Cubs at last win three straight with ten inning win over awful Astros

Pinch-hitter Jeff Baker’s game-winning single in the 10th inning helped the Cubs complete its first three-game sweep at Wrigley Field in nearly two years as they beat the pathetic Houston Astros 5-4 on Sunday afternoon.It’s their first three-game winning streak this season.Marlon Byrd led off the 10th inning with a deep fly ball to right-center. Astros right fielder Hunter Pence was in the area to catch it but apparently lost it in the sun. Byrd ended up on third with a triple.Astros reliever David Carpenter (0-1) then struck out Geovany Soto, after intentional walks to Tony Campana and Darwin Barney, Baker ended the game with a liner down the left-field line.Cubs reliever John Grabow (2-0) pitched a scoreless 10th inning to earn the win.They had to come back after the Cubs bullpen blew another impressive start by Matt Garza. In his third straight start, Garza left after seven innings with the lead only to have it blown by the bullpen.On Sunday, Garza was done in by reliever Jeff Samardzija. With a 2-1 lead, Samardzija allowed a leadoff walk to Pence in the eighth, then gave up a two-run homer to Carlos Lee to give the Astros a 4-3 lead. Before Lee’s home run, Samardzija went 12 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.Lee has hit 36 home runs in his career against the Cubs with 101 RBI.The Cubs rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Byrd led off with a single off Astros reliever Wilton Lopez and he advanced to third on Soto’s single. Alfonso Soriano tied the game with a broken-bat single to left. Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol pitched out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the ninth. He struck out Pence then ended the inning by getting Lee to pop out to center.Soto and Barney had a pair of RBI doubles for the Cubs, who swept an opponent at home for the first time since taking three straight from Cincinnati on July 24-26, 2009.The last time the Cubs won three straight overall was at San Diego and Houston on Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2010.Garza allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings, while striking out nine. He hasn’t won since July 27.Clint Barmes also hit a solo home run for the major-league worst Astros, who have lost seven straight on the road.Astros starter Jordan Lyles rebounded after a three-run second inning to pitch six innings. He allowed three runs and nine hits while strking out five. The 20-year-old rookie is still in search of his first major league win.Trailing 1-0 in the second inning, Byrd led off with a double and scored on Soto’s double to center field. After Soriano struck out