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Pie's key single ends marathon game

Apr 10, 2008 - 5:28 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella told Felix Pie to simply hit the ball the other way.

The 23-year-old responded with one of the biggest hits of his young career.

Pie delivered a game-winning two-run single in the 15th inning Wednesday, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Aramis Ramirez homered against his old team, and Alfonso Soriano drove in a pair of runs to lead the Cubs to their fourth straight win. Chicago also pulled out a 10-8 victory in 12 innings on Monday.

In the 15th, Geovany Soto drew a one-out walk from Phil Dumatrait (0-1), and Ryan Theriot kept the inning alive with a two-out single to right. After the Pirates issued an intentional walk to Soriano to load the bases, Pie blooped a two-run single to left for a 6-4 lead.

"It was a situation there where he stayed right on the pitch and lined it over their heads," Piniella. "That's what he has to do to be a big league everyday player."

Sean Marshall, recalled earlier in the day from Class AAA Iowa, worked around a one-out double to earn his first career save.

Jason Bay and Adam LaRoche each hit game-tying homers for Pittsburgh, which rallied from two-run deficits twice.

LaRoche sent the marathon contest in the 15th by blasting a two-run shot to right field off Kevin Hart (2-0). That came on the heels of Ramirez's go-ahead two-run homer to left.

Bay's leadoff homer in the ninth off Cubs' closer Kerry Wood knotted the game at 2-2, and the bullpens then battled until Pie ended the longest game in the majors this season.

"We could of rolled over and played dead a few times in that game," Pirates manager John Russell said. "But we kept coming back with a big hit. You can't ask any more of the players. You can't ask any more of the bullpen. Zach threw a great game. You can't say enough about what we did. We just didn't win."

Lost in the four-hour marathon was the pitching performance of Chicago starter Ryan Dempster and his counterpart Zach Duke. A converted closer, Dempster allowed just one hit in seven innings. The righthander retired 20 of the last 21 hitters he faced and left with a 2-0 lead.

"I'm happy that both games I've started we've won," Dempster said. "You'll find that the more ahead you're in the count, the more mistakes you'll get away with. ... I just tried to throw as many strikes as possible and keep the ball down."

"I think with the way things were going through seven innings and the way Dempster was throwing, it was looking like it was going to be a pretty quick one," Bay said. "Then we sneak one in there, and then another, then all of a sudden it's a game from the first seven innings you thought we had no chance to win to all of a sudden having numerous chances."

Duke yielded one run and eight hits in seven innings. He was let off the hook by Bay's blast.

"I made good pitches when I needed to," Duke said. "I was able to bear down and get the right guys out. I'm happy with that."