WRIGLEY FIELD Cubs clinch crown with sweep of Bucs

Chicago will open the playoffs Tuesday in Atlanta.
CHICAGO (AP) -- The taste of victory was so sweet Sammy Sosa wanted to share it with his loyal followers in the right-field bleachers.
So, he sprayed them with celebratory champagne.
Many of his Chicago Cubs teammates jogged around the perimeter of the outfield, followed by manager Dusty Baker, saluting the fans and soaking up the delirious atmosphere at Wrigley Field.
"It's beautiful," Sosa said after his 40th homer helped the Cubs sweep a doubleheader from the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 and 7-2 Saturday and win the NL Central.
The Cubs -- 67-95 just a year ago -- advanced to meet Atlanta in the first round.
"The city of Chicago has been yearning for this and it's awesome," center fielder Kenny Lofton said. "We're in the playoffs and that's a start. The fans haven't seen it in a while."
Baker's mission when he arrived as manager in November was to change the Cubs, convert them from years of losing.
"I just said 'Why not us?' " Baker said. "This is only the first step in a four-step process. We've got three steps to climb and this club is willing and ready."
Sosa homered in the first and Matt Clement pitched 72/3 strong innings as the Cubs earned their first division championship since Don Zimmer led them to the NL East crown in 1989.
Red hot
They are 19-7 in September.
The victory touched off a raucous celebration at Wrigley Field where 40,121 fans, many wearing coats on a chilly 60-degree day, began to chant "Let's Go Cubs" in the seventh inning.
"Next Year is Here," read one sign from a fan. "Oh Joy," said another.
Fans stayed in their seats for more than an hour after the game ended as players in championship T-shirts and caps mingled on the field.
"They have been supporting us the whole year," Sosa said. "This is the year. We are going to surprise a lot of people."
Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon saluted the Cubs.
"They had a remarkable second-half run. I wanted my young guys to see this tonight, this celebration, to see what they're playing for," he said.
The Cubs are in the postseason for the first time since 1998 when they beat Baker and the San Francisco Giants in a one-game playoff for the NL wild card.
Let's play two
Thanks to a Friday rainout, the Wrigley fans got to see two memorable victories on the same afternoon. The Cubs got their chance to clinch because of second-place Houston's 5-2 loss to Milwaukee earlier in the day.
In the opener, Mark Prior pitched 62/3 impressive innings and Damian Miller homered to spark a 4-2 victory in the opener.
Then, the Cubs moved quickly to wrap it up.
Sosa became the first NL player to reach 40 homers six straight times with a 450-foot blast in the first off Ryan Vogelsong.
Chicago added five more in the second, highlighted by Mark Grudzielanek's two-run, bases-loaded single. Moises Alou homered later.
Clement (14-12) did the rest, allowing seven hits. He lost his shutout and chance for a complete game when Abraham Nunez hit an RBI triple and scored on a passed ball in the eighth.
FIRST GAME
PITTSBURGHCHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
TRdmn cf5020Lofton cf3020
ANunez 2b3000Grdzln 2b3110
Lincoln p0000SSosa rf2101
Rivera ph0000Alou lf3000
Kendall c5110ARmrz 3b4011
Stairs 1b3000Simon 1b3011
CWilsn rf4121ASGzlz ss3010
Mckwk 3b4021Frnswr p0000
Bay lf3010O'Lery ph1000
JWilsn ss4000Brwski p0000
Fogg p2000DMiller c3111
Rboulet 2b2000Prior p2110
REMtiz ss1000
Totals35282Totals28484
Pittsburgh000101000--2
Chicago00022000x--4
E--Lincoln (1), ARamirez (33). DP--Pittsburgh 2. LOB--Pittsburgh 10, Chicago 6. 2B--ARamirez (32), ASGonzalez (37). HR--CWilson (18), DMiller (9). SB--TRedman (7), Mackowiak (6). S--Grudzielanek. SF--SSosa, Simon.
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
Fogg L,10-9664423
Lincoln220011
Chicago
Prior W,18-66 2-3722210
Farnsworth1 1-300011
Borowski S,33110011
Umpires--Home, Wally Bell; First, Ted Barrett; Second, John Hirschbeck; Third, Matt Hollowell. T--2:49. A--NA .
SECOND GAME
PITTSBURGHCHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
TRdmn cf3110Lofton cf3100
ANunez 2b4111Grdzln 2b4012
Mckwk rf4020SSosa rf4111
CWilsn c3010Alou lf3111
Rivera 1b4000ARmrz 3b4110
Bay lf3000Karros 1b3110
JWilsn ss4000REMtiz ss4111
JHrndz 3b4010Veres p0000
Vglsng p1000Bako c3111
Corey p0000Clment p2000
Beimel p0000Rmlngr p0000
JDavis ph1000ASGzlz ss0000
NFigra p0000
Grabow p0000
House ph1010
Bhrngr p0000
Totals32271Totals30776
Pittsburgh000000020--2
Chicago15000001x--7
E--CWison (6). DP--Chicago 2. LOB--Pittsburgh 6, Chicago 3. 3B--ANunez (7). HR--SSosa (40), Alou (22). SB--Grudzielanek (6). S--Clement.
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
Vogelsong L,2-21 1-366511
Corey1 2-300001
Beimel100002
NFigueroa200012
Grabow100002
Boehringer111111
Chicago
Clement W,14-127 2-372126
Remlinger1-300001
Veres100010
PB--Bako. Umpires--Home, Bill Welke; First, John Hirschbeck; Second, Ted Barrett; Third, Wally Bell. T--2:26. A--40,121.