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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Even the pitch Sammy Sosa hit out of
Pacific Bell Park wasn't easy.
|  | | Sammy Sosa is greeted by Rondell White after hitting a three-run home run for the Cubs.
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Sosa, who hasn't been seeing a lot of hittable pitches, ended a
seven-game home run drought with a three-run shot as the Chicago
Cubs routed the San Francisco Giants 11-2.
"It was a tough pitch," Sosa said. "They haven't been giving
me anything to hit. That pitch was way outside."
With the score tied at 1 in the fifth inning, former Giant Bill
Mueller singled in the go-ahead run before Sosa's three-run homer
off Livan Hernandez (1-4).
"I got a ball up and he hit it to right field," Hernandez
said. "Nobody wants to make a mistake to Sammy Sosa. Make one and
it's over.
"One pitch and it's the ballgame."
Sosa, who hit 179 home runs the previous three seasons, had not
homered since his grand slam off Pittsburgh's Jose Silva on April
20.
Damon Buford and Gary Matthews Jr. also homered for the Cubs.
"Today was the day everybody came on," Sosa said.
Manny Aybar (2-1), making his first start since 1999, did not
allow a hit until Barry Bonds' two-out solo home run in the fourth
inning.
Bonds lifted the 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall to tie the
game. It was his 505th career homer, moving him past Eddie Murray
into sole possession of 16th place on the career list.
Bonds' 11 homers matches his career-high for the month set in
April 1996.
Aybar started for the Cubs in place of Kevin Tapani, who was
scratched because of a sore right knee. It was his first start
since May 9, 1999, when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He allowed one run and two hits in five innings with a walk and
four strikeouts.
Cubs manager Don Baylor said Aybar was "zoned in."
"They (the Giants) probably didn't expect what he was going to
do, because they probably faced him only one at-bat," he said.
Aybar's only other career victory against the Giants came back
on Sept. 9, 1997, in a 5-3 decision at Candlestick Park.
Hernandez, who has lost four of his last five starts, allowed
six runs and eight hits over six innings, with four strikeouts and
a walk. He has not won since opening day against the Padres.
The Giants have lost five of their last six, and finish the
month 12-12.
"We've got to work through it," Giants manager Dusty Baker
said. "These are the guys we've got and we've got to continue to
believe in them."
Todd Hundley hit a run-scoring single in the first inning to give the
Cubs the early lead. Augie Ojeda added a sacrifice fly in the sixth
inning and Buford hit a solo home run in the eighth.
Matthews had another solo shot in the Cubs' four-run ninth,
followed by Ricky Gutierrez's sacrifice fly and Buford's two-run
single.
Bobby Estalella hit a solo home run for the Giants in the
seventh inning.
Sosa was cheered by the Pacific Bell Park crowd as he rounded
the bases after his home run. It was in sharp contrast to the
treatment fans gave to Cubs pitcher Julian Tavarez during
the game Saturday.
Afterward, Tavarez uttered a profanity and a derogatory term
toward gays in describing the San Francisco fans. He apologized for
the remarks before the game Sunday.
Game notes
Tavarez began his five-game suspension Sunday for a
bench-clearing brawl March 26 during a spring training game
against the Giants. San Francisco third baseman Russ Davis already served a
suspension, which was reduced from three games to two. ... Sosa is
three home runs away from tying Joe Carter for 35th on the career
list with 396. ... Aybar had two hits, matching his career high.
"He can be a pinch hitter anytime," Sosa joked. ... Bonds was
back in the lineup after sitting out the game Saturday with a sore
left calf. He was hit by Kerry Wood's pitch in the third inning
Friday. ... Mueller returned to third base for the Cubs after
fouling a ball off his left knee Friday.
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RECAPS
Kansas City 11
Boston 8
Cleveland 9
Texas 2
Detroit 6
Tampa Bay 1
NY Yankees 3
Oakland 1
Toronto 2
Anaheim 0
Chi. White Sox 2
Seattle 1
Minnesota 4
Baltimore 0
Milwaukee 10
Montreal 0
St. Louis 12
NY Mets 1
Florida 11
Houston 5
Colorado 14
Cincinnati 7
Chicago Cubs 11
San Francisco 2
Los Angeles 4
Philadelphia 1
San Diego 6
Pittsburgh 1
Arizona 7
Atlanta 5
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