PITTSBURGH - Cubs manager Dusty Baker all but guaranteed a victory before Sunday's game. Of course, most managers would feel that way with Mark Prior pitching.
Prior gave the Cubs the dominating start they needed, striking out 14 in 72/3 innings as Chicago shook off two straight damaging losses to beat the Pirates 4-1 Sunday and closed within a half-game of the Central lead.
Aramis Ramirez, traded by the Pirates to the Cubs two months ago, hit two homers to help give Chicago a split in the four-game series.
"That was how I felt. I say what I feel. I felt we were going to win," Baker said of his pregame comments. "We were due to win ... and with the guy we had going out there, it really wasn't that tough to make that prediction."
The Cubs missed chances to gain ground on first-place Houston by losing 10-6 in the second game of a doubleheader Friday night and 8-2 Saturday night. They didn't Sunday.
The Cubs also cut their deficit in the wild-card race to 11/2 games.
Prior was in control from the start, and he gave up six hits - three in the eighth - and retired 15 in a row at one point, nine on strikeouts.
"We needed a win, so we got it," Prior said. "I enjoy pitching in close games, whether it's in April or when the season's on the line. It's all part of being a competitor."
CARDINALS 6, ASTROS 4: Edgar Renteria had a key two-run double to back Sterling Hitchcock for host St. Louis. So Taguchi hit a two-run homer for St. Louis, which took two of three from Houston and closed within four games of the Central lead with a week to go. Houston, which failed to hold a 3-0 lead, had won six of eight. Hitchcock allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings. Jason Isringhausen pitched the ninth for his 19th save in 22 chances. Jeriome Robertson gave up five runs and five hits in 41/3 innings. He had won his previous three starts.
REDS 4, PHILLIES 3: Tim Hummel singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh and visiting Cincinnati rallied to prevent Philadelphia from taking over the wild-card lead. The struggling Reds won two of three at Veterans Stadium. The soldout Fan Appreciation Day crowd of 57,883 saw the Phillies stay a half-game behind Florida, which lost 8-0 at Atlanta. Jim Thome hit his 44th homer, a three-run shot that put the Phillies ahead 3-1 in the fourth. But Philadelphia starter Vicente Padilla couldn't keep the lead. The Phillies led 3-2 when Padilla walked Corky Miller leading off the seventh. After an out, pinch-hitter Dernell Stenson doubled to tie it. Ryan Freel reached on an infield single and Hummel singled, scoring Stenson for a 4-3 lead and chasing Padilla.
DODGERS 7, GIANTS 5: Shawn Green hit a two-run homer, and Robin Ventura, Adrian Beltre and Jeromy Burnitz hit consecutive drives off Kevin Correia in the fourth to tie it at 5 as host Los Angeles closed within 21/2 games of the wild-card lead. Dave Roberts' run-scoring triple against Jim Brower put Los Angeles ahead in the seventh. Paul Quantrill pitched a perfect seventh, and Eric Gagne got four straight outs for his major league-leading 53rd save, four shy of Bobby Thigpen's record. Gagne has converted 61 straight chances dating to last year.
BREWERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4: Richie Sexson, Keith Ginter and Bill Hall homered to help Wes Obermueller get his first major-league win for host Milwaukee. Obermueller (1-5) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings with three walks and one strikeout. The 26-year-old right-hander had lost his first seven decisions.
ROCKIES 5, PADRES 3: Larry Walker and Rene Reyes hit two-run homers, Chin-hui Tsao pitched six solid innings for host Colorado. Tsao, the first Taiwanese pitcher in major-league history, allowed two runs and five hits, striking out a career-high seven and walking three. Brian Fuentes got five outs for his fourth save in six chances.
EXPOS 4, METS 2: Wil Cordero homered and hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth as Montreal got its first four-game sweep on the road in 51/2 years. The Mets matched a season high with their eighth consecutive loss and have lost 16 of 17 overall. The Expos swept a four-game road series for the first time since April 3-6, 1998, at Wrigley Field.
