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Soriano injured as Cubs trounce Padres

Apr 17, 2007 - 4:51 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago Cubs had an offensive explosion against the San Diego Padres, but may have lost their All-Star center fielder in the process.

Alfonso Soriano left the game in the fifth inning with a left hamstring injury, but Cliff Floyd and Michael Barrett picked up the slack as the Cubs cruised to a 12-4 win over the Padres.

Soriano, who signed the richest free-agent contract in Chicago history in the offseason, a seven-year, $136 million deal, came up limping after attempting to make a diving catch on a pop-up. The 31-year-old dove for the ball and slipped when he tried to make a relay throw toward the infield. He is listed as day-to-day.

"Alfonso pulled his hamstring a little bit," Cubs manager Lou Pinella said. "He will have an MRI tomorrow and we will know more then."

"I feel better now," Soriano said. "I had a similar injury a few years back at the same time of the year, I had to miss a week, I think only 5-6 days this time."

Floyd, who entered the game as Soriano's replacement, drove in a run and scored a run and Barrett hit a two-run homer to highlight a four-run fifth inning as the Cubs jumped on San Diego starter Clay Hensley.

"I learned my lesson a few years back when someone got hurt and I wasn't ready to play," Floyd said. "Tonight I was ready. Unfortunately Alfonso got hurt."

Floyd added a three run blast to deep right field in the sixth off reliever Mike Thompson, his first in a Cubs uniform. The veteran outfielder signed a one-year deal with Chicago in the offseason in part so that he could return to his home city.

"It was great," Floyd said. "I got the ball back it just cost me an autographed bat to get it, I thought I did good as a leadoff hitter."

Chicago sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth frame, scoring five runs and chasing Hensley from the game.

Cubs starter Jason Marquis (1-1) picked up the win with six solid innings. The righthander, who signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Cubs in the offseason, allowed just one run and three hits in six innings.

"It was nice to get my first win of the season and my first win with my new team," Marquis said. "The guys played some great defense behind me too."

Marquis struck out five and did not yield a hit until the fifth inning.

"I feel good where I am at right now," Marquis said. "Michael Barrett called a great game and we mixed up it, I had all my pitches working."

Hensley (0-3) suffered through his third straight rough outing, surrendering 10 runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings to raise his ERA to 12.21. He had given up nine runs in nine innings entering Monday's game.

Another new face for the Cubs this season, Mark DeRosa, homered to leadoff the sixth and Derek Lee drove in a run and scored two runs.

"It was a nice night for us," Pinella said. "We swung the bats well and Jason Marquis pitched a good game for us."

San Diego did not arrive in Chicago until 6:00 a.m. local time after playing the late game Sunday in Los Angeles as Major League Baseball honored the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier with a prime-time tribute.