Every starter had a hit in inning

CHICAGO (AP) -- The hits came one after another for the Chicago

Cubs, a seemingly endless barrage that defied logic.

There was the catcher beating out an infield single. A screamer

that glanced off the pitcher's glove. A three-run homer by Moises

Alou so long the St. Louis Cardinals didn't even bother to chase

it.

By the time the fourth-inning frenzy was over Thursday

afternoon, the Cubs had nine straight hits and 11 overall, and were

well on their way to a 12-3 rout of the Cardinals.

"You see everybody else getting hits and home runs, and you

want to join in on the fun," said Derrek Lee, who hit a two-run

homer during the 10-run spurt and had another RBI.

The 11 hits in the fourth inning tied the club's modern record

for hits in a single inning, and the nine straight was one shy of

the major-league mark. All but two of the hits came with two outs.

"They had an edge because we had a starting pitcher go down,

and they took advantage," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Did they ever. The Cubs finished with 15 hits. Todd Walker hit a

solo homer, Aramis Ramirez went 3-for-3 with a walk and three runs

scored and Carlos Zambrano held the Cardinals to five hits to give

the Cubs a split of the four-game series.

It was a tough return to the majors for Dan Haren, who was

recalled from Triple-A Memphis because Jason Marquis missed his

scheduled start due to back spasms.

Haren (0-1) allowed 10 hits and 10 runs in 3 2-3 innings.

"I liked my stuff, I just couldn't get anything to work,"

Haren said. "I just lost my focus that one inning. I couldn't put

the guys away when I needed."

Umpires had planned to keep a careful eye on this game after the

Cubs and Cardinals renewed their old hostilities Wednesday. Matt

Morris nearly beaned Lee with a fastball, prompting both benches to

clear. No punches were thrown, but it took umpires about five

minutes to restore order.

The Cubs still got their revenge Thursday, but they did it in a

far more satisfactory fashion with their huge fourth inning.

"Emotional, physical, it doesn't matter," Cubs manager Dusty

Baker said. "As long as we get the win."

Ramirez and Todd Hollandsworth led off the fourth with singles,

and Lee followed with an RBI groundout. Corey Patterson drew a walk

before he was caught stealing, and it looked as if Haren might get

out of the jam.

Not even close. The Cubs ran off nine straight hits before Ramon

Martinez grounded out to end the inning.

"There was no doubt about it, hitting's contagious," Walker

said. "You don't want it to end. Everybody goes to the plate

wanting to keep it going."

When the inning finally ended, the Cubs had 10 runs and 11 hits,

all but three of them singles. Every player had at least one hit,

and Ramirez and Hollandsworth had two.

The Cubs also had 11 hits in an inning on Aug. 25, 1922, against

Philadelphia, also in the fourth inning.

The Cardinals had their chances to end the outburst earlier.

Michael Barrett singled to short, but a bad hop left Edgar Renteria

without a play at second and Barrett beat the throw to first. Alou

then hit his three-run homer, a shot so far that after taking a few

steps, Marlon Anderson stopped and simply watched as the ball

cleared the left-field fence.

"(Barrett's hit) was a big play," La Russa said. "That play

has got to be made. I'm not sure how it would turn out, but a lot

of bad stuff happened after that."

Hollandsworth's second hit was up the middle, but Haren couldn't

get his glove on it. That kept the inning alive for Lee, who

responded with a two-run homer.

Lost in all the scoring was another solid outing by Zambrano

(7-2), who didn't allow a hit until John Mabry's two-run homer in

the fifth. The game was so far out of reach by that time that it

hardly mattered, though.

Zambrano allowed two runs in eight innings, striking out seven

to win his third straight decision.

"You certainly don't want to lose three of four to the

Cardinals at home," Walker said. "We feel a lot better today

after the game than we did yesterday."Game notes
Zambrano's victory was his first over the Cardinals in

eight career games. ... Chicago's all-time record for hits in an

inning is 18, accomplished on Sept. 6, 1883, against the Detroit

Wolverines. ... Chicago's 10-run inning was its first since Aug.

29, 2002, at Milwaukee.