6/19 CHC@TEX 7:35 p.m.; TV: CSN; Radio: WGN

[VanMan]

The Cubs return to interleague play tonight following a day off and coming off a 4-3 homestand, taking their show in the road to the Ballpark at Arlington to face former Cub Sammy Sosa and the Texas Rangers.

Sosa currently has 599 home runs, 545 of which were in Cubbie blue, but left the team on sour terms at the end of the 2004 season. After a subpar 2005 with Baltimore, Sosa took 2006 off and has started to hit the ball again. He's looking to join the 600-home-run club, which currently has as its exclusive membership Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays.

During the series against the Padres, Derek Lee got into a little bit of a tiff against pitcher Chris Young, where he took a couple of swings with his fists at the hurler but didn't connect. MLB came down on both players with five-game suspensions and undisclosed fines. Lee has appealed to try to lessen the banishment, so he's in the line-up tonight.

The pitching match-up for this game:

http://www.mlb.com/images/players/action/ph_445156.jpg
Sean Marshall (3-2, 2.12 ERA) for the Cubs

and

http://www.mlb.com/images/players/action/ph_434565.jpg
Robinson Tejeda (5-7, 6.49 ERA) for the Rangers

The staring line-ups:
Chicago Cubs (31-37, 2nd in NL Central, 7 GB)
1. Alfonso Soriano, LF (.294, 11 HR, 23 RBI)
2. Felix Pie, CF (.248, 2 HR, 13 RBI)
3. Derek Lee, 1B (.344, 6 HR, 36 RBI)
4. Cliff Floyd, DH (.312, 3 HR, 25 RBI)
5. Michael Barrett, C (.252, 9 HR, 29 RBI)
6. Mark DeRosa, 3B (.271, 6 HR, 31 RBI)
7. Jacque Jones, RF (.235, 2 HR, 20 RBI)
8. Ryan Theriot, SS (.268, 1 HR, 21 RBI)
9. Mike Fontenot, 2B (.353, 2 HR, 9 RBI)

Texas Rangers (26-43, last in AL West, 18 GB)
1. Kenny Lofton, CF (.278, 4 HR, 15 RBI)
2. Ian Kinsler, 2B (.231, 11 HR, 29 RBI)
3. Michael Young, SS (.287, 4 HR, 40 RBI)
4. Sammy Sosa, DH (.246, 11 HR, 51 RBI)
5. Marlon Byrd, LF (.390, 1 HR, 11 RBI)
6. Victor Diaz, RF (.262, 8 HR, 23 RBI)
7. Gerald Laird, C (.245, 4 HR, 24 RBI)
8. Brad Wilkerson, 1B (.217, 6 HR, 21 RBI)
9. Travis Metcalf, 3B (.235, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

[VanMan]

Soriano leads off for the Cubs against Tejeda. First pitch is foul tipped. Soriano flares one into left for a base hit in front of Byrd.

[VanMan]

Pie is next, he takes a fastball up. Soriano goes, Pie swings and misses a change-up, the throw to second is not in time! Soriano at second with none out.

[VanMan]

Pie has a 1-1 count. He pops one back and out of play. It's 91 degrees and humid in Arlington, heat index 101 degrees. The 1-2 is lifted to left, Byrd is there to catch it, Soriano holds, one out.

[VanMan]

Lee steps in, but Tejeda steps off. He swings and misses a curve. Tejeda whirls and bluffs Soriano back to second. Soriano tries for third, but Laird nails him. The pitch was a ball, and not a good jump.

[VanMan]

The 1-1 to Lee is a low fastball, called for a strike. Lee chases a change in the dirt, Laird chases it down and applies the tag. No runs, a hit, a steal, but also a caught stealing and no one left.

Middle 1st, Cubs 0, Rangers coming up

[VanMan]

Lofton leads off against Marshall. He takes a fastball up and in. Fastball away, 2-0. Fly ball to shallow center, Pie rushes in to make the catch.

[VanMan]

Kinsler swings and misses the first Marshall offering. Fastball is away, 1-1. Next pitch is fouled to the screen. Fastball is fouled away, still 1-2. Fly ball to left-center, Soriano watches it clear the out-of-town scoreboard, it's 1-0 Rangers.

[VanMan]

Young takes a fastball for a strike. Slider is inside, ball one. The 1-1 is low and away. Fastball gets over to make it 2-2. Sosa on deck. Curve is just outside, full count. Cued ground ball to Fontenot, over to Lee for the out.

