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DeRosa's five hits enable Cubs to rout Reds

Aug 16, 2007 - 11:15 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Mark DeRosa had a career-high five hits and two RBI and Aramis Ramirez had four hits and drove in two runs as the Chicago Cubs benefited from a seven-run seventh inning to cruise to a 12-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday afternoon.

Ryan Theriot had three hits and two RBI for the Cubs (61-59), who amassed a season-high 20 hits and now are one-half game behind the Milwaukee Brewers (62-59) for first place in the National League Central Division.

The Brewers were shut out, 8-0, by the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

Leading, 5-4, in the seventh, Chicago rallied for seven runs in a wild inning. The Cubs totaled seven hits, including DeRosa's fifth of the day, to make it 11-4. Ramirez capped the scoring with an RBI double.

"It's unbelievable. I have done a lot of good things and a lot of bad things," DeRosa said. "Obviously, this comes at a good time. I was scoreboard-watching and saw St. Louis beat up on Milwaukee. We swung the bats well."

DeRosa also snapped a 4-4 tie in the fourth by plating Theriot, who had blasted a one-out double.

Jason Marquis (10-7) threw six effective innings, allowing four runs and seven hits while striking out two and walking four. Scott Eyre, rookie Carmen Pignatiello and Ryan Dempster each tossed a scoreless frame to finish out the game.

"It's obviously always nice when all cylinders are clicking," Marquis said. "Our offense picked me up today. Our defense saved me more runs."

Pignatiello was making his major league debut.

"I couldn't feel my knees," said Pignatiello, who is a Chicago-area native. "It doesn't get any better than that - pitching in your hometown, at Wrigley Field, for the team you grew up rooting for."

The Cubs got on the board with four runs in the first inning. The uprising started with a leadoff walk to Theriot, who scored on DeRosa's double.

"I was able to work the count when I had to today," Theriot said. "I also was aggressive on the first pitch when I felt it was necessary. When you get 20 hits, everybody is doing something right."

Derrek Lee's fly ball moved DeRosa to third and Ramirez belted an RBI double. Jake Fox added another run-scoring two-base hit to make it 3-0.

After Matt Murton's flyout, Jacque Jones ripped his club's fourth double of the inning to plate Fox and cap the scoring in the frame.

"Every game is big now for us," said Jones, who left the game in the eighth with a sprained left ankle. "The division is getting bunched up. We just have to keep taking care of our own business."

The Reds tied the game with four runs of their own in the second. Adam Dunn led off the inning with his 32nd blast of the season.

"We got to Marquis early, we just didn't get to him often," Dunn said. "It seemed like after the second inning, Jason made his ball sink a little more. He became harder to hit."

Scott Hatteberg followed with a walk and Edwin Encarnacion smacked a one-out double to put runners at second and third. Marquis then issued a walk to Cincinnati starter Bobby Livingston (3-3) to load the bases.

Josh Hamilton was hit by a pitch to score a run, and Jeff Keppinger reached on an infield single to make it 4-3. Ken Griffey Jr. then ripped a single to tie the game.

Livingston yielded five runs and 11 hits in five innings while striking out three and walking one for the Reds, who won the first two games of the series before dropping Thursday's contest.

"Livingston didn't look good early, but he battled back," Reds manager Pete Mackanin said. "I am happy with winning two out of three in the series. It's too bad we lost this one today, but we won the series. It is good to get out of here with that."