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Tuesday, Jun. 27 7:05pm ET
Giles keys Pirates' offense | |||||
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GAME LOG
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Todd Ritchie made it look easy for a Pittsburgh Pirates' team that has found victories hard to come by for nearly a month. Ritchie pitched a three-hitter to beat Kerry Wood with his first career shutout, leading the Pirates over Chicago 6-0 Tuesday night and extending the Cubs' losing streak to a season-high five. Brian Giles, critical of the Pirates' team chemistry during a three-game weekend sweep by New York, homered and drove in two runs as the Pirates won for only the fourth time in 13 games and avoided a fifth consecutive loss. The Pirates are 9-15 this month. In a game that took just 2 hours, 5 minutes, Jason Kendall hit a two-run double off Wood in a five-run fifth inning. It was one of the majors' fastest games this season but still was 17 minutes slower than Ritchie's 1:48 victory over Atlanta last season. "Working fast is what I'm all about," said Ritchie, who had six starts lasting 2:13 or less last season. "I want to get guys out as quick as I can, without a lot of strikeouts and without going deep in the count." With trade talks continuing to swirl around Sammy Sosa, who singled for his only hit in four at-bats, the Cubs (30-45) fell a season-low 15 games below .500 with their sixth loss in seven games during a 12-game road trip. "I don't know what's happening up there," Sosa said of trade discussions that may involve the Yankees. "I only know that I come here and play every day, and whatever it is, I have to deal with it. We're still waiting for somebody to step to the plate. We're trying to find out what's going on, but we haven't had an answer." The Cubs didn't have one for Ritchie (5-4), who is being sought by several teams as the Pirates conduct trade talks with a number of teams. He won for the third time in four decisions and is 3-0 against the Cubs, allowing three runs in 24 1-3 innings in three starts against them. Ritchie says the trade talks didn't distract him, but Cubs manager Don Baylor seemed to wonder if the rumors were bothering his players. "It was one of those quick 27 (outs) and let's get out of here," he said. "There's a lot of distractions here, too. But you're professional, you've got to go out there and do your job. We all can't worry about getting traded." It was Ritchie's first shutout since he beat Palm Springs for Single-A Visalia on July 25, 1992. "I'm glad I got it, but I'm happier I got the win. We need a lot of wins," said Ritchie, who walked three, struck out six and got 14 outs on ground balls. "I was able to get in a groove and get a lot of ground balls." Making his 42nd career start, Ritchie yielded a leadoff double in the first inning to Eric Young, then cruised, allowing only one more runner past first. Sosa singled in the seventh and took third on Jose Nieves' double. but Ritchie struck out Henry Rodriguez and Damon Buford to end the threat. "When he's working fast like that, throwing strikes, it keeps everybody in the game," said Kevin Young, who finished off the fifth with a two-run single. "It helps you stay focused. When the pitcher's out there walking a lot of guys, it really hurts your attention span." Wood (3-5) dropped to 0-3 against Pittsburgh, falling behind in the second on Giles' 21st homer. Wood allowed six runs and five hits in five innings. Giles also drew a bases-loaded walk, one of three walks by the wild Wood, as the Pirates batted around in the fifth inning. John Vander Wal and Pat Meares singled ahead of Warren Morris' walk, Kendall's double, two more walks and Young's single. Wood has walked 23 in 36 innings while winning only twice in his last six starts. In two starts against the Pirates this season, including an 11-3 loss May 7, he has allowed 13 runs in 8 1-3 innings. Game notesThe Pirates are 4-0 against the Cubs. ... Pittsburgh had lost its last three and eight of its last 12 at Three Rivers Stadium. ... Brant Brown, who struck out 114 times in 341 Pirates at-bats last season, struck out as a Cubs pinch-hitter in the sixth. ... The Pirates didn't commit an error after making 10 during a 2-5 road trip to Montreal and New York. ... Beginning Tuesday, the Pirates play their 12 games leading into the All-Star break against teams with losing records. ... Sosa's next homer will be his 150th since the start of the 1998 season. ... The Cubs are 11-24 away from Wrigley Field. ... This is the Cubs' first five-game losing streak since Sept. 7-12. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Chicago Cubs Clubhouse Pittsburgh Clubhouse RECAPS Baltimore 6 Boston 3
Pittsburgh 6
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