Cubs fire on all cylinders to topple Pirates

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome homered to support Randy Wells’ seven effective innings and the Chicago Cubs won another series from division opponent Pittsburgh, beating the Pirates 4-1 on Wednesday night.

With Wells (3-3) limiting the Pirates to one run and six hits in his third consecutive victory, the Cubs took two of three in Pittsburgh to avoid falling three games under .500 for the first time since they were 36-39 in 2007.

MILWAUKEE (AP)—Instead of the parade of taxis that usually delivers visiting players to the loading dock entrance at Milwaukee’s Miller Park, the New York Mets rode in together on a bus from their hotel.

If they haven’t been playing as a team lately, they at least could arrive as one.

Ryan Church couldn’t recall ever riding to a game on a team bus in his career. Francisco Rodriguez said it was “a little weird.”

“A little bonding time with everybody,” starter Mike Pelfrey said.

Maybe it was a coincidence, but the Mets went on to break a season-worst five-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday despite a career-high 12 strikeouts from young Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo.

BETHESDA, Md. (AP)—It’s not often that a player is bold enough to challenge Tiger Woods on the golf course. Rarer still is when it happens during a pro-am round from one of his amateur partners.

“That still puts me 1 up,” Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said to him Wednesday morning.

“Does it, now?” Woods replied, not sounding the least bit concerned.

The world’s No. 1 player then smoked a fairway metal down the 17th at Congressional Country Club. Romo, a scratch player who asked to play from the championship tees, followed with a 3-wood that traveled about a yard farther.

On the par-3 second, Romo appeared to have the edge when Woods bladed a bunker shot over the green and into the gallery. He didn’t finish out the hole, and when Romo three-putted from the fringe, the quarterback said, “You wouldn’t have made 4 from there.”

They didn’t mention the stakes or how many shots Woods gave Romo -- if any -- although it had a familiar conclusion.

“He contributed to my spending fund, which is nice,” Woods said later on his Web site.