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Bradley's 3 RBIs leads Cubs over Nationals

Aug 27, 2009 - 4:42 AM By RICK GANO AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO(AP) -- Milton Bradley felt some love from the ones who matter to him most.

Bradley had a homer and three RBIs as the Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 9-4 on Wednesday night, only their sixth win in the last 19 games.

After Tuesday night's 15-6 loss in which he went 4 for 4, Bradley said he had felt hatred on a daily basis during his first disappointing season in Chicago.

How about one night later?

"I feel love for me. I love me," Bradley said. "I look in the mirror and I go out there and play. I feel the love from my teammates. I feel the love from the coaching staff and from myself. I go out there and try to do things. That's all I do."

With the score tied at 2, reliever Jason Bergmann (2-3) gave up singles to Koyie Hill and Ryan Theriot in the seventh. With runners at the corners, Bradley hit a slow roller to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, whose throw home was high and late, giving the Cubs the lead.

Hill and Derrek Lee had two-run doubles and Mike Fontenot added an RBI double off Jorge Sosa in the eighth when the Cubs batted around and scored six times.

Bradley's homer was his 11th and he has 35 RBIs this season. On his way back to the dugout after his homer, Bradley moved his fingers up and down in apparent response to those who had been talking about him.

"What I do? People always got something to say. Keep talking," Bradley said.

"They ain't stopping nothing. What are you trying to prove? You're not proving anything, but you're an idiot."

Angel Guzman (3-3) got the win with an inning of relief after replacing starter Rich Harden, who allowed five hits and two runs in six innings.

New Cubs closer Carlos Marmol came in to pitch the top of the ninth and walked the first three batters before giving up Wil Nieves' RBI grounder and a run-scoring double to Willie Harris.

"We'll continue to give him the ball," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "But boy he makes it tough on himself."

Livan Hernandez pitched solid six innings in his return to the Nationals, giving up two runs and five hits.

Hernandez, who was 24-18 in 59 starts with the Nationals in 2005 and 2006, was released by the Mets last week following three shaky starts in which he yielded 26 hits and 18 earned runs in 14 1-3 innings. He was signed by the Nationals after their 15-6 win Tuesday night.

"It's nice. I want to come back and pitch in the city. I love the city and playing there," Hernandez said of his return to D.C. "Always the Nationals are my first option and it's something I want to do a long time."

Nationals interim manager Jim Riggleman said Hernandez can be an example for the team's younger pitchers.

"Livan did a real good job. It was kind of vintage Livan, mixing his pitches up. You know we use that phrase a lot 'changing speeds,' but he really does," Riggleman said.

"He's a complete guy out there. He can handle the bat and I'm glad we got him."

The Nationals tied it in the fifth on Cristian Guzman's two-out RBI single on a 3-2 pitch from Harden.

Harris led off the game with a single, and a hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases before Josh Willingham, who had six RBIs Tuesday night, delivered a sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Hernandez entered the game 10-6 in his career against the Cubs. While with Arizona, he beat them in clinching Game 3 of the 2007 NLDS. .... Harris started a second straight game in center field as Nyjer Morgan recovered from flu-like symptoms.