon Backe (6-10) will oppose Jason Marquis (6-7). The Astros have held their own this season against the Northsiders, winning six of 11 games thus far.
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