NL CENTRAL Pirates can't stop Cubs' home runs

Chicago took advantage of a shaky outing by Pittsburgh pitcher Oliver Perez.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Sammy Sosa appears to have found his swing, and the timing couldn't be better for the Chicago Cubs.
Sosa hit his first grand slam in more than two years, and also had a solo homer as the Cubs hit three straight in the first inning on their way to a 13-5 rout of Pittsburgh that kept them on pace in the chase for the NL wild card.
"He's swinging the bat great," teammate Derrek Lee said. "When he's swinging the bat like he is now, he can carry a team on his back."
The whole gang
The rest of the Cubs aren't too bad, either. Lee, Sosa and Michael Barrett connected in succession in the first inning, and Neifi Perez added a two-run shot in the sixth as the Cubs took advantage of a shaky outing by Oliver Perez (10-9).
The left-hander, who had allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but two of his previous 17 starts, gave up 10 hits -- four homers -- and six runs in 52/3 innings. He also walked four and struck out five.
"He just elevated some pitches and it cost him," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said.
Michael Wuertz (1-0) got the win, striking out two in one inning. Ryan Dempster worked two scoreless innings for his first career save.
Lee's homer was his 30th of the season, giving the Cubs four players -- Lee, Sosa, Moises Alou and Aramis Ramirez -- with 30 homers or more. They are the 10th major league team to accomplish the feat, and the first since Toronto and Anaheim did it in 2000.
Loaded lineup
"That's cool to be a part of," Lee said. "It just speaks to how good our lineup is, all the way through."
But will it be enough to carry the Cubs to the playoffs as the wild card?
"It's difficult, but I don't want to hear anybody complaining," manager Dusty Baker said. "We're down the stretch, and the end of the race is always difficult."
But it will be easier if Sosa is hitting like the Slammin' Sammy of old. Sosa has had a subpar season, hitting .261 for the year and only .247 since he came back from the disabled list June 18. On Saturday, he was dropped to sixth in the lineup for the first time in more than 10 years.
Sosa looked as if he'd found his groove Wednesday, though, going 3-for-4 with a walk. The grand slam, off Mark Corey in the eighth inning, was the eighth of his career and first since Aug. 11, 2002. It also was the 66th multi-homer game of his career, and his first since June 27 against the White Sox.
With the wind blowing out of Wrigley at 16 mph when the game began, conditions were perfect for Sosa and the rest of the Cubs. Lee, Sosa and Barrett all homered off Oliver Perez with two outs to give Chicago a four-run lead, but the Pirates rallied against Mark Prior in the second inning to tie it.