Surging Pads slip past slumping Cubs in 11 innings

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Rookie Josh Barfield got another first out of

the way -- a game-winning hit.

Barfield singled in Khalil Greene with one out in the 11th

inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 Friday

night for their sixth straight win.

San Diego won by shutout for the second straight night, having

beaten the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 on Thursday night.

"We knew it was going to be the first one to score today,"

said Barfield, the son of former AL home run champ Jesse Barfield.

"The pitching was real good on both sides."

The Cubs were shut out for the second straight night and for the

fourth time in six games. They've lost four straight, and have

scored only five runs in their last seven games.

The Cubs have gone 25 straight innings without scoring, and have

stranded 30 runners in the last three games.

"It's starting to get ridiculous," Cubs manager Dusty Baker

said. "Both sides left a lot of men out there. Just one hit would

have won that game tonight, which happened.

"You get past angry," Baker added. "You're just more

frustrated. I don't know what else to say. We just have to do it."

Greene started the winning rally when he drew a walk off Scott

Williamson (2-2) leading off the 11th, then stole second with one

out. Barfield hit a 2-1 pitch into center field to bring in Greene

well ahead of the throw.

"That was a big steal right there, otherwise the base hit

doesn't win it for us," Barfield said. "That's kind of what you

live for right there."

Scott Cassidy (2-0) got the final two outs of the 11th for the

win.

Chan Ho Park pitched brilliantly for the Padres, allowing only

two hits in nine scoreless innings. But he had only a no-decision

to show for it because Carlos Zambrano pitched seven shutout

innings, and the Padres stranded nine runners through nine innings

and 11 total. Chicago stranded eight.

San Diego had runners on first and second with one out in the

ninth before Bob Howry got Josh Bard to pop up to shortstop and

Geoff Blum to fly out to left.

Park struck out four and walked four.

"Today was a very important game for us," said Park, who added

that he didn't care about the no-decision.

Zambrano struck out 10 and held San Diego to four hits. He

walked three. Zambrano came into the game with a 4-0 record and

2.67 ERA in five career starts against San Diego.

"He did a phenomenal job," catcher Michael Barrett said. "We

needed him to pitch well for us tonight and he did."

In Zambrano's seven starts this year, the Cubs have scored only

nine runs while he's in the game. He's winless in his last nine

starts, his longest drought.

"You go through these things, it's just that everything is kind

of magnified right now, because we keep repeating it over and over

again of late," Barrett said.

The Cubs had a chance to break out of their funk when they

loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, but Park got out of

the jam.

Barrett hit a leadoff single to center and advanced on San Diego

native Jacque Jones' groundout and Jerry Hairston's fly to center.

The Padres intentionally walked Neifi Perez, forcing Baker to lift

Zambrano for pinch-hitter John Mabry. Park walked Mabry to load the

bases, then got Juan Pierre to force Mabry at second.

Park didn't allow a hit until the fifth, when Jones singled

sharply to center.

The Padres had few chances against Zambrano.

San Diego got runners to second and third with two outs in the

fourth before Zambrano struck out Barfield. Zambrano allowed Brian

Giles' leadoff double to right-center in the sixth, then retired

the next three batters.Game notes
Padres CF Mike Cameron made a nice running catch of Todd

Walker's fly into the gap in left-center for the second out of the

ninth. ... Barfield, the Padres' second baseman, made a spectacular

over-the-shoulder catch of Juan Pierre's fly to shallow center for

the last out of the sixth. ... Park's bat went flying out of his

hands in the third inning, hit the lip of the Cubs' dugout roof and

bounced to the ground.