GAME THREAD: NL: CHICAGO CUBS (51-46) at ST LOUIS (45-50)

Ramirez comes through as Cubs edge Cardinals

<h3>CHICAGO CUBS 4, ST LOUIS 3</h3>ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Aramis Ramirez had four hits and snappeda late tie as the Chicago Cubs posted a 4-3 victory over the St.Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. Ramirez singled in the seventh todrive in Ryan Theriot to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.

"Well, we're winning games and that's what matters," Ramirezsaid. "I got an opportunity to knock in some runs and eventuallywin some games. That's what we play for to get that win andtry to get to the playoffs."


Derrek Lee added an RBI single in the ninth, also scoringTheriot to give Chicago a two-run cushion.


"Every run was precious tonight," Lee said. "There was a goodpitching performance by both guys. We were just scratching andclawing to get as many runs as we could get."


The extra run came in handy as Ryan Dempster allowed a run andtwo hits in the ninth but managed to pick up his 17th save ofthe season.


Albert Pujols came to the plate in the ninth with a chance tomake up for a lost night, but this time Dempster got the betterof the slugging first baseman.


Pujols homered off of Dempster on April 22 in Chicago, but onTuesday he capped an 0-for-5 night with a groundout to secondwith a runner on first.


Carlos Zambrano (13-7) notched his National League-leading 13thwin of the season. Zambrano allowed two runs on five hits withthree walks and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.


"We won this game today and we are moving forward," Zambranosaid. "I was trying to use all of my pitches today. My cutterwas working good today and I used that a lot."


Thirteen proved to be unlucky for Kip Wells, who pitched wellbut still lost his 13th decision of the season. Wells (4-13)allowed three runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

"Obviously we lost so that's frustrating," Wells said. "For themost part I felt that I threw the ball well and made a lot ofgood pitches. They did a good job of putting good swings on itfor the times that they did get hits. I knew I had my work cutout for me with Zambrano. It's frustrating that we came up alittle short."


Theriot reached on an error by Cardinals third baseman ScottRolen, his fourth of the season, in the seventh. Lee followedwith a walk and Ramirez then singled to left to make it 3-2.

"There's not a much worse feeling in baseball than making anerror and watching a run come in and score," Rolen said."Putting you behind especially in a situation and a game whenyou know each run is going to be important. It's a play that Ishould have made."


"That's how you win games, by taking advantage of the otherteam's mistakes," Ramirez said. "This guy is a gold-gloverevery year and he made a error and we made him pay for it."

Zambrano's 20-inning scoreless streak came to a halt in thebottom of the fifth inning when Skip Schumaker tripled homeWells and Adam Kennedy to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.Zambrano retired Pujols and Chris Duncan to end the inning,stranding Schumaker at third.


The Cubs are 14-16 in one-run games, including 4-8 on the road.They have won seven of their last eight one-run games.

"This game was a struggle but we got it done," Cubs manager LouPiniella. "We grinded that win out."