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Cubs' six-run first inning dooms Brewers

May 1, 2008 - 5:24 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- A middle-of-the pack offense led to the Chicago Cubs' short stay in the playoffs in 2007. After one month this season, they will be looking down on the rest of the majors when it comes to scoring runs.

Geovany Soto belted two three-run homers on Wednesday, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 19-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Chicago, which finished 18th in the majors last season with 752 runs scored, managed only six during a three-game sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2007 National League Division Series.

Finding offense has been much less of a struggle this season, as the Cubs' 171 runs through the end of April leads the majors.

"Everyone on the team swung it tonight," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "It's good to see. It's been a good offensive month. At the end of the road trip, I thought we were a little tired. (Since) the day off here at home, we've been swinging the bats again."

The 19-run outburst on Wednesday was the most the Cubs have scored since posting 20 against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 5, 2001.

After striking out in eight straight at-bats prior to Tuesday's 10-7 loss to the Brewers, Soto has struck out once in the last two games, putting together consecutive two-hit games.

"You still got to keep it positive," Soto said. "It's still early in the year. You try to go in the cage, work and every day with a smile on your face do your best."

Soto hammered his first three-run blast off Brewers starter Jeff Suppan (1-1) to cap a six-run first inning, which also featured an RBI double by Derrek Lee and a two-run double by Aramis Ramirez.

The Cubs added five more runs in the fourth to provide a 12-1 cushion for starter Ryan Dempster (4-0), who allowed three runs and four hits with five walks over six frames.

"Tonight was a night where he had a comfortable lead, threw strikes, you go deeper in the ballgame," Piniella said. "He's started out 4-0 for us, pitched well in every ballgame and given us a chance to win every game."

"I was a little bit upset with myself, with the walks tonight," Dempster said. "The first few innings, I had a good rhythm. When your offense gives you six runs in the first inning, you need to go deep into the game."

Suppan, meanwhile, surrendered 11 runs - eight earned - and 11 hits over just 3 2/3 innings.

"It was a tough game," Suppan said. "The Cubs were on the attack and I kept missing down the middle. I tried to keep us in the game and I did not do that."

Brian Shouse relieved the righthander with two out in the fourth but fared no better against Soto, who belted the second pitch he saw in the at-bat into the seats in left-center for his second three-run blast of the contest and a 12-1 lead.

"I did have one two-homer game in Double-A, but I didn't have six RBI," Soto said. "This game was the most impressive in a long time. I see the ball good here. It's not really the ballpark (though). I just try to make adjustments and work on my stroke every day."

Milwaukee plated two more runs in the fifth and seventh, sandwiching a sixth-inning run by the Cubs, to move within 13-5.

However, baseball's most proficient offense batted around for the second time in the game in the eighth off reliever Derrick Turnbow, who allowed six runs and four hits with four walks while recording just two outs.