[VanMan]

Former Cub Sammy Sosa comes up. He takes a curve for strike one. Change is low, 1-1. Another curve is inside. Curve is swung on and missed, 2-2. Ground ball foul by third. Fastball is swung and missed! Six hundred's not going to come this time.

However, the Rangers score one on Kinsler's homer.

End 1st, Rangers 1, Cubs 0

[VanMan]

Floyd flies the first pitch of the 2nd inning to center, Lofton is there for the catch.

[VanMan]

Barrett takes the first pitch high. Fastball is over for strike one. Curve gets over for strike two. Fastball away, 2-2. Barrett flies the fastball to center, Lofton is there again for the out. Two gone.

[VanMan]

DeRosa takes the fastball high. The former Ranger takes a 55-foot fastball for ball two. Fastball high again, 3-0. Fastball is over for a strike. Ground ball behind second base, Young picks it up, whirls and throws over to first to retire the side. Nothing doing for the Cubs.

Middle 2nd, Rangers 1, Cubs 0

[VanMan]

Byrd starts the second for the Rangers, he takes a curve for a strike. He fouls the next pitch back out of play, 0-2. Curve is swung and missed, out number one.

[VanMan]

Diaz grounds the first pitch to DeRosa, over to Lee for the second out.

[VanMan]

Laird takes a fastball away, ball one. Another one down, 2-0. Curve is over for a strike. Fastball up and away, 3-1. Curve is called for strike two. Curve is flied to center, Pie is there for the final out of the inning.

End 2nd, Rangers 1, Cubs 0

[VanMan]

Jones takes a fastball for a strike. He pops a high fastball foul. The 0-2 only traveled 45 feet. Ground ball to Kinsler, over to first for the out.

[VanMan]

Theriot takes a curve low. Fastball is high, 2-0. Fastball is over for strike one. Another fastball is high, 3-1. Fastball is on the outside corner, full count. Fly ball to left-center, not enough carry, Byrd is there for the out.

[VanMan]

Fontenot takes a strike on a fastball down the middle. He then rips a single to right.

[VanMan]

Soriano, with two out and a runner on, waits as Tejeda throws to first to keep Fontenot close, then takes a curve inside for a ball. A swinging bunt, Laird tries to pick it up barehand, but cannot! Everyone's safe, Fontenot at second and Soriano at first. Error on Laird.

[VanMan]

Pie takes a curve high. Scattered Cub fans trying to do a "Let's go Cubbies" chant. Pie fouls the next pitch back, 1-1. Off-speed pitch high and away, 2-1. Pie lines one deep to right field off the fence! Fontenot around to score, Soriano follows, Pie motors to third for a two-out, two-RBI triple! 2-1 Cubs!

[VanMan]

Lee fouls the first pitch to the right. Next pitch is a curve in the dirt, 1-1. Off-speed pitch is over for strike two. Fastball is fouled to the right. Lee flies one to center, Lofton is there to retire the side, but the Cubs score two unearned runs on two hits and an error, one left.

Middle 3rd, Cubs 2, Rangers 1

[VanMan]

Wilkerson takes a curve for a ball. Another curve is over for strike one. Fastball, high, 2-1. Another fastball is high, 3-1. Flyball to right field, upper tank job, it's 2-2.

[VanMan]

Metcalf pops behind second, Fontenot catches it for the first out.

[VanMan]

Lofton takes a curve low. Another curve goes just 58 feet. Fastball up and in, almost hits Lofton, 3-0. Curve misses away, ball four.

[VanMan]

Kinsler, who homered last time up, takes a fastball for a strike. Marshall throws to Lee to keep Lofton close. Time called. Fastball misses away. Curve misses away, 2-1. Curve is high, 3-1. Move to first, Lofton back. Fastball low and away, two on, one out. Rothschild out to talk with Marshall.

[VanMan]

Young takes a fastball low. Off-speed pitch over for a strike. Curve catches the strike zone, 1-2. Marmol up in the pen. Curve ball fools Young pitifully. Two down, and they're changing the baseballs for Sosa.

[VanMan]

Sosa takes a slow curve that misses badly. Fastball catches the letters, 1-1. Fastball is fouled off, 1-2. Curve ball freezes Sammy to get out of the inning. But the Rangers tie it up with a homer by Wilkerson. There were two walks and two left.

End 3rd, Cubs 2, Rangers 2

[VanMan]

AFLAC question:

Of the "Current" Cubs roster, how many were Sammy's teammates in 2004?

