MILWAUKEE—With a pair of pitchers on the disabled list, Cubs manager Mike Quade doesn’t want the rest of his starting staff to press too hard to make up for their absence. If Jeff Baker wants to keep hitting the ball the way he did Friday night to carry the club, though, Quade certainly won’t mind.Baker had four hits and drove in four runs, including his first homer of the season, and the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 on Friday. If the Cubs keep hitting like this, perhaps they won’t be hit too hard by losing starters Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner for a couple of weeks.Baker and Geovany Soto went deep in a five-run fourth inning for the Cubs.Carlos Zambrano (1-0) continued his recent string of winning performances against the Brewers at Miller Park. He went six innings, giving up four runs, seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts.Carlos Marmol put the first two batters on base in the ninth, but rallied to retire the side for his third save.Prince Fielder hit his first homer of the season for the Brewers, who squandered a chance to climb back to .500 after an ugly 0-4 start.Zambrano came into Friday’s game 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA on the road against Milwaukee dating to April 2007. He also threw a no-hitter at Miller Park in September 2008 — not against the Brewers, but the Astros, in a game that was moved out of Houston because of Hurricane Ike. His opponent was Randy Wolf, now pitching for Milwaukee and starting for the Brewers on Friday.Wolf (0-2) went six innings, giving up nine hits, six runs — two of which were earned — with a walk and five strikeouts. Wolf gave up another pair of home runs after getting tagged for two in his first start of the season, a loss at Cincinnati.Fielder’s solo shot off Zambrano in the second inning was his 100th home run at Miller Park. Milwaukee added a run later in the second when Casey McGehee scored on a groundout by George Kottaras.Aramis Ramirez reached base to lead off the fourth when a pop fly dropped between Rickie Weeks, Fielder and Nyjer Morgan, with Weeks getting charged with an error. Soto made the Brewers pay for the mistake, pounding a pitch from Wolf deep to center field for a two-run homer and tying the game at 2.Later in the inning, singles by Alfonso Soriano and Zambrano gave the Cubs runners on first and second with two outs — and Baker homered to left, giving the Cubs a 5-2 lead.Milwaukee got a run back in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Kottaras, and McGehee delivered an RBI single in the fifth, cutting the Cub lead to 5-4. But Baker’s RBI single in the sixth put the Cubs’ lead back to two, and Marlon Byrd doubled to score Baker in the ninth. NOTES—The Cubs recalled RHP Jeff Stevens from Triple-A Iowa after placing Wells and Cashner on the 15-day DL. RHP Casey Coleman will pitch Sunday, and LHP James Russell will start Tuesday at Houston. … Zambrano picked Carlos Gomez off first base in the third inning. … Weeks had a pair of errors for the Brewers, who came into Friday’s game with two total errors in their first seven games

Derrick Rose scored 30 points and the Bulls closed in on the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday.The Bulls’ 17th win in 19 games put them four games up on Boston and Miami with four to play and eliminated the Heat from getting the No. 1 seed.The Celtics, who play the Heat on Sunday, still have a mathematical shot albeit a remote one.But barring a collapse, the Bulls will be the top seed in the East.It’s another step for a team that expected big things after a major overhaul, and all the Bulls have done is deliver their best season since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen made championship celebrations a regular event.Rose was a one-man highlight reel against Rajon Rondo, beating him with his crossover and getting to the rim, particularly in the early going. Rose scored 16 points in the first half as the Bulls jumped out to a 48-43 lead, and they regrouped after momentarily falling behind in the third.Luol Deng scored 23 points, and Carlos Boozer added 14 points and 12 rebounds.The Bulls outscored the Celtics 44-22 in the paint, outrebounded them 44-35 and held Boston to 38.4 percent shooting.Paul Pierce led Boston with 15 points. Kevin Garnett scored all 10 of his points in the second half and Rondo finished with seven. Jeff Green scored 10 and Ray Allen had seven points.The Bulls led 48-43 at the half when Pierce made a jumper and Rondo hit his first two baskets to give Boston a one-point lead, but the Bulls responded by running off 10 straight, a dunk by Deng and floater by Rose making it 58-49 midway through the third.It was 61-58 after Glen Davis hit two free throws with just over three minutes left in the quarter when the Bulls started a 13-2 run that stretched into the fourth quarter.Deng started the spurt with a 3, and he followed a layup by Boozer off a turnover with a steal and layup to make it 68-58 with 1:31 left. Davis hit two free throws for Boston. But Rose made a 3 with 23 seconds left in the quarter, and Boozer added a three-point play 45 seconds into the fourth to boost their lead to 74-60.Not only were the Bulls facing one of the top teams in the East, they also honored Pippen by unveiling a sculpture of him during a halftime ceremony.

