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CHICAGO - On the second try, Corey Patterson foiled the Rockies' strategy and delivered a game-winning hit for the Cubs.
After Colorado intentionally walked Damian Jackson to load the bases and face Patterson in the 13th inning, the Cubs outfielder drove a two-out single to send Chicago to a 5-4 win Sunday.
"Maybe you know it was disrespect in a way, but my previous at-bats probably if I was on the other side, I would have done the same thing," Patterson said. "I really wasn't swinging the bat really well in the previous three at-bats. Before I was trying to do too much, thinking too much. So I said, "Forget everything and go up there and pick out a good pitch and drive it."'
Derrek Lee singled in the 13th off Jeff Fassero (0-2), moved up on Michael Barrett's sacrifice and after Ramon Martinez was walked intentionally, the Cubs let reliever Glendon Rusch bat because top pinch-hitter Todd Hollandsworth had a sore wrist.
Rusch dropped down another sacrifice to put runners at second and third before Fassero intentionally walked Jackson to load the bases before Patterson drove the ball to deep right center.
"Once they sacrificed, you've got a play at every base and you got a lefty on lefty situation," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. Plus, Patterson already had struck out three times, and Jackson had homered in the first.
The strategy worked the first time in the sixth, right after the first of three rain delays. Patterson struck out against lefty Javier Lopez after Jackson had been walked in front of him, loading the bases.
Jackson, called up from the minors Friday, spent most of spring training with the Rockies before they released him.
Rusch (1-0) got the win with two scoreless innings.
Aramis Ramirez hit a two-out homer in the bottom of the 10th off Rockies closer Shawn Chacon to tie it at 4. The Rockies had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the 10th when Todd Helton homered on Joe Borowski's first pitch.
MARLINS 7, PADRES 4: Miguel Cabrera hit his league-leading 11th home run, and Josh Beckett pitched six strong innings for host Florida. Cabrera homered for the second straight day, a three-run shot in the second inning, to give Beckett a 6-1 cushion. Beckett (3-2) allowed one run and five hits in his second win in three starts. Armando Benitez got his 13th save. Alex Gonzalez also homered for Florida, and Juan Pierre went 3-for-4. Padres starter Adam Eaton (1-3) lasted just 12/3 innings. Winless in his past five starts, he allowed six runs on six hits.
METS 6, BREWERS 5 (11): Kaz Matsui hit a game-winning double in the 11th inning after not starting for the first time this season, lifting host New York. Matsui, who had started 1,143 consecutive games in Japan and his first 30 with the Mets, entered as a pinch-runner in the eighth and scored as New York rallied from a 5-3 deficit to tie it. In the 11th, Matsui drove a ball over the head of centerfielder Scott Podsednik to score Todd Zeile with the winning run and help the Mets avert a weekend sweep.
ASTROS 2, BRAVES 1: Andy Pettitte won a pitching duel with Russ Ortiz, and visiting Houston prevailed, scoring the tiebreaking run when backup Orlando Palmeiro walked with the bases loaded. Pettitte (3-1) allowed just two hits and a run in six innings. He improved to 4-0 in his career against the Braves, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Each team had only three hits. Ortiz (3-4) was the hard-luck loser, giving up only two hits in 62/3 innings. Palmeiro, filling in for Craig Biggio, drew a bases-loaded walk off Kevin Gryboski in the seventh.
GIANTS 7, REDS 6 (10): Barry Bonds led off the 10th inning with an intentional walk, advanced on Edgardo Alfonzo's double and came home on Deivi Cruz's sacrifice fly for visiting San Francisco. Bonds was 0-for-4, extending his slump to 0-for-15, when he led off the 10th against Danny Graves (1-3). Bonds doesn't have a hit in his past six games but has walked 15 times, nine of them intentional. Jim Brower (1-2) got Ryan Freel to ground out with the bases loaded in the ninth, keeping it tied.
DODGERS 9, PIRATES 7 (14): Olmedo Saenz hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the 14th, and visiting Los Angeles overcame a wild eighth inning in which its bullpen walked in four runs. The Dodgers improved the NL's best record to 20-10 by winning their fourth in a row and seventh in nine games. The Pirates were swept for a second straight series.
CARDINALS 5, EXPOS 2: Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds homered, and Chris Carpenter pitched eight impressive innings for St. Louis. Carpenter (3-1) scattered four hits and struck out four. Jason Isringhausen pitched the ninth for his fifth save in six chances. The Cardinals improved to an NL-best 10-5 away from home. Brad Wilkerson homered for Montreal.
PHILLIES 7, D'BACKS 1: Brett Myers earned his first win of the season by pitching seven strong innings, and visiting Philadelphia completed a three-game sweep. Marlon Byrd hit a leadoff homer and scored three times in the Phillies' fourth straight win, moving Philadelphia (15-14) above .500 for the first time this season. Jimmy Rollins was 4-for-5 with an RBI.