Bogusevic's Grand Slam Leads Astros Over Cubs 6-5
HOUSTON (AP) -- Pinch hitter Brian Bogusevic hit a grand slam in the ninth inning to propel the Houston Astros to 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night and break a season-long seven game losing streak.
J.B. Shuck singled with one out in the ninth off closer Carlos Marmol (2-4) before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Clint Barmes singled and Matt Downs drew a walk to load the bases and bring up Bogusevic.
Houston reliever Aneury Rodriguez (1-4) struck out one in 2-3 innings for the win.
Kerry Wood pitched a scoreless eighth before Marmol blew his eighth save.
Tyler Colvin hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Aramis Ramirez added a solo shot in the eighth as the Cubs built a 5-2 lead. Colvin, who has spent time in Triple-A this season and is hitting just .135, has homered three times in the last 13 games, including Tuesday's blast that landed in the second deck in right field.
Houston starter Brett Myers yielded six hits and four runs in seven innings and hasn't won since June 17.
Chicago starter Ryan Dempster allowed four hits and two runs in seven innings before being replaced by Wood.
Jimmy Paredes had two doubles and drove in a run for the Astros.
Ramirez's 22nd homer came off reliever Wilton Lopez in the eighth inning and pushed the lead to 5-2.
Starlin Castro hit a leadoff single followed by a single by Darwin Barney. Ramirez hit the third single of the inning to score Castro and give Chicago a 1-0 lead. Carlos Pena walked before Marlon Byrd grounded into a double play and Barney scored to make it 2-0.
Jason Bourgeois drew a walk with no outs in the first for Houston before Carlos Lee walked with two outs. The double by Paredes, which landed in the corner of left field, scored Bourgeois, but Lee was out at home to leave it at 2-1.
Ramirez reached on an error by Clint Barmes and Pena walked in the third inning, but Myers didn't allow another hit after the three first-inning singles until Barney singled with two outs in the fifth inning. Ramirez grounded into a force out to end that inning, before Pena doubled to start the sixth.
Then came Colvin's two-out homer that scored Pena and pushed Chicago's lead to 4-1.
Shuck doubled in the seventh inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Humberto Quintero to make it 4-2.
NOTES: Houston OF Jordan Schafer, on the DL since July 20 with an injured left middle finger, was cleared to start a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. If his rehabilitation goes well, he could join Houston on Monday in Colorado. Schafer was acquired from Atlanta in the Michael Bourn trade. ... Bud Norris starts for Houston in Wednesday's finale against Chicago's Casey Coleman. ... Norris didn't allow a run in seven innings in his last start, but did not factor in the decision. ... Coleman was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to replace Carlos Zambrano in the rotation. Coleman is 2-4 with a 7.23 ERA in 11 games this season for Chicago.
(TM and © Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
