Dodgers 4 - 5 Cubs
Final
  for this game

DeJesus, Soriano star as Cubs nip Dodgers

May 5, 2012 - 12:49 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - David DeJesus fell a home run shy of the cycle and Alfonso Soriano went 3-for-3 with two RBI as Chicago slipped by Los Angeles, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game weekend set from Wrigley Field.

DeJesus finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, and Joe Mather hit a pinch-hit homer for the Cubs, who were coming off a two-game split in Cincinnati.

They gave up three runs in the ninth and lost 4-3 in 10 innings to the Reds on Thursday.

"We needed this game to bounce back from yesterday when we pretty much had a win then lost it," said DeJesus. "Coming back like this shows the resolve in our team."

Paul Maholm (3-2) scattered three hits and one run over six strong innings for the win. Rafael Dolis turned in a scoreless ninth for his second save.

Jerry Hairston was 3-for-4 with a solo shot and two RBI for the Dodgers, who have lost three of four. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp drove in a run each in defeat.

Chad Billingsley (2-2) was charged in the loss for four runs on eight hits over six full frames.

"I made some mistakes over the plate," said Billingsley, "but as far as everything else, I still felt good out there."

In the home seventh against Scott Elbert, Starlin Castro hit a one-out single and Bryan LaHair followed with a base hit. Todd Coffey got the call, and after Castro swiped third, Soriano stroked a double to left which made it 5-2.

The run was valuable as LA came back with two in the eighth off Kerry Wood. Mark Ellis walked with one down, stole second and scored on a Kemp triple. Ethier's sacrifice fly to center then brought in Kemp for a 5-4 contest.

Dolis hit A.J. Ellis with two down in the ninth but recovered to get Bobby Abreu on a liner to right to end the game.

Chicago picked up two in the first inning on RBI singles from Castro and Soriano, but Hairston got one back when he led off the third with his first home run of the year.

The Cubs restored that two-run edge thanks to Darwin Barney's leadoff double and DeJesus' RBI triple in the fourth, and Mather's pinch-hit solo shot with two down in the sixth extended the lead to 4-1.

Hairston's two-out triple in the seventh plated Ethier for a two-run margin, and though Shawn Camp spelled James Russell and walked A.J. Ellis to put runners on the corners, he fanned Abreu to end the threat.

Game Notes

Maholm won his third straight start and recorded his first career positive decision against the Dodgers...LaHair extended his streak to 22 straight games reaching base...Prior to the game, the Dodgers signed Abreu to a one-year contract and optioned infielder Justin Sellers to Triple-A Albuquerque.






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