Nationals 2 - 4 Cubs
Final
  for this game

Santo honored with statue, Cubs beat Nats

Aug 11, 2011 - 5:01 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Ron Santo would have been proud.

Rodrigo Lopez (3-3) pitched 5 2/3 strong frames, Reed Johnson homered as part of a four-hit night, and Chicago doubled up the Washington Nationals, 4-2, on a night spent honoring the former Cubs legend.

Santo, a third baseman with the franchise from 1960-73, died last December after a battle with bladder cancer and diabetes at the age of 70, but his legacy will forever live on outside famed Wrigley Field, as the team honored him with a statue unveiled prior to the game.

Lopez bested young lefty Ross Detwiler (1-2), who was charged with three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks over five frames. Jayson Werth hit a solo home run in the loss, snapping Washington's two-game winning streak.

"This is a tough park to pitch in," said Nationals manager Davey Johnson. "You can't make any mistakes. He (Detweiler) kind of minimalized the damage tonight."

Alfonso Soriano finished 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI, while Geovany Soto added solo home run for the Cubs, who can win the three-game series on Thursday.

"You know he is going to hit 20 and change (home runs)," said Cubs manager Mike Quade. "He is an interesting guy because he goes through streaks when he struggles and you just don't know when he is going to come out."

The Nationals scratched out a first-inning run thanks in part to a Cubs miscue. With a runner on first and two outs, Michael Morse hit a grounder deep into the hole between third and short. Castro ranged to his right, snagged the ball, but threw low and wide to second. The ball rolled into shallow right field, and Ryan Zimmerman sprinted all of the way home.

Chicago got the run back on Soto's solo shot to left in the second then the Cubs went ahead for good in the fourth on Soriano's two-out double that plated Soto.

Johnson measured up a Detweiler offering in the fifth, driving it just over the ivy in left-center field for a 3-1 game. The Nationals cut the deficit to one run in the sixth on Werth's solo homer, but Chicago again bounced right back to restore the two-run edge.

Soriano extended his arms and drove a fastball over the wall in left-field center for a solo home run to cap the scoring in the home half of the frame.

Game Notes

Thurday's day game is the rescheduled date from Monday's series opener, which was rained out...Detweiler defeated the Cubs back on July 5...Soriano hit his 20th home run of the season, while Soto crushed his 12th...Werth launched his 14th home run of the campaign...Zimmerman increased his hitting streak to 18 games.






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