[VanMan]

Floyd takes a curve for a ball, then fouls off the next pitch. Off-speed is low, 2-1. Fastball high, 3-1. Smashed grounder past Kinsler to right, Lofton tries to cut it off but can't, it makes it all the way to the right-center field wall and Floyd is into second with a lead-off double.

[VanMan]

Barrett takes an off-speed pitch for a strike. Smash under Wilkerson's glove into right field for a single. Floyd holds at third with no one out.

[VanMan]

DeRosa takes a fastball outside. He flies one to right, Diaz makes the catch, Floyd tags and scores from third, sacrifice fly for DeRosa, makes it 3-2 Cubs.

[VanMan]

Jones takes a curve away. Another curve misses away, 2-0. Quick throw to first, Barrett's back. Low line drive to center falls in for a base hit. Barrett advances to second with one out.

[VanMan]

Mark Conner is out to the mound to visit Tejeda, prior to Theriot's appearance.

[VanMan]

Theriot takes a fastball away, 1-0. Off-speed pitch catches the low-outside corner. Fly ball to right, Diaz there for the catch, both runners hold, two gone.

[VanMan]

Fontenot takes a curve for a ball high and away. Fastball is low, 2-0. Tejeda up over 60 pitches. Fastball catches the corner, 2-1. Fastball away, 3-1, with Soriano next. Fouled back on a good swing but only got a sliver, full count. Fastball high and away, bases are loaded.

[VanMan]

Soriano, with the bags full of Cubs, takes a curve upstairs. The 1-0 is fouled back on a curve ball, 1-1. Fastball misses away, 2-1. Soriano waves and misses at a fastball down Main Street at the knees, 2-2. Fastball upstairs, full count. The merry-go-round will begin on the pitch. Fastball is low and away, Barrett is forced in on the RBI walk. Jones goes to third, and Fontenot to second.

[VanMan]

Pie takes a fastball for a strike. He had a two-RBI triple last time. A foul ball back to the screen, 0-2. Two fastballs in this AB. Another one is lost up and away, 1-2. Chopper to Young, flip to Kinsler to force Soriano at second. But the Cubs score two on three hits, two walks and the bases remain loaded.

Middle 4th, Cubs 4, Rangers 2

[VanMan]

Byrd takes a ball, then fouls one off. Ground ball to DeRosa, across to Lee for the out.

[VanMan]

Diaz grounds the first pitch to Lee ranging to his right. He flips to Marshall covering first for the second out.

[VanMan]

Laird takes the first pitch away on a curve. A pop foul out of play, 1-1. Bunt down the third base line, Marshall fields, but then puts it in his pocket. Infield single.

[VanMan]

Wilkerson takes a pitch in the dirt, blocked by Barrett. Swing and a miss, 1-1. Fastball up and in, 2-1. Fastball low, 3-1. Curve misses inside, ball four.

[VanMan]

Metcalf takes a curve inside, 1-0. Fastball away, ball two. Curve is over for strike one. Grounder to DeRosa, across to Lee for the final out. The Rangers get no runs on one hit, a walk and two left.

End 4th, Cubs 4, Rangers 2

[VanMan]

Lee pops the first pitch foul behind the Rangers dugout. Curve ball is over for a strike, 0-2. Another curve is in the dirt, 1-2. Grounder to Metcalf, it eats him up! Lee reaches on an infield single.

[VanMan]

Floyd takes a curve in the dirt. Fastball inside, 2-0. Off speed pitch swung and missed, 2-1. Time called. Pop to shallow right, Kinsler catches it for out number one.

[VanMan]

Barrett swings and misses a fastball away, 0-1. Fastball misses outside, ball one. Move to first, Lee is back. Flare to right, finds some grass for a single. Lee advances to second on the one-out base knock.

[VanMan]

DeRosa flies the first pitch to center, Lofton camps under it and catches the can o' corn for the second out.

[VanMan]

Jones takes an off-speed pitch up and away, ball one. Curve misses away, 2-0. Fastball outside, 3-0. Off-speed pitch low and away, bases loaded again with two out and Theriot coming up.

[VanMan]

Theriot, .400 with three doubles in bases loaded situations, takes a curve inside, ball one. Fastball high, 2-0. Fastball catches the inside corner for strike one. Fly ball to center, Lofton was rooted in the path for the out. No runs, two hits, a walk and the Cubs leave 'em loaded.

