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Orioles' Sherrill slams door on Cubs' home winning streak

Jun 25, 2008 - 5:40 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- George Sherrill made it interesting but the Baltimore Orioles ended the Chicago Cubs' amazing home winning streak.

Sherrill loaded the bases in the ninth, then struck out the side to preserve the Orioles' 7-5 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday.

Brian Roberts had three hits and an RBI triple and Luke Scott added a two-run triple for Baltimore, which nearly squandered a 7-1 lead, but ended the Cubs' 14-game home winning streak.

"Unbelievable," Roberts said of the heart-wrenching ninth inning. "I've never seen anything like it. Our saying is, 'Never a doubt, Georgie. Never a doubt.' But good God, I was starting to doubt it. It was killing me out there, killing all of us. I don't think he ever doubts himself and that's all that matters."

Indeed, Sherrill never did have a doubt.

"I don't get nervous when I'm out there," he said. "I get nervous when it's somebody else, not me."

"I made the first few hitters look pretty good. But somehow I was able to get out of it. That's what a closer does. They battled and battled us. But we were able to hold on and come out on top."

The Cubs entered with the best record in baseball thanks to a glistening 32-8 home mark and were seeking their longest home winning streak since 1935. It appeared they would pull off a stunning six-run comeback to extend the streak.

Jim Edmonds hit a three-run home run off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie in the seventh to pull Chicago within 7-4 and Aramis Ramirez hit a two-out RBI single in the eighth to slice the lead to two runs. But Sherrill, who got the final out of the eighth, allowed a single to Geovany Soto to start the ninth and walked Mark DeRosa.

Ryan Theriot's infield single loaded the bases before Sherrill struck out Ronny Cedeno on three pitches. Sherrill then struck out Kosuke Fukudome and Henry Blanco to record his 26th save of the season.

Sherrill's Houdini act helped Guthrie (4-7) earn his first win in three starts. Guthrie allowed four runs and seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk to pick up his first win in three starts.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella told the Chicago Tribune he knew the home-winning streak was not going to continue too much longer and is almost relieved it's over.

"To be honest with you, usually when everybody catches on, it's time you start cooling off," Piniella said. "Let's hope that's not the case. The less you talk about it, the more you concentrate on just playing baseball, the better.

"We knew we weren't going to win every game at home this year," Ramirez said. "That guy has 26 saves for a reason. He's very good. He made some tough pitches to get out of his own jam. We just came up short.""

Making its ever first trip to Wrigley Field, Baltimore quickly took the home crowd out of the game.

Scott had a two-run triple in the fourth while Nick Markakis added an RBI double in the fifth and capped a three-run sixth with a run-scoring infield single that made it 7-1.

However, Chicago did not go down without a fight. Derrek Lee and Ramirez each singled to start the seventh, and Edmonds hit his three-run homer to left-center field off Guthrie. Jim Johnson relieved Guthrie and walked Soto before getting DeRosa to hit into a double play and retiring Theriot on a groundout.

In the eighth, Chicago put runners on the corners against Johnson, and Ramirez hit a two-out RBI single to right field to slice the lead to 7-5 heading into the ninth.

But it was not to be as Sherrill gave them hope before snatching it away.

"I don't think it was really stressful for me," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "I had confidence that Sherrill's going to get it done, one way or the other he's going to get it done."

Roberts, who was rumored to be traded to the Cubs this offseason, ended up with the game-winner as he RBI triple to right-center - his 1,000th career hit - in the sixth proved to be the difference.

"I don't really think much about it either way," Roberts said. "But if it's a big hit, then it probably makes it a little more significant than it turned out to be at the time."

Cubs starter Sean Marshall (0-1), who was recalled from Class AAA Iowa prior to the game to in place of the injured Carlos Zambrano, allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.

"I don't like losing the game, but I felt real good out there," Marshall said. "I'll take some positives into my next start, knowing my breaking ball is pretty much where I wanted it to be. I'll work on my command."