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BASEBALL TONIGHT EXTRA

Season-changing win for Cubs?

By Mark Simon, ESPN Research

The Cubs have given their fans an extraordinary amount of angst this season with the manner in which they've lost games. Their failure to close out games no matter how big the lead has been well documented (they've blown five games this season in which they led by four runs) and Monday night at Wrigley Field was no exception. The difference this time was that after blowing a five-run ninth inning lead, the Cubs rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the inning to stun the Rockies (and their fans) 10-9.

Some might say that this is the kind of game that could turn a season around, and manager Lou Piniella has to hope so. He's seen the other end way too many times this season.

CHICAGO HOPE: CUBS' LAST FOUR GAMES
W-L	TEAM BA	RUNS PER GAME	TEAM ERA
4-0	.306	5.0	2.75*
*Posted a 0.67 team ERA in three-game sweep of the White Sox.

FORWARD THINKING: TUESDAY

• Athletics at Indians, 7:05 ET: A's right-hander Dan Haren (9-2, 1.78), who has had a sub-2.00 ERA since April 18, is 1-2 with a 6.45 ERA in four career starts against Cleveland. Cliff Lee (4-4, 5.46) has experienced some trouble with Shannon Stewart, who is 9-for-21 with five walks in his career against the Indians' left-hander.

Hernandez

• Red Sox at Mariners, 10:05 ET: With Curt Schilling on the disabled list, the Red Sox turn to 25-year-old left-hander Kason Gabbard (1-0, 3.60) for the second time this season. Felix Hernandez (4-4, 4.00) is coming off his best start (eight shutout innings vs. the Pirates) since tossing a one-hitter against Boston at Fenway Park on April 11.

• Padres at Giants, 10:15 ET: San Diego's David Wells (3-5, 4.71) has allowed 20 hits in his last two starts (both losses), eight of them for extra bases. Ray Durham has a .367 (22-60) career average with two homers and six RBIs against Wells. The Giants' Barry Zito (6-8, 4.83) followed a near-perfect three-start stretch (3-0, 0.45) from May 23-June 4 by going 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA in his last three starts.

• Tuesday's complete list of probable starters

NEWS AND NOTES

• Following the Athletics' 5-2 loss at Cleveland, outfielder Nick Swisher wrote "Team meeting, 5 p.m." on the message board in the clubhouse. Oakland has scored just five runs during its four-game losing streak.

• Traded from Detroit to St. Louis last Friday for a player to be named, Mike Maroth did everything in his NL debut except win. Maroth shut down the Mets on two hits for 7 1/3 innings, but St. Louis lost 2-1 in 11 innings. The left-hander also picked off two baserunners.

• The Red Sox expect to go without Curt Schilling (shoulder) past the first week of July and perhaps through the All-Star break. When asked if he would be back in Boston's rotation before the break begins July 9, Schilling said, "You know what? I would like to be back by tomorrow. But they have protocol." Schilling said he expects to hear Tuesday or Wednesday how the Red Sox medical staff wants his rehabilitation to proceed.

• Craig Biggio, who needs four hits to reach 3,000, did not play in the Astros' 6-1 loss at Milwaukee. The 41-year-old second baseman is expected to be in Tuesday's lineup.

CUBS WIN!

Alfonso Soriano's two-run single in the ninth inning caps a wild night at Wrigley Field.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

"Just when you think you've seen about everything, you haven't seen everything."

-- Rockies manager Clint Hurdle

IN THE ZONE

Ben Sheets allowed one run over six innings to help the Brewers beat the Astros 6-1. He has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last 13 starts and has won five straight decisions for the first time since 2001, his rookie year. The two-time All-Star is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA in five June starts.

GREEN LIGHT

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The Mets' bench gathers around home plate to congratulate Shawn Green on his 11th-inning, game-winning home run.

NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES

GOOD

The top of the order was clicking in Toronto's 8-5 victory at Minnesota. Vernon Wells and Alex Rios were a combined a 6-for-9 with two homers (going back-to-back in the third inning), three runs and five RBIs.

BAD

Attempting to match Bobo Newsom's Tigers record of 18 starts without a loss, Jeremy Bonderman made a key throwing error in the third inning that helped the Rangers beat Detroit 8-3. Bonderman allowed four runs (two earned) and seven hits with four walks in seven innings.

UGLY

The Cubs' bullpen (Scott Eyre and Bob Howry) lost an 8-3 lead in the ninth inning to the Rockies, allowing six runs on five hits, including a three run homer, and a walk.