Aaron Heilman

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Cubs win final two of Cards series, now 7-4

The Chicago Cubs won what turned out to be the final two games of their series with the St. Louis Cardinals in dramatic fashion on both Friday and Saturday.

On Friday it was Alfonso Soriano who despite striking out three out of his first four at bats picked just the right time to find his home run stroke. With Aaron Miles on first following a walk and the Cubs trailing 6-7, Soriano took a low slider from Chris Perez and deposited it into the left field bleachers to give the Cubs the 8-7 victory.

Carlos Zambrano, who got the start against rookie P.J. Walters, was given an early 3-0 lead to work with, but couldn’t hold it. All told, Zambrano would give up seven earned in seven innings including three home runs. Aaron Heilman and Carlos Marmol would give the Cubs two scoreless innings to close it out. Marmol did make it interesting in the ninth. He walked lead off hitter Colby Rasmus and hit Albert Pujols with a pitch before getting Ryan Ludwick to strike out and Khalil Greene to ground into a game ending double play.

W - A. Heilman (2-0, 1.35 ERA) L - C. Perez (0-1, 6.00 ERA) S - C. Marmol (2)

On Saturday it was more of the same from the Cubs. Starters Ryan Dempster and Kyle Lohse would last only six and five innings respectively, each giving up four runs. The game would go into extra innings tied at five despite the bullpens combining for nine walks from the sixth inning on. Cubs relievers would issue lead off walks in both the 10th and the 11th before getting out of the innings unscathed.

In the bottom of the 11th reliever Dennys Reyes would walk lead off hitter Alfonso Soriano. Kosuke Fukudome would attempt to sacrifice but Soriano would be thrown out at thrid. When Derrek Lee flied out to center it appeared we might be headed for the 12th. Instead Aramis Ramirez hit a line drive home run to the left field bleachers to give the Cubs a walk off win, 7-5. Ramirez had been 0-5 in the game before stepping to the plate in the 11th.

“It seems like every time there is a big moment in the game and Rammy is up he is winning the game for us,” Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot said. “He definitely has the flare for the dramatics and a knack to win games.”

W - A. Guzman (1-0, 5.40 ERA) L - D. Reyes (0-1, 4.15 ERA)