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Ramirez homer lifts Cubs over Cardinals

Apr 19, 2009 - 12:04 AM CHICAGO (AP) -- Aramis Ramirez hit a game-winning two-run homer in the 11th inning and Derrek Lee hit a two-run double to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

Dennys Reyes (0-1) walked leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano in the 11th inning, then Kosuke Fukudome bunted into a fielder's choice.

With two outs, Ramirez hit a 1-0 pitch from Reyes into the left-center bleachers to win it with his third homer of the season.

Khalil Green homered for the Cardinals, who have dropped the last two games after winning the opener of a four-game series against the Cubs.

Angel Guzman (1-0) pitched a scoreless 11th inning for his first career victory and Ryan Theriot had three hits for the Cubs.

Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse couldn't hold a 4-1 lead.

Theriot tripled to leadoff the fifth and Aaron Miles drove him in with a grounder back to Lohse.

With two outs, Lohse walked Soriano and Fukudome, and Lee doubled down the left-field line to tie the score at 4.

The Cubs took the lead in the sixth inning off Cardinals reliever Kyle McClellan. With two outs, Geovany Soto walked, Theriot singled and Miles followed with an RBI single off his former team to break a 4-all tie.

But the lead didn't last long for the Cubs.

Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol retired the middle of the Cardinals order when he entered with two on and none out in the seventh, but allowed consecutive doubles to Chris Duncan and Yadier Molina in the eighth to tie the score.

Fukudome's double in the third drove in Soriano for the Cubs' first run.

Lohse was unable to back up a career-best three-hitter in a 3-0 win to Houston on Sunday. He allowed four runs on five hits in a no-decision. He had four strikeouts and walked two.

Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, who was 14-3 and a 2.86 ERA at Wrigley Field last season, had a so-so first home start of 2009.

He gave up back-to-back walks to start the third inning, and after Lohse popped up a bunt attempt, Skip Schumaker singled in a run.

With two outs, Dempster walked Albert Pujols to load the bases and Ryan Ludwick extended his hitting streak to 21-games with a two-run single to put the Cardinals up 3-0.

Greene led off the fourth inning with his second homer of the season.

Dempster eventually settled down and retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced.