CHICAGO – Jeromy Burnitz hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night, and the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Shut down by Jason Schmidt for seven innings, Chicago tied the game in the eighth on Neifi Perez’s bases-loaded single.

Ronny Cedeno led off the bottom of the ninth with a single against Tyler Walker (3-3) and was sacrificed to second by Jerry Hairston. Todd Walker followed with a single to right with Cedeno holding at third before Derrek Lee was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Jeff Fassero, the Giants’ sixth pitcher in the final two innings, relieved and Burnitz hit a line drive to center. Jason Ellison caught it and made a strong throw to the plate, but Cedeno just beat the tag and slid in with the game-winning run.

Ryan Dempster (4-3) pitched the ninth for the win.

With the Giants leading 2-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth, San Francisco manager Felipe Alou used five relievers to try and hold the lead and get a win for Schmidt.

LaTroy Hawkins, booed loudly at Wrigley Field in 2004 and for two months this season before he was traded to the Giants, was booed again and then gave up a leadoff single to Todd Walker.

After two forceouts, Aramis Ramirez singled and pinch-hitter Matt Murton got an infield hit to load the bases before Perez – who hit a 10th-inning grand slam Sunday night against the Cardinals – lined a single to center for a 2-2 tie.

Schmidt, who won his previous four starts against the Cubs, allowed six hits and a run in seven strong innings before his bullpen let him down.

Pedro Feliz gave the Giants a 2-1 lead with his 16th homer in the fourth, a rising liner that got to the left-field seats in a hurry. It came off Rich Hill, making his first major league start after he was recalled from the minors earlier Monday when scheduled starter Kerry Wood went on the disabled list with a sore shoulder.

Hill pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two runs, but his night will be remembered most for a stumble he made on the bases that thwarted a potential big inning for Chicago.

Michael Barrett hit his first homer since June 30, a long drive to left in the third to tie the game at 1, and the Cubs appeared ready to add on.

Hill beat out an infield single and Hairston followed with a sharp single to put runners at first and second. Todd Walker then hit a hard shot past first into the right-field corner that would have been a run-scoring double, but the long-legged, 6-foot-5 Hill fell rounding third and had to retreat. Hairston, who also might have scored, scrambled back to second, leaving the Cubs with the bases loaded and one out.

Schmidt then got Lee to fly to left and retired Burnitz on a 3-2 foul pop to third.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the second when Mike Matheny dumped a double into the right-field corner with two outs and Marquis Grissom hit a soft RBI single.

Notes: Moises Alou, who had 39 homers and 106 RBIs last season, his third with the Cubs, returned to Wrigley Field with the Giants and went 1-for-4. He doubled in the eighth and then, at age 39, stole third base. … Chicago third baseman Ramirez made his team-high 13th error in the fourth.

AP-ES-07-25-05 2331EDT