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Sunday, September 27, 1998
Cubs 3, Astros 2
By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) -- Sammy Sosa helped the Chicago Cubs come from
behind Saturday. Now he'll try to mount one last comeback in the
home-run race.
Slammin' Sammy fell two home runs behind Mark McGwire, going
2-for-4 with a pair of singles. But his run in the eighth inning
broke a tie that helped the Chicago Cubs rally for a crucial 3-2
victory over the Houston Astros.
The game ended on a controversial call that left the Astros
angry and left Chicago and San Francisco tied for the lead in
the NL wild-card race.
But with one game to go in the regular season -- barring a
playoff -- the spotlight remained on the duel between McGwire
and Sosa.
McGwire hit two homers against Montreal in St. Louis to take
a 68-66 lead.
"I still have a shot," Sosa said. "It doesn't
look good, but I still have a chance. I've always been saying
Mark is going to finish ahead of me. He'll probably hit two more
Sunday."
Sosa's pursuit of home-run history has diverted attention from
the Cubs' late-season struggles. The victory Saturday was just
their second in seven games.
But perhaps their 53-year run of bad luck is ending: Chicago
caught a break with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the
potential tying run at third.
Pitcher Rod Beck fielded Dave Clark's topper near the first-base
line and made an unsuccessful attempt at a tag. Beck's throw to
first then hit Clark in the back, but plate umpire Eric Gregg
called Clark out for leaving the baseline trying to elude the
tag before the throw.
"He reached to tag him, and the guy went outside the three-foot
area," crew chief Bruce Froemming said.
Replays appeared inconclusive -- but not to the Astros.
"Two umpires had a clear call at it, and they blew it,"
manager Larry Dierker said.
"I know I was inside the line," Clark said. "The
Giants are going to mad about this when they see the replay."
Surging San Francisco won at Colorado, while the New York Mets
lost at Atlanta and fell a game behind the wild-card leaders.
The Cubs are bidding for their first postseason berth since 1989
and their first trip to the World Series since 1945.
"This is what we all live for," said first baseman
Mark Grace, who has spent his entire 10-year career with Chicago.
"This is why we ride the buses in the minor leagues and play
with broken appendages. This is what we bleed for. Cub fans have
been suffering for a long time."
Things began to look up in the eighth. With the score 1-1 and
one out, Sosa singled off Jay Powell (7-7). Grace also singled,
and both runners came home on a two-out double by Gary Gaetti.
Against starter Shane Reynolds, Sosa fouled out in the first,
singled in the third and struck out on a 3-2 pitch in the sixth.
"Man, he stinks," Grace joked. "What a lousy
hitter he is -- no home runs today."
Sosa received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of
51,950 each time he stepped to the plate, and a flurry of flashbulbs
accompanied each pitch. He said he saw only two fastballs in the
entire game, but he wasn't complaining.
"The home runs didn't come, but we got the win,"
he said. "That's what counts."
Mark Clark (9-14) limited the Astros to one run and five hits
in eight innings. Beck allowed Jeff Bagwell's 34th homer and a
double by Moises Alou to start the ninth, then pitched out of
the jam for his 50th save thanks to Gregg's crucial call.
McGwire's first home run Saturday was replayed on the scoreboard
before the top of the fifth inning. News of his second homer reached
the Astrodome before the top of the ninth, and the inning ended
with Sosa on deck.
Sosa has led McGwire in their friendly race only twice -- for
less than an hour each time. Now, Sosa's best chance to catch
up is for the Cubs to wind up in a playoff for the wild-card berth,
which would give him an extra game.
But Sosa said he would trade his 66 homers for a victory Sunday.
"I'll be ready to go," he said. "It's a big
game for us."
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