Cubs spot Dodgers 7 runs, make 6 errors, win in 11

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs turned some ugly baseball in a

sweet victory.

Cesar Izturis singled home the winning run with two outs in the

11th against his former team Tuesday night as the Cubs overcame six

errors and a 7-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-8.

Elias Says
A seven-run lead wasn't enough for the Dodgers, who let one get away as the Cubs won, 9-8, in 11 innings. It had been eight years to the day since the Dodgers last lost a game in which they had held a lead of seven-or-more runs; they lost, 8-7, at San Diego on Sept. 12, 1998. • For more Elias Says, click here

"It wasn't pretty, but we won," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said.

"The wildest game I've seen. ... We made a week's worth of errors

in one game."

Matt Murton drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 11th off

Tim Hamulack (0-3) and, after a fielder's choice and fly out,

Aramis Ramirez also walked.

Izturis, traded for Greg Maddux on July 31, sent a single

through the middle to score pinch-runner Juan Mateo, a pitcher who

lumbered around third and just made it to the plate as Dodgers

center fielder Kenny Lofton threw home.

"He's a pitcher, but he scored," Izturis said. "They got the

lead early and we came back. It's just nice to have a "W" like

that."

David Aardsma (2-0), the eighth Cubs pitcher, got the win with

two hitless innings.

The Cubs made their fifth and sixth errors of the game in the

ninth when Izturis and Derrek Lee, both top-notch fielders, botched

grounders to put runners at first and third.

"You won't see them make errors in the same inning ever,"

Baker said.

But they did and the Dodgers tied it when Russell Martin hit a

double-play grounder to short and second baseman Ryan Theriot's

throw to first was low and first baseman Lee couldn't scoop it as

pinch-runner Lofton scored from third on the fielder's choice.

"I mean that's baseball, part of the game," Izturis said.

In the eighth, J.D. Drew missed Theriot's fly ball along the

wall down the right-field line for a three-base error and Lee

followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Cubs an 8-7 lead.

The Dodgers began the night 1½ games ahead in the NL West.

Derek Lowe, looking for his 15th win, was staked to an early 7-0

lead but gave up seven hits and five runs in the fifth. He lasted

five innings, allowing 10 hits and five runs before the Cubs tied

it in the seventh against the Dodgers' bullpen.

"I really let them back in the game," Lowe said. "I couldn't

put a stop to the inning. With a 7-0 lead, you've got all the

momentum."

Chicago loaded the bases in seventh against Brett Tomko on a

single by Jacque Jones and two walks before pinch-hitter Ramirez

greeted Jonathan Broxton with a game-tying two-run single.

Murton's two-run double highlighted the five-run fifth inning by

the Cubs that featured seven hits, including five straight singles

to start the inning and a throwing error on Rafael Furcal on one of

those hits -- Buck Coats' infield single to short.

"Every game is important for us right now," Dodgers manager

Grady Little said. "You don't like the thought of being up 7-0 and

losing. That game was decided in the fifth, not the 11th."

The Dodgers had what seemed to be a comfortable lead after

Chicago second baseman Freddie Bynum made three errors in the first

two innings, two in a four-run first.

"The best thing is to forget about it. It's hard to forget

about it, but you got to go out there and do your job," Bynum

said.

"It only gets in your head if you let it get in your head."

After Julio Lugo and Nomar Garciaparra singled with one out in

the first, J.D. Drew walked to load the bases and Jeff Kent hit an

RBI single.

When Andre Ethier grounded to Bynum, he initially looked to

second, hesitated and then threw late to first for his first error.

When Matt Kemp hit a grounder to short, Bynum took the relay from

shortstop Ronny Cedeno and uncorked a throw past first for another

error with two runs scoring to make it 4-0.

Bynum dropped Lowe's popup to start the second and Furcal hit

his 11th homer, a long shot to left center, for a 6-0 lead. With

two outs in the inning, Bynum nearly had his fourth error when he

threw high to first on Drew's grounder, but Drew was given a hit

because he raced down the line, arriving at the same time as the

ball.

Chicago right fielder Jones missed Kemp's third-inning fly ball

for the Cubs' fourth error and Russell Martin hit an RBI single for

a 7-0 lead.

Chicago starter Sean Marshall gave up six hits and four walks in

3 2/3 innings but only three of the seven runs against him were

earned.Game notes
Garciaparra made his return to Wrigley Field. He spent part

of 2004 and the 2005 seasons with the Cubs, his final season

limited to 62 games by injuries. He singled in the first, his first

career at-bat against the Cubs. ... It was the Cubs' first

six-error game since June 14, 1982 against the Phillies. ... Six of

the game's 17 runs were unearned.