NOTES—A Bulls spokesman said chairman Jerry Reinsdorf left a message for Grant Hill and spoke to his mother for about 15 minutes, telling her he regretted an incident that happened after Tuesday’s game against the Suns. Hill had told the Arizona Republic that a fan spat on and cursed him. … Doc Rivers endorsed Rose for MVP, saying “he’s the most valuable player” and endorsed his former assistant Tom Thibodeau for Coach of the Year while acknowledging cases could be made for Philadelphia’s Doug Collins and Portland’s Nate McMillan. … Rivers said he thinks Shaquille O’Neal will be healthy for the playoffs but isn’t sure what to expect from him. The 15-time All-Star returned Sunday against Detroit after missing 27 games because of a sore right leg, but lasted just 5 minutes, 29 seconds before leaving again. He did not play against Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Edwin Jackson’s pitched the White Sox to a 5-1 victory over the winless Tampa Bay Rays in their home opener.Jackson (2-0) had two strikeouts in each of the first five innings and he walked just one in his eight innings.The AL East champion Rays extended the worst start in team history — they haven’t even held a lead yet this year. Tampa Bay has scored exactly one run in five of its defeats.Jackson (2-0), who pitched a no-hitter against Tampa Bay last season while with Arizona, allowed four hits in eight innings. He lost his shutout bid in the eighth when pinch-hitter Felipe Lopez doubled and Reid Brignac singled. Johnny Damon flied out to deep right to end the inning.At 0-6, the Rays have totaled only eight runs and 27 hits this season. They are tied for the worst record in the majors with the only other winless team in the majors, the division rival Boston Red Sox.With a foggy start and a 39-degree temperature at the first pitch, the White Sox reached Price (0-2) for two first-inning runs and finished with 12 hits. The Sox played for a second straight game without slugging designated hitter Adam Dunn, who had an emergency appendectomy early Wednesday morning. Dunn dressed for the game and was introduced with his teammates during the pregame ceremony, but there is no timetable for his return.Rays DH Manny Ramirez missed the game because of a family matter but should be ready for Friday night’s game.Alex Rios hit a two-run double in the first off Price after Juan Pierre singled and Gordon Beckham was hit by a pitch. Rios doubled again in the third and scored on a single by Paul Konerko. Brent Lillibridge and Pierre added RBI singles in the eighth.Price, a 19-game winner last season, is now 0-4 in four career starts against the White Sox. He gave up nine hits and three runs in six innings.Sam Fuld singled leading off the game and tried to create some offense by stealing two bases. But Jackson fanned Ben Zobrist and got Dan Johnson on a fly ball, stranding Fuld at third. Fuld also walked and stole a base in the third. Jackson then retired 12 straight before B.J. Upton singled with two outs in the seventh.

NOTES—Jake Peavy, who underwent surgery to repair a detached muscle in his shoulder and then experienced some rotator cuff tendinitis in spring training, is scheduled to throw 75 pitches in a rehab start for Double-A Birmingham on Friday….Minnie Minoso threw out the first pitch to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen….Attendance was announced as 38,579, a sellout…..Jackson’s 13 strikeouts were the most ever by a White Sox pitcher in a home opener…..Konerko has at least one RBI in each of the first six games.

