Ramirez: Killer performance
(c) Associated Press
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As sure as death and taxes is Aramis Ramirez destroying Houston pitching. The Cubs' third baseman slugged three home runs and drove in seven as Chicago came back from a 7-1 deficit to pummel Houston, 14-7, on Tuesday night.
With news that Manager Lou Piniella would retire at the end of the season, it looked like the Cubs were intent on showing again why Piniella was calling it quits. Houston scratched out four runs in the second on just two hits then added two more in the fourth and a solo homer from Chris Johnson in the fifth. All the runs came off former All-Star Ryan Dempster.
It looked like the Astros had made the Wright choice calling up Wesley Wright from Round Rock to make the start as he pitched the first four innings, allowing just a solo shot from Ramirez. But the roof caved in during a five-run fifth, capped by a three-run blast from Ramirez.
Giovanni Soto homered off Chris Sampson in the sixth to tie it then Derrek Lee hit a go-ahead double in the seventh and Alphonso Soriano followed with an RBI single against Brandon Lyon. The Cubs took batting practice against Gary Majewski in the eighth for the final five runs, including another three-run bomb by Ramirez.
The Astros try to bounce back on WINS-day at Wrigley in a 1:20 Central start. Brett Myers (7-6), a subject of trade talks, will face fellow trade target Ted Lilly (3-8) in the rubber game of the series.
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