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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Sammy Sosa keeps hitting home runs and the
Chicago Cubs keep losing.
|  | | Sammy Sosa makes a curtain call after No. 400. |
Sosa hit his 400th career home run, but the Houston Astros
overcame the two-run shot to beat the Cubs 6-2 Wednesday night.
Ex-Cub Orlando Merced's tiebreaking home run in the seventh
inning sent the Astros to their fourth straight win, and 10th in 13
games. The Cubs lost their sixth in a row.
It was a familiar story for the Cubs, who also fell Tuesday
night despite Sosa's 399th homer.
"Three-ninety-nine, 400 and you walk away with two losses," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "It should be a little more
joyous."
Baylor would probably prefer to be in Houston manager Larry
Dierker's shoes.
"All the other teams have the milestones. We'll take the
wins," Dierker said.
Sosa connected off Shane Reynolds (4-2) in the fourth, sending a
drive into the right-field stands for his 14th homer of the season
and tying it at 2.
Sosa tipped his cap during a two-minute standing ovation from
the Wrigley Field crowd, which chanted "Sam-my! Sammy!"
"It feels great," Sosa said. "My wife is here and my kid and
they brought me good luck."
But Sosa wasn't too happy because the Cubs, in first place a few
days ago, have fallen into a rut.
"Our ballclub has not put its head down," Sosa said. "Our
intensity is there."
Baylor said the Cubs need more than just Sosa to score enough to
win.
"Sammy got us right back in the ballgame and we didn't score
any more," Baylor said. "We have to do it collectively."
With the shot, Sosa became the 33rd major leaguer -- the seventh
active -- to hit 400 homers. He passed Hall of Famer Al Kaline on
the all-time homer list.
Sosa also has 999 RBI while with the Cubs.
"I'm happy for him," Merced said. "I had a chance to be here
30 days (in 1998) when he hit 66. I'll tell my kids I was here."
Reynolds won his third straight start, going seven strong
innings. He allowed one earned run and five hits in helping the
Astros win for the ninth time in 10 road games.
Reynolds said he used Wrigley Field to his advantage.
"The environment here, with the wind and the high grass, works
to benefit a sinkerball pitcher," Reynolds said.
Of the homer, Reynolds said: "You're going to give them up. It
was a bad pitch. I hung a pitch and he hit it."
Jeff Bagwell blooped an RBI single, and the Astros scored
another run on a double play for a 2-0 lead in the fourth.
With one out in the seventh, Merced hit a two-run homer off
Julian Tavarez (3-3).
Craig Biggio added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 5-2.
Vinny Castilla hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth off reliever
Courtney Duncan. A day earlier, Castilla had three hits, scored
three runs and drove in two in his Astros' debut.
Tavarez pitched eight innings, allowing five runs on seven hits
and a walk.
Game notes
Sosa hit his first homer June 21, 1989, off Roger Clemens
as a member of the Texas Rangers. ... Hall of Famer Ernie Banks was
honored before the game by Topps, which is reprinting high-quality
stock cards of 10 of the most memorable Cubs of all time. Banks'
1958 card, from his MVP season, was given out Wednesday. Banks also
sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." ... The Cubs waived
outfielder Damon Buford and called up Todd Dunwoody from Triple-A
Iowa before the game. ... Astros outfielder Lance Berkman went back
to Houston to be with his wife, Cara, who is expecting the couple's
first child.
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OTHER GAMES
Baseball Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
Sosa's 400th homer passes Kaline on all-time list
The 400-Homer Club
RECAPS
Baltimore 3
Detroit 2
Cleveland 4
Texas 3
Kansas City 9
Tampa Bay 5
Minnesota 4
Boston 3
Anaheim 3
Toronto 1
Oakland 4
NY Yankees 3
Seattle 7
Chi. White Sox 2
Atlanta 6
Colorado 4
Arizona 2
Cincinnati 1
Florida 4
San Francisco 3
Los Angeles 7
Montreal 2
Milwaukee 6
Philadelphia 1
St. Louis 3
Pittsburgh 0
San Diego 5
NY Mets 2
Houston 6
Chicago Cubs 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Sammy Sosa meets the press after belting his 400th home run against the Astros.
RealVideo: | 28.8
It's a great feeling to reach 400 homers, but Sammy Sosa would've liked to get the win as well.
avi: 1440 k
RealVideo: | 28.8 | 56.6 | ISDN
 At the rate Sammy Sosa's going, Don Baylor thinks we'll all be talking about number 500 very soon.
wav: 156 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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