• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Piniella ejected after tantrum as Cubs lose again

Jun 2, 2007 - 10:07 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- It got ugly again for the Chicago Cubs on Saturday as Lou Piniella was ejected following a tantrum during a 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves, their sixth straight setback.

One day after a dugout fight between pitcher Carlos Zambrano and catcher Michael Barrett overshadowed a loss to the Braves, Piniella - who blasted his players for unprofessionalism - displayed some himself.

Piniella was ejected in the eighth inning. Fans in the bleachers at Wrigley Field responded by throwing debris on to the field. The game was delayed, and the Braves were pulled off the diamond while the warning track area was cleaned.

"We didn't want to take our pitcher (Tyler Yates) off the mound, but you have no choice," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He was given extra time to warm up, but I think he only threw three pitches, which turned out to be enough since he punched the next guy out."

Piniella was ejected for the first time as Chicago manager after throwing his cap on the ground and kicking it while arguing a close play at third base, where Angel Pagan was thrown out with the Cubs trailing, 4-3.

"I think it was time (to get thrown out), but I really did think our guy was safe," Piniella said. "After looking at the replay I know he was out. I was going to get thrown out no matter what, out, safe it didn't matter. As I said, it was time."

Piniella denied making contact with third base umpire Mark Wegner, although replays showed that he bumped the second-year arbiter.

"He made physical contact with the third base umpire," crew chief Bruce Froemming told a pool reporter. "He made physical contact with his foot, and he kicked dirt on (Wegner) several times, and the rest was show-and-tell.

"The whole world saw what he did. It was a terrible display of disrespect and (the MLB office in) New York will be called immediately, and we'll take it from there."

During the prolonged argument, Froemming tried to stand between the manager and Wegner and put his hands on Piniella's shoulders several times.

"We were trying to get him away to save him some problems," Froemming said. "And he just wouldn't stop."

Atlanta scored the go-ahead run in the eighth, when rookie Yunel Escobar doubled off reliever Will Ohman (0-3), plating Scott Thorman. Escobar also collected the first hit of his major league career in the opening inning when he singled off Cubs starter Rich Hill.

"I am very proud to help the team in that situation," Escobar said through an interpreter. "I didn't feel any pressure to get my first hit, but it was nice to get it out of the way."

The Braves opened a 3-0 lead in the fourth on RBI doubles from Edgar Renteria and Matt Diaz.

Alfonso Soriano got the Cubs on the board in the fifth when he smacked his fifth homer. It was his first home run since May 11, and all of his blasts have been solo shots.

"The last couple of days I have been feeling very good at the plate," Soriano said. "Right now I am seeing the ball good and I think I have my swing back too."

The Cubs got within 3-2 on an RBI double by Hill, who was tagged out trying for a triple. Chicago tied the score in the seventh when Ryan Theriot singled and later scored as third baseman Martin Prado misplayed a grounder by Aramis Ramirez.

"It's fun getting dirty when you play the game," Hill said. "But it all comes down to winning in the end, if that run cost us the game it was stupid."

In the ninth, Andruw Jones hit the first pitch he saw from Cubs reliever Michael Wuertz over the left field fence for his ninth homer, giving the Braves an insurance run.

"Anytime you get an extra run when you only have a one run lead it's huge," Jones said." That way the bullpen doesn't have to be to perfect."

Atlanta's Chuck James turned in his second consecutive solid start, allowing two earned runs, six hits and four walks in six innings with four strikeouts.

"After batting practice our guys warned me to keep the ball down with the wind blowing out," James said. " I went out and tried to keep the ball down and pound the strike zone."

Yates (2-0) allowed an unearned run in the seventh but got the win. Rafael Soriano worked the eighth and Bob Wickman pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

Hill allowed one earned run and four hits and struck out six in seven innings.

"We are going through a lot right now," Hill said. "We are just trying to battle through it, good teams always fight their way through times like this and get back to the top."