Alou homers twice in Kimm's debut

ATLANTA (AP) -- Bruce Kimm didn't get showered with beer, and no

one smeared shaving cream on his face.

The Chicago Cubs' interim manager celebrated his first major

league victory simply, enjoying a plateful of food and a bottle of

water in his clubhouse office.

Carlos Zambrano pitched five innings of two-hit ball and Moises Alou hit two homers as the Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 7-3

Saturday night in Kimm's first game since Don Baylor was fired.

"I'm feeling good,'' Kimm said. "This is a special win because

it's my first win as a major league manager, but what really makes

it special is we did it against a Hall of Famer like (Tom)

Glavine.''

Sammy Sosa missed his second straight game because of a family

emergency, and he's not expected back for Sunday's series finale.

Kimm, a former major league catcher, spent 6½ seasons managing

in the minors before replacing Baylor. In his first game, Kimm put

second baseman Mark Bellhorn in the leadoff spot and the move paid

off immediately. Bellhorn hit a solo homer and also walked in the

first to start a three-run rally.

Corey Patterson, who normally bats first, originally was dropped

to No. 6 in the order but was scratched because of a sore foot, and

Roosevelt Brown started in his place.

Baylor was dismissed Friday, and bench coach Rene Lachemann ran

the team in Friday night's 4-3 loss.

Kimm also displayed some aggressiveness early, putting on the

hit-and-run with No. 2 hitter Bill Mueller in the first. Mueller

flied to center, and later in the inning Brown was caught stealing

at second.

"I was just trying to get something going,'' Kimm said.

"Basically, I tried to push a little bit once we got a three-run

lead, just trying to add another run.''

The Cubs won for just the third time in 12 games and snapped

Atlanta's three-game winning streak. Alou finished 4-for-4, the

18th four-hit game of his career. He also had four hits last

Saturday against the White Sox.

"This was better, because we won the game,'' Alou said. "We

needed to win a couple before the break. I think we will have a

fresh start after the break.''

Zambrano (1-1) was making just his second start of the season

after 16 relief appearances, and the powerful right-hander baffled

the Braves with a fastball in the mid-90s and breaking balls in the

dirt. In his other start, he gave up six runs -- two earned -- on six

hits in 4 2/3 innings and lost to Florida.

"It was my first good outing as a starter,'' Zambrano said.

"I'll be ready to go back to the bullpen, if that's their

decision. I have to do the same job, whether starting or not.''

He had a hard time finding the plate against Atlanta, walking

six and hitting Chipper Jones, but pitched out of a bases-loaded

jam in the third and stranded two runners in the first, fourth and

fifth. Zambrano struck out six.

"A guy with his stuff gets himself in trouble, but he gets

himself out of it,'' Kimm said of Zambrano. "I'd hoped to get at

least six innings out of him, but I had his pitch count right where

I wanted it.''

Chicago's bullpen, which entered the game with a 5.18 ERA, held

the lead. Kyle Farnsworth gave up two runs in the sixth, but Jeff

Fassero pitched two scoreless innings before Antonio Alfonseca gave

up Gary Sheffield's homer in the ninth.

Normally, Farnsworth is used later in the game as a setup man,

but Kimm put all the pitchers on notice that they could be used at

any time.

"I talked to the pitchers before the game, and I told them I'd

use them in any role,'' he said. "It just gave us the best chance

to win the game.''

The Cubs jumped on Glavine (11-4) with three runs in the first.

Bellhorn walked and Angel Echevarria had a one-out single before

Alou hit a double down the left-field line to score Bellhorn.

Brown then lined a one-hopper off the glove of third baseman

Vinny Castilla for a single, scoring Echevarria and Alou for a 3-0

lead.

Glavine appeared to be bothered by a blister on his index finger

for the third straight start. The major league-ERA leader lasted

just four innings and gave up five runs on five hits, including a

home run apiece to Alou and Bellhorn.

"It's not 100 percent, but I can't blame it on pitching the way

I pitched,'' the All-Star lefty said. "Maybe I can blame it on

getting me into bad habits. I've got some work to do on my

mechanics.''

In his last start against Montreal, Glavine went just three

innings. He said he would decide Sunday whether or not pitch in

All-Star Game, but he reiterated he would go either way.

Bellhorn hit a solo shot in the third and Alou did the same in

the fourth to give Chicago a 5-0 lead, and a two-run homer by Alou

in the sixth off Kerry Ligtenberg increased the lead to 7-0.

The Braves cut the lead to 7-2 in the sixth on a run-scoring

single by Rafael Furcal and a sacrifice fly by Julio Franco.

Game notes

Alou hit two homers in a game for the 21st time in his

career. He also did it last Saturday against the White Sox. ... In

the first three games of the series, Brown has started in all three

outfield spots. ... Furcal's single extended his career-high

hitting streak to 15 games. ... The crowd of 49,961 was the third

straight sellout.