Cubs get 8 in third to thrash Tribe, 9-2

Chicago won the rain-shortened game behind Carlos Zambrano (5-0, 1.56 ERA).
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Carlos Zambrano won again following a Chicago loss and the Cubs, handed extra outs by Cleveland's infield during a bizarre eight-run third inning, rolled to a rain-shortened 9-2 win over the Indians on Wednesday night.
Booming thunderstorms halted play in the top of the eighth, and the umpiring crew waited 1 hour, 18 minutes before calling the interleague game.
Staked to a 9-1 lead after three, Zambrano (6-3) simply coasted for six innings while improving to 5-0 with a 1.56 ERA in his last eight starts after a Chicago defeat. He allowed two runs and six hits.
Neifi Perez and Aramis Ramirez had two RBIs apiece for the Cubs, who tagged C.C. Sabathia (5-4) for a career-high nine runs and eight hits in 31/3 innings. The lefty, though, deserved better.
Defensive lapses
He was undone by a pair of inexcusable defensive lapses as the slumping Indians failed to make easy plays on two harmless grounders in the third.
Perez had three hits and scored twice as the Cubs won for just the second time in nine games.
The Indians have lost five of six, 13 of 18 and are 26-38 since a 6-1 start.
The Cubs scored eight times and sent 12 batters to the plate in the Indians' embarrassing third.
Cleveland first baseman Ben Broussard and second baseman Ronnie Belliard were both guilty of mental lapses on comical back-to-back plays that cost Sabathia certain outs, and eventually, runs.
Sabathia gave up two singles to open the inning but got Phil Nevin to hit a routine grounder to Broussard, who was playing in with a runner at third. Broussard, though, threw home before the runner broke, allowing the Cubs to load the bases.
Matt Murton followed with a tricky hopper to Belliard, who fielded the ball cleanly while moving to his left. However, instead of throwing the ball to second or first, he didn't throw it anywhere while the Cubs scored a run and re-loaded the bases.
Sabathia is shelled
Sabathia then gave up an RBI single to Jacque Jones, forced in a run with a walk and gave up a run-scoring single to Henry Blanco that made it 5-1. But the Cubs weren't finished as Juan Pierre hit an RBI single, finishing Sabathia.
The left-hander, who has lost three straight decisions, slouched as he slowly walked to the dugout disappointed with his defense and his outing.
Rookie Edward Mujica came on and gave up a two-run double -- charged to Sabathia -- to Perez, who had two hits in the inning. Ramirez capped Chicago's biggest inning since Aug. 28 with a sacrifice fly, making it 9-1.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first on Ramirez's RBI single. The Indians tied it when Travis Hafner brought home Jhonny Peralta with a base hit.
Notes
Cubs manager Dusty Baker remembers a 12-year-old Sabathia attending his baseball camp in northern California. "He was big then," Baker said. "He was born big. I didn't know if he'd be a pitcher. He could really hit the ball. He was good at everything. He wore his hat straight back then, though." ... Mujica pitched a scoreless 22/3 innings in his major league debut. He has yet to give up an earned run in 411/3 innings at three levels this season. ... There was one amusing moment for the Indians. In the fifth, Todd Hollandsworth hit a slow roller to first but stopped on his way down the line. Hollandsworth then stayed alive be retreating toward the plate and standing near home for several seconds before being tagged. ... Sabathia has more career wins (74) than any other pitcher 25 or younger. Zambrano (54) is second. ... The Indians have lost six straight series and are 1-7-1 in series play since May 23. ... Blanco loves coming to Cleveland. He's batting .391 (20-for-46) in 16 games at Jacobs Field.
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