KANSAS CITY—The White Sox committed four errors and were down three runs with two outs in the ninth, facing one of the hottest teams and one of the best closers in the majors.So they put five straight men on base and wind up with a 12-inning, 10-7 victory Wednesday over the stunned Kansas City Royals. Carlos Quentin had four hits, including a solo home run in the eighth and a two-run double in the ninth that capped a four-run uprising against Joakim Soria.A two-time All-Star, Soria had never allowed four runs in a game in his five-year career, let alone four with two out in the ninth.In the 12th, Brent Morel hit a two-run single off Sean O’Sullivan (0-1) for the go-ahead runs as the White Sox broke the Royals’ four-game winning streak.The energetic Royals were in position to improve to 5-1 after Soria retired the first two batters on easy grounders. But Alex Rios and Paul Konerko hit RBI singles and Quentin’s two-run double capped a four-run comeback for a 7-6 lead that held up until Kila Ka’aihue‘s RBI double off Matt Thornton tied it 7-all and set up the Royals’ third straight extra-inning game.Quentin said the White Sox were fully aware of who they were facing in their improbable ninth-inning rally.Soria may have been tired.Quentin doubled to start the 12th. After a bunt single and an intentional walk, Morel hit a two-run single and Juan Pierre added a sacrifice fly.Winner Chris Sale (1-0) went two innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.The Royals had won their previous four games all in their final at-bat, and had their chances in this one, too. Kansas City had runners at first and second with one out in the ninth and didn’t score, and put runners at the corners with one out in the 11th without getting a run.Royals starter Jeff Francis had a six-hit shutout going until Ramon Castro homered on a 3-1 pitch with two outs in the seventh. Francis was lifted after Morel singled, and Pierre hit an RBI triple off rookie reliever Tim Collins.White Sox starter Mark Buehrle went five innings and gave up five runs. He allowed eight hits and had two strikeouts.Alex Gordon had an RBI double in the first inning and scored on Billy Butler’s single for a 2-0 lead off Buehrle. Alcides Escobar’s RBI double made it 3-0 in the fourth and was followed by Brayan Pena’s RBI single and an RBI ground out by Mike Aviles.Quentin homered off Robinson Tejada in the eighth.With two outs in the Kansas City eighth, Chris Getz scored from first when left fielder Mark Teahen dropped Aviles’fly ball for the third Sox error.The White Sox stranded runners at first and third in both the fourth and fifth innings.

NOTES—Adam Dunn underwent an emergency appendectomy Tuesday night and will be out about 5 days…..Teahen, formerly of the Royals, pinch hit in the eighth and got a nice hand from the crowd. He flied out…..It was the fifth four-hit game for Quentin and his first since Aug. 5, 2008 against Detroit

Mike Quade prefers to think of all the good things the Cubs showed him in their first homestand rather then dwell on their record.The Cubs made three errors Wednesday in a 6-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks that dropped the team to 3-3 in a season that began with series against a pair of last-place ballclubs.The Cubs lost two of three to the Pirates, last in the NL Central last season, then took two of three from Arizona, the West’s worst last year.Quade’s day began with the news that Cubs starters Randy Wells (right forearm strain) and Andrew Cashner (strain in right rotator cuff) were headed to the 15-day disabled list.Alfonso Soriano hit his third homer of the season but made an error in the field, and Aramis Ramirez hit his second for the Cubs.Chris Young drove in two runs, scored twice and made a pair of nice catches in center field as Arizona ended its eight-game losing streak against the Cubs.Armando Galarraga (1-0) won in his first career NL start, giving up five hits and four runs in 7 1/3 innings. J.J. Putz pitched a perfect ninth for his second save. Gerardo Parra had three hits and scored a run and Miguel Montero hit his second homer of the season for the Diamondbacks.Ryan Dempster (0-2) gave up five runs — four earned — and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.After the Cubs tied it in the fourth, Arizona scored three times in the fifth.Young lifted a flyball into the left-field corner, which Soriano tracked to the wall. But the ball glanced off his glove as he reached the yet-to-bloom ivy. The play was scored a double. Young went to third when a relay throw got away from Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, who was charged with an error on the play, and scored on Kelly Johnson’s double.In the third Soriano was charged with an error backing up a play.Young hit a sinking drive to center. Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd, in an effort to save a run, raced in and reached for a shoestring catch. He came up short and the ball rolled well behind him.Soriano bobbled the ball while backing up Byrd. That allowed Young to score. The play was scored a triple. An error was charged to Soriano.

NOTES—Relegated to pinch-hitting duties is Carlos Pena, who has a right thumb strain. Quade said Pena is “feeling better” and is getting close to returning ot full-time duty. … Former Bulls player and current television analyst Stacey King threw out Wednesday’s ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field and sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch. The lefty shooter threw out the first pitch right-handed. … After a couple of rare days under 30,000, the Cubs announced an attendance of 32,272 for Wednesday’s game.

