BC-BBN–Reds-Cubs,0526

Reds 3, Cubs 2

By RICK GANO

AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) – Kerry Wood lost his cool and the Chicago Cubs lost the game.

Wood was ejected in a heated exchange with plate umpire Eric Cooper after blowing a one-run lead in the ninth inning Saturday.

Wily Mo Pena doubled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the ninth, and the Cincinnati Reds beat Chicago 3-2 in another emotional game at Wrigley Field.

Sean Casey singled and after Wood (2-1) walked Adam Dunn on a 3-2 pitch, Wood waved in disgust. Cooper then started toward the mound before Cubs catcher Michael Barrett got between the two.

After Cooper returned to the plate and Wood to the mound, Ryan Freel’s bunt moved both runners up before Jason LaRue tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Pena then doubled to right center and Cubs manager Dusty Baker came out to remove Wood.

As Wood was being taken out of the game, he sprinted to the plate and began screaming at Cooper before he was ejected. As he walked down the dugout, Wood heaved a batting helmet and gloves onto the field.

Fans at Wrigley Field littered the warning track with debris and the game was held up for several minutes while the grounds crew cleaned it up.

It was the second straight day a member of the Cubs had a temper tantrum. Baker was ejected Friday after a mix-up on a double switch and threw down his lineup card and hat.

Wood allowed three runs and six hits in 8 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

Ryan Wagner (1-1) pitched the eighth for the win and Danny Graves the bottom of the ninth for his fifth save.

Dunn’s homer in the seventh against a 10 mph wind cuts the Cubs’ lead to 2-1.

Reds starter Cory Lidle gave up seven hits and a pair of runs in seven innings. Two shaky plays by third baseman Freel helped the Cubs break through for two runs in the sixth.

Freel fielded Sammy Sosa’s deep grounder and threw low to first allowing Sosa to reach on what was ruled an infield single. Sosa raced to third on Alou’s bloop single to left and scored on Aramis Ramirez’s grounder to Freel, who appeared to have plenty of time to throw home to catch a breaking Sosa. But instead, he went to first as the Cubs took a 1-0 lead. Derrek Lee followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

Notes: Baker’s son, Darren, has a new name for his dad: “Mad Dog” after the Cubs manager threw a temper tantrum and was ejected from Friday’s game. Baker was ejected after a mix-up over a double switch that resulted in Ramon Martinez being called out for batting out of order, right after he’d doubled. Baker threw his lineup card and hat during his outburst and said Saturday he expects to be fined. But he was more worried about the impression it made on his son. “When I got home last night and knocked on his door, he was like “There he is mom. There’s the mad dog, mom. … “It’s not a very good example for my son,” he said. … Umpire Chuck Meriwether, who left Friday’s game in the fifth inning because of food poisoning, was back Saturday.

AP-ES-04-17-04 1725EDT