CHICAGO—The Cubs own the best record in the majors and it sure looks as if they’re the top team in their own town, too.

Jim Edmonds homered twice, Mike Fontenot went deep and Aramis Ramirez added a three-run shot, all during a nine-run fourth inning Saturday that helped the Cubs beat the White Sox 11-7 to win for the second straight day in the meeting of first-place teams.

The Cubs hit back-to-back homers twice in the fourth inning—the second straight day they’ve hit consecutive homers against their city rivals—and finished with 15 hits. They’ve now won 13 straight at Wrigley Field, where they are 31-8 this season.

The White Sox led 4-1 after two-run homers from Jermaine Dye and DeWayne Wise, before the Cubs jumped all over Jose Contreras (6-6), combining eight hits, including the four homers, into their biggest inning of the season.

The outburst made it easy for Jason Marquis (6-3) to win his fourth straight start and fifth straight decision. He gave up eight hits and five runs in seven innings and also collected two hits.



Rays 4, Astros 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Pinch-hitter Gabe Gross doubled with the bases loaded, driving in two runs in the bottom of ninth inning to give Tampa Bay a victory over Houston Astros.

Gross was the third straight pinch hitter to come through for the Rays, who got a leadoff single from Cliff Floyd before filling the bases when Eric Hinske singled and Dioner Navarro was hit by a pitch.



Cardinals 9, Red Sox 3

BOSTON—Troy Glaus hit a grand slam and St. Louis rocked Daisuke Matsuzaka in his return from the disabled list.

On the DL since May 30 because of a mild strain in his rotator cuff, Matsuzaka (8-1) was tagged for seven runs in one-plus inning. It was shortest outing of his brief major league career.

Mitchell Boggs (2-0) pitched effectively into the sixth inning in his third big league start. Aaron Miles and Rick Ankiel also homered for St. Louis.

The Cardinals had scored just four runs in their previous three games before defeating Boston 5-4 Friday night.

J.D. Drew homered for the Red Sox.



Indians 7, Dodgers 2, 11 innings

LOS ANGELES—Pitcher C.C. Sabathia hit a tape-measure home run and struck out 10, highlighting Cleveland’s win over the Dodgers.

Jamey Carroll opened a six-run 11th with a single and capped the burst with a sacrifice fly.

Sabathia launched a home run estimated at 440 feet and improved to 12-for-40 (.300) lifetime as a hitter. He has two career homers and seven RBIs. He allowed one run and five hits over seven innings, and improved his league-leading strikeout total to 107.

Cory Wade (0-1) took the loss.

Masahide Kobayashi (4-3) pitched a perfect 10th inning for the victory and Scott Elarton finished up, allowing an RBI double by James Loney.



Reds 6, Yankees 0

NEW YORK—Edwin Encarnacion broke up an unlikely pitchers’ duel with a two-run single in the seventh inning and Cincinnati beat New York.

Encarnacion’s two-out hit off Dan Giese (1-2) gave Cincinnati the lead and Corey Patterson followed with a drive to right off Jose Veras for his 100th career homer. Brandon Phillips tacked on a two-run single in the eighth.

Daryl Thompson worked five innings in his major league debut for Cincinnati, which has won the first two games in its first trip to the Bronx since it swept New York in the 1976 World Series.

Thompson and Giese locked up in the first matchup of pitchers making their first major league start at Yankee Stadium since Boston’s Tony Welzer faced New York’s Myles Thompson on April 22, 1926, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.