DEKALB—Northern Illinois junior linebacker Devon Butler is currently listed in critical condition after having been shot in an incident late Tuesday night.Though details on the incident are still sketchy as of right now, the DeKalb (Ill.) Daily Chronicle is reporting that police have taken two suspects into custody after being called to a DeKalb apartment complex just before midnight. Witnesses reported two to three gunshots fired in the apartment building, and today NIU officials confirmed that Butler had subsequently been transported to an area hospital for treatment.An official statement from first-year NIU head coach Dave Doeren is forthcoming. Butler earned third-team All-MAC honors in 2010 after finishing second on the Huskies with 71 tackles.

KANSAS CITY—The White Sox are hopeful that Adam Dunn won’t miss much time after an emergency appendectomy early Wednesday.The initial indication is that Dunn may miss less than a week. The White Sox announced on their Twitter account that Dunn will miss “up to five games.” Matt Holliday of the Cardinals had his appendix out last week, and the Cardinals are similarly hopeful of a quick return. Last September, Andres Torres of the Giants missed 12 days after an appendectomy.Dunn is off to a decent start after signing with the White Sox as a free agent last winter. In four games, he has a 1.045 OPS, with one home run and 5 RBI.

KANSAS CITY—Melky Cabrera’s RBI single scored Chris Getz from second in the 12th inning Tuesday night, lifting Kansas City past the White Sox 7-6 and giving the Royals their fourth straight win in their final at-bat.Getz singled leading off and was sacrificed to second and then Cabrera connected of Tony Pena (0-1) for his third hit of the game. Jeremy Jeffress (1-0) got two outs for the win in Kansas City’s first four-game winning streak since September 2009.The Royals bullpen threw six shutout innings after the White Sox scored four in the first off Luke Hochevar and took a 6-4 lead in the sixth.Chris Sale relieved starter Gavin Floyd to begin the eighth and gave up a two-run home run to Billy Butler, which tied it 6-all.The White Sox had a 4-0 lead after Hochevar’s 13th pitch. Juan Pierre got the game started with a triple into right-center and Gordon Beckham followed with an RBI single.Adam Dunn walked and Paul Konerko, who has at least one RBI in all four games the White Sox have played, slammed an 0-1 pitch 437 feet over the fence in left.Hochevar, who took the loss on opening day to the Los Angeles Angels, did not allow another run until Alexei Ramirez hit an RBI triple with one out in the sixth. With two out, Ramirez scored when third baseman Brent Morel failed to handle Pierre’s infield grounder and was charged with an error.Alex Gordon’s two-run home run in the bottom of the first cut the lead in half.Floyd gave up a single to Alcides Escobar and walked Matt Treanor to start the second inning. Both moved up on a double steal and scored on Cabrera’s two-out single, knotting it 4-4.Gordon, who had four hits and scored four runs in Sunday’s 13-inning victory over the Angels, was 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs.Floyd gave up two runs in each of the first two innings but went seven innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out five.Hochevar went six innings and gave up six runs and seven hits, with two walks and one strikeout. One run was unearned.

NOTES—Kansas City’s 3-1 start marked just the third time since 1991 the Royals had won three of their first four games. … Mike Aviles lined into a 6-3 double play ending the seventh, with Ramirez’ throw cutting down Getz at first. … The Royals’ longest winning streak last year was three games, on six occasions. … The White Sox have won the season series against the Royals nine of the last 10 years.

Derrick Rose finished with 19 points, Luol Deng scored 18 and the Bulls continued to close in on the top seed in the Eastern Conference, hanging on to beat the Phoenix Suns 97-94 Tuesday.They lead Miami and Boston by three games in the loss collum, with the Celtics visiting Thursday.The Bulls led by 13 at the half and 22 in the third, only to see Phoenix whittle it to two in the fourth quarter, before pulling out their 16th win in 18 games.Rose hit just 6 of 15 shots, but converted several big ones down the stretch, and the Bulls had too much balance and too much at stake to lose to a team that’s out of the playoff race.Joakim Noah added 12 points, including eight in the third quarter, after missing three games with a sprained right ankle. Carlos Boozer scored 12 after sitting out Monday’s practice with an illness, and Ronnie Brewer and Taj Gibson scored 10 each off the bench.Vince Carter scored 23, but the Suns lost for the sixth time in seven games. Grant Hill and Channing Frye scored 13 each, and Steve Nash had 16 assists after missing two games with flulike symptoms.