It was a miserable night with the temperature 49* at game time,but with 20 MPH winds blowing straight in, home runs were almost impossible. In fact,there were none,but Aramis Ramirez drew a one out bases loaded walk from losing pitcher Brian Bruney in the bottom of the tenth and Cubs edged the Washington Nationals 4-3 for a four game winning streak.The Cubs broke out in front of John Lannan in the second inning when Marlon Byrd and Ramirez each doubled. After Alfonso Soriano flew out,Lannan walked Geovany Soto,Tyler Colvin and Carlos Silva to force in Ramirez and make it 2-0. In the bottom of the third, Jeff Baker tripled into the RF corner and scored on a one out single to left by Byrd. That lead did not last however. The Nationals got to within a run when Silva walked Josh Willingham with the bags full and Adam Kennedy lifted a sac fly to center.The tying run scored in the 6th when with one out,Willingham singled and took second on a wild pitch,Kennedy grounded to second,and Wil Nieves singled in Willingham. Silva gave way to Sean Marshall in the 8th,and after he got two outs, Carlos Zambrano relieved him,got the third out and got through the 9th in order.The winning bottom of the tenth started with Ryan Theriot bouncing a single into RF. One out later Derrek Lee walked on four pitches and Byrd blooped a single into short right center,just out of the reach of Washington 2B Christian Guzman to load the bases. Bruney didn’t come close on any of his four pitches to Ramirez.
NOTES—Attendance was 37,850 on a chilly night.
LES