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Fontenot, Ward lift Cubs over Nationals

Jul 6, 2007 - 3:49 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Mike Fontenot's seventh-inning single drove home the go-ahead run and Daryle Ward had two RBI to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.

With President George W. Bush in attendance, the Cubs rebounded from a loss on Independence Day and reverted back to their recent winning ways, a run that has seen them win 11 of their last 13 games. Chicago has won four straight series.

After allowing the Nationals to erase a 2-0 deficit in the sixth, the Cubs answered with two in the top of the seventh.

Relievers Will Ohman (1-4), Michael Wertz, Carlos Marmol and Bobby Howry closed the door on the Nationals over the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing just two singles, to secure the win.

Howry registered his fourth save with a perfect ninth.

"Our bullpen came in and really did an outstanding job, every one of them," Cubs manager Piniella said.

The Nationals loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth against Marmol but Brian Schneider lined out to first to end the threat.

Pinch hitter Angel Pagan led off the seventh with a single against Nationals reliever Luis Ayala (0-1) and went to third when Cubs All-Star outfielder Alfonso Soriano singled to center.

Fontenot followed with a single to center - his second hit of the night following an 0-for-13 slide - to score Pagan.

"I really felt good today," Fontenot said. "I went 0-2 my first at-bats, but when I had a chance to try to do something good for the team, I got a base hit there and got that RBI."

Soriano took third on the play and scored on Ward's sacrifice fly to center.

Both starting pitchers, Sean Marshall for the Cubs and Jason Bergmann for the Nationals, had similar nights, dancing in and out of trouble before getting knocked out of the game in the sixth inning after allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings.

The Cubs got to Bergmann first with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Ward scored the opening tally when he came home on Aramis Ramirez's bloop single to right, landing inches inside the right field line.

Ward, who started in place of All-Star first baseman Derrek Lee, drove home the second run. After Fontenot led off the sixth inning with a single, Ward followed with a blast to deep center. With center fielder Nook Logan swung around toward right, the ball rolled to the wall, allowing Fontenot to score and increasing the lead to 2-0.

"I felt like a kid in the candy store," said Ward, who finished 2-for-4 in his first start since June 21. "I had a lot of energy and swung the bat well."

Reserve Outfielder Jacque Jones also contributed two doubles in four at bats. "We were able to rest a few players and at the same time we got good production," Piniella said.

Marshall allowed seven earned runs in two innings in his previous start, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Despite allowing four walks over the first five innings, he held the Nationals down until running into trouble in the sixth.

Ryan Zimmerman started the inning with an infield single, reaching when third baseman Ramirez and shortstop Cesar Izturis ran into each other going for the slow grounder. Marshall fell behind in the count 3-1 to Young and the Nationals' lone All-Star representative made him pay with a long drive to right that went over the head of Mark DeRosa.

Zimmerman easily scored from first while Young huffed and puffed his way to third for his first triple of the year. He had enough left in the tank to coast home on Austin Kearns' sacrifice to right to tie the game at 2-2.

The Nationals, who left eight men on base and were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, have dropped six of their last eight games.

"Its tough sometimes, especially tonight," said Young, who continues to swing a hot bat and finished 2-for-4. "We wound up tying it and they immediately came back out and put up two runs and put it out of reach for us."

President Bush made his first appearance at RFK this season, having watched the Nationals take two of three in previous visits.

"I had dinner with him this winter, that took precedent today," Piniella said.