Lee's Slam Helps Ozzie Get First Win In Chicago As Marlin
CHICAGO (AP) -- Carlos Lee hit a grand slam and the Florida Marlins beat the Cubs 9-5 on Tuesday night, giving Ozzie Guillen a win in his first game back managing in Chicago.
Lee's slam against Travis Wood highlighted a five-run fifth and tied him with Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams for seventh on baseball's career list with 17.
Omar Infante also homered and had three hits, giving him 17 in 36 at-bats at Wrigley Field. Hanley Ramirez also went deep in the game to back a strong start by Anibal Sanchez (5-6), and the Marlins won their second straight after dropping four of five.
That had to please Guillen, who managed the White Sox for eight years before a messy split at the end of last season. He led the South Siders to a 678-617 record that included a championship in 2005, their first since 1917, but his tenure ended after his relationship with general manager Ken Williams disintegrated.
The Cubs had won 12 of 16, but they stranded 10 runners. It didn't help, either, that Wood (4-4) struggled in a big way after winning his previous four starts. The left-hander lasted just 4 2-3 innings, giving up eight hits and eight runs.
Miami scored three against him in the fourth, with Infante's two-run drive to left capping that rally. They then chased him during a five-run fifth, the big blow coming when Lee drove the first pitch to the left-field seats after Sanchez, Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio all singled to start the inning.
The slam was Lee's first since July 25, 2011, with Houston. It was also his first homer since the Marlins acquired him from the Astros on July 4.
Wood left after giving up a one-out double to Ramirez and retiring Austin Kearns on a fly. Rafael Dolis came in and gave up back-to-back singles to Infante and John Buck that made it 8-0.
That was plenty for Sanchez, who allowed nine hits but just two runs (one earned) over seven innings while striking out seven and walking two. He gave up a solo homer to Jeff Baker in the fifth. The Cubs got another run in the sixth when Geovany Soto doubled and came around after Ramirez let Joe Mather's grounder to third go under his glove.
Ramirez made up for it in the seventh with a solo shot that made it 9-2, his second hit of the game.
Notes: When fans booed him during a pitching change in the eighth, Guillen responded by pointing toward his ring finger on his left hand - the one where he would wear his championship ring. ... The Marlins' Carlos Zambrano, who had his issues when he pitched for the Cubs, said he got a warm welcome when he visited the city about two weeks ago. Miami was visiting Milwaukee and he went to check on his Chicago house. "People in the street were very appreciative of me. ... They say, `Too bad that you left. We miss you Z.' I appreciate that. But there are some people that don't like me. There's nothing I can do about it." Zambrano is not scheduled to start in this series. ... Cubs manager Dale Sveum said he doesn't foresee an innings limit on first-year starter Jeff Samardzija. The 27-year-old right-hander is 6-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 17 starts and is on pace for about 186. His career high in the minors was 141 2-3 in 2007. His previous high in the majors was 88 innings as a reliever in 2011. Samardzija starts for the Cubs on Wednesday against Josh Johnson (5-6, 4.28).
(© 2012 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)