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Astros-Cubs Preview

Jul 30, 2009 - 12:55 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Houston (51-49) at Chicago (52-46), 2:20 p.m. EDT

Chicago Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano can aggravate with his baserunning and fielding antics. But with one of the most dangerous bats in the majors, Soriano can help carry a team during stretches.

Soriano and the surging Cubs look to take three of four from the Houston Astros on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field as their series concludes.

Soriano lifted the Cubs to a 5-1, 13-inning victory Monday with a walk-off grand slam after going 0 for 5 and getting booed for not leaving the batter's box on a groundout in the 11th.

In Wednesday's 12-0 rout of the Astros, he tagged Mike Hampton with a three-run shot during the Cubs' six-run first inning. Soriano is batting .383 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 12 games since being dropped to the No. 6 spot in the lineup.

"If you're hot and hit a leadoff homer, it's only one run," Soriano said on the difference between batting leadoff and his new slot. "But being hot like now ... first at-bat, first pitch, I hit a three-run homer.

"I'm very comfortable," he added. "I don't have pressure to get on base."

Soriano hasn't been the only threat for the Cubs, who are averaging 7.3 runs and batting .308 while winning six of seven. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez extended his hitting streak to seven Wednesday with a first-inning RBI single, and his solo homer an inning later marked the seventh straight game he's had an extra-base hit.

Ramirez is batting .517 (15 for 29) with four homers and 12 RBIs during this stretch.

Right-hander Kevin Hart (2-1, 2-08 ERA) gets the ball for Chicago, which is trying to end a seven-game homestand with six victories.

With All-Star left-hander Ted Lilly placed on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, Hart moved up a day in the rotation and allowed one run and five hits in Saturday's 5-3 victory over Cincinnati.

"You lose a starter, and for him to come in and give us five, six innings and keep us in the ballgame, that's all we ask," Cubs catcher Koyie Hill said after Hart pitched a career-high six innings to win his second straight start.

With Astros manager Cecil Cooper needing another four innings from his relievers Wednesday, a quality start from right-hander Russ Ortiz on Thursday would be a welcome change for an overworked bullpen that's allowed 13 runs and walked 19 in 16 1-3 innings in the series.

Ortiz (3-5, 4.75), though, hasn't won a start since April 26 versus Milwaukee. He walked four and yielded six runs over 4 1-3 innings in Saturday's 10-3 loss to the New York Mets.

"Ortiz did not have a good night and it didn't stop there," said Cooper, whose club has dropped four of five. "It was just not a good night of pitching."

Ortiz is 1-2 with a 9.88 ERA in three career starts at Wrigley Field, but has not pitched there since 2000.

Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada went 1 for 4 on Wednesday. He is batting .382 with two homers and eight RBIs in 13 games against the Cubs in 2009.

Making his major league debut, Houston right-hander Bud Norris struck out four and gave up three hits in three innings of relief Wednesday. He could start for Roy Oswalt (lower back strain) on Sunday.

Chicago outfielder Reed Johnson left after the third inning Wednesday after fouling a ball off his left foot during his first at-bat. The team later learned he suffered a non-displaced fracture and could be out for more than a month.