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Soriano keys eight-run seventh as Cubs top Marlins

Aug 17, 2008 - 10:19 PM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contrubuting Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Alfonso Soriano has been a sparkplug for the Chicago Cubs since returning to the lineup after the All-Star break and he played that role again Sunday.

Soriano's two-run double ignited an eight-run seventh inning as the Cubs rallied for a 9-2 victory over the Florida Marlins in the rubber game of the series.

"You look at the scoreboard and you see a bunch of zeroes, then you look up and you see one big eight," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

Reed Johnson capped the uprising with a bases-clearing double, his second hit in the inning.

"When you have runners on every inning, it's only a matter of time before you cash in," Johnson said. "With their offense, they can hit the ball out of the ballpark so you just want to keep tacking on runs when you play a team like that."

Chicago , which has won 10 of its last 11 road contests, took two of three against the Marlins after losing their previous nine games at Dolphin Stadium.

The rally made a winner of Ryan Dempster (14-5), who allowed three runs and five hits in six innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts. The righthander kept his ERA at 2.92 - sixth in the National League.

"It was a grind to mentally and physically bear down to make pitches," Dempster said. "I thought if I could just keep them from scoring any more runs, we'd have a chance to come back and win it. I was able to get a couple big strikeouts to get out of an inning."

Through six innings, the Cubs were held to four hits by Marlins starter Chris Volstad, but Mike Fontenot doubled and Johnson singled to chase Volstad. Chicago then teed off against Florida 's bullpen.

Renyel Pinto (2-5), who surrendered five runs while retiring only two batters, walked Mark DeRosa to load the bases with no outs.

"I'm not sure why he's struggling, " Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We're working extremely hard to get those things corrected because he's an important piece for us. We all know when he's good, he can dominate a lineup."

Soriano's drive eluded left fielder Luis Gonzalez, who tried to make a diving catch. Three batters later, Aramis Ramirez delivered another two-run double into the left-field corner to give the Cubs a 4-2 lead.

Kosuke Fukudome followed with a sacrifice fly before Johnson capped the big inning with his double off Logan Kensing.

"Three bases-loaded doubles, you don't see that too often in an inning," Piniella added.

Cody Ross tripled and scored on Jeff Baker's groundout in the third for the Marlins' first run. Gonzalez's RBI double in the sixth made it 2-0.

The Marlins, who lost four of five, have picked a bad time for a slump. They have fallen 4 1/2 games games behind the red-hot New York Mets in the National League East.

"This is a different type of team," Marlins outfielder Luis Gonzalez said. "We don't have a lot guys who put the ball in play and make things happen. Our team lives and dies by the three-run homer. We have a lot of punch-outs and we hit a lot of home runs. When the home runs don't come, it magnifies a lot more the strikeouts and when we have guys in scoring position."