Middle 5th, Cubs 4, Rangers 2

On a side note, Tejeda just threw his 95th pitch of the game through 5 IP.

[VanMan]

Lofton takes a fastball inside. Fastball is away, 2-0. Curve is over for a strike, 2-1. Foul ball to the left, 2-2, on a handcuff pitch. Curve low, full count. Grounder through the hole on the right side for a single.

[VanMan]

Kinsler smashes one to left field, Soriano tries to get under it, but he runs out of real estate, another home run for Kinsler, it's tied at four.

[VanMan]

Marshall just got pulled in favor of Carlos Marmol. Not a quality start for Marshall tonight, 4+ IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 3 HR.

[VanMan]

Young will be the first to face Marmol. He fouls a high fastball back and out of play. Another fastball fouled off. Off-speed pitch up and in, 1-2. Slider misses inside, 2-2. Curve is away, 3-2. Fastball blown by Young, one out.

[VanMan]

Sosa steps in as they change balls again. He waves at a high heater. Fastball is fouled back, 0-2. Slider away, 1-2. Another slider, misses away, 2-2. Fastball away just off the end of Sosa's bat and fouled to the screen. Fastball upstairs and in, 96 mph, full count. Slider is swung on and missed, Sosa strikes out for the third time.

[VanMan]

Byrd swings and misses a fastball. Another one is swung and missed. Heater is fouled off. Off-speed is high, 1-2. Slider is swung and missed to strike out the side.

However, the Rangers score twice on a two-run home run by Kinsler. There were two hits, but no one left.

End 5th, Cubs 4, Rangers 4

[VanMan]

Fontenot will face Joaquin Benoit, relieving for Texas. He takes a curve away for ball one. Fastball up and away, 2-0. Off-speed catches the letters for strike one. Fastball is on the hands, fouled off, 2-2. Line drive over the second baseman into right-center. Fontenot is on again for the third time.

[VanMan]

Soriano waits as Benoit throws to first to keep Fontenot close. Curve ball, Soriano tries to check, appeal to first, arbitor says he went. Foul ball out of play, 0-2. High fastball is fouled away. Sinker is fouled back. Slider is swung on and missed in the dirt, one out.

[VanMan]

Pie waits as Benoit keeps Fontenot back. Fastball is over for strike one. Another fastball is fouled off to the left, 0-2. Fastball up and away, 1-2. Benoit twirls and lobs to Wilkerson. Change is swung and missed, two down.

[VanMan]

Lee is next, he takes a fastball high. Change is down, 2-0. Off-speed pitch is over for a strike. Lee drills one to deep left, it's off the wall! Fontenot is on his horse around third, the throw from the cutoff man, he is safe! Lee hits an RBI double, and the Cubs re-take the lead, 5-4.

[VanMan]

Floyd calls time before Benoit throws the pitch. Fastball is at the knees, strike one. Fastball well outside, 1-1. Another one is away, 2-1. Fastball away, but swung and missed, makes it 2-2. Change-up is low and away, full count. Fastball in the dirt, kicks away from Laird, but Lee holds, Floyd takes the walk.

[VanMan]

Barrett takes an off-speed pitch for a ball away. Fouled off, a fastball up. Fastball goes in the dirt, gets through Laird's legs, both runners move up to second and third, after Lee delayed. Wild pitch. Curve ball, Barrett checks, but went too far, 2-2. Liner to Young for the third out, which almost hit Floyd in the process.

The Cubs score one on two hits and a walk, two left.

Middle 6th, Cubs 5, Rangers 4

[VanMan]

Diaz takes a fastball up and away. He then swings and misses at a slider, 1-1. High cheese swung and missed, 1-2. Slider swung and missed, one out.

[VanMan]

Laird takes a fastball away. Another outside fastball, but Laird swings and misses, 1-1. This time there won't be a K, but a fly ball to right, Jones is there for the out.

[VanMan]

Wilkerson takes a fastball outside for a ball. Slurve over for a strike. Another curve is called strike two. Fastball is popped up back of third in foul ground, DeRosa is there to make the catch. Nothing doing for the Rangers.

End 6th, Cubs 5, Rangers 4

[VanMan]

DeRosa leads off the 7th. He swings and misses a change from Benoit. Fastball is high, 1-1. Fastball away, swung and missed, 1-2. Liner up the middle in there for a base hit.

[VanMan]

Ron Mahay coming in to relieve Benoit.

[VanMan]

Jones bunts the first pitch, Mahay fields and tags him out. Sacrifice, DeRosa moves to second.

[VanMan]

Theriot takes upstairs, fastball. Fastball taken on the outside corner, 1-1. Broken bat liner to Kinsler, he sprints back to the second base bag to double off DeRosa and retire the side. No runs, a hit, no one left.

Middle 7th, Cubs 5, Mariners 4

[VanMan]

Metcalf takes a curve for a strike from Marmol, in his third relief inning. Fastball is over for strike two. Bob Howry up in the Cub pen. Slider misses away, 1-2. Another slider misses, 2-2. Fly to right-center, Pie calls for it and makes the catch.

[VanMan]

Lofton grounds past the mound, Lee ranges well to his right, he flips to Marmol, who beats Lofton to first for the second out.

[VanMan]

Curve ball to Kinsler is over for a strike. Another is called for strike two. Slider misses away, 1-2. Fastball is fouled back, out of play. Kinsler is 2-for-2 with two home runs, 3 RBI and a walk. He fouls another back. Slider gets away from Marmol over Kinsler's head, he ducks out of the way between his bat and helmet, ball two. Another slider just misses away, full count. Gotta be careful here. Fastball, high cheese! Nine up and nine down for Marmol!

End 7th, Cubs 5, Rangers 4

[VanMan]

Fontenot takes a fastball low and in. Another fastball catches the outside corner, 1-1. Fontenot fouls one back, 1-2. Fastball is high, ball two. Slider away, check swing, appeal to third, Bill Mueller said he went.

[VanMan]

Soriano takes a curve for a strike. Curve misses away, 1-1. Swing and a miss, strike two. Low fastball swung and missed strikes out Soriano.

[VanMan]

Pie showed bunt, offered at it, strike one. Slider catches the zone, strike two. Fastball misses away, 1-2. Slider low and away, 2-2. Swing and a miss, the side is struck out.

Middle 8th, Cubs 5, Rangers 4

[VanMan]

Bob Howry is on in relief, he'll start with Young. Fastball is taken at the letters for a strike. Another fastball, but this is high, 1-1. Fastball misses away, 2-1. Fly ball to right center, Pie and Jones converge, Pie calls him off for the out.

[VanMan]

Sosa, 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, steps in. Fastball pounds him inside, Sammy fouls it off. Sinker is low, 1-1. Fly ball to left-center, Pie and Soriano collide, but Pie makes the catch.

[VanMan]

As Byrd steps in, the crowd starts to file out. Fastball is fouled away. Fastball pumped over for strike two. Sinker misses low and away, 1-2. Inside fastball is foul tipped into Barrett's mitt for strike three. The bullpen has been perfect the last four full innings pitched.

End 8th, Cubs 5, Rangers 4

[VanMan]

Lee takes a fastball for a strike, then a pitch low and in. Fastball misses away. Dempster is warming up for the bottom of the ninth. Grounder foul, 2-2. Grounder to first, just foul. Curve misses low and away, full count. Lee swings and misses an off-speed pitch.

[VanMan]

Floyd takes a fastball low and away. Grounder off Mahay's glove to Young, over to first for the second out.

[VanMan]

Barrett takes a curve away, ball one. He grounds to Young, over to Wilkerson to retire the side.

Middle 9th, Cubs 5, Rangers 4

Once again, folks, time to fasten those seatbelts. Dempster is coming in for the save on a one-run ball game.

[VanMan]

Dempster will face Diaz, Laird and Wilkerson in the 9th, however Frank Catalanotto will hit for Diaz.

[VanMan]

Catalanotto pops the first Dempster offering foul. Another pop foul out of play, 0-2. Next pitch is well high and away, ball one. Sinker high, Catalanotto couldn't hold up, one out.

[VanMan]

Laird swings and misses a slider for strike one. Sinker is fouled off, 0-2. Cub fans that stayed can be heard in the crowd. Sinker swung on and missed, two down!

[VanMan]

Wilkerson takes a fastball well outside, ball one. Off-speed misses away, 2-0. Fastball up and away, 3-0. Fastball taken at the letters for strike one. The 3-1 is fouled off, it's full. The pay-off pitch... off-speed, swung and missed! Dempster strikes out the side! Five perfect innings by the bullpen wins it for the Cubs!

Final score, Cubs 5, Texas 4

W - Marmul (2-0)
L - Benoit (2-2)
S - Dempster (16)

Game was played in 2 hours and 55 minutes in front of 38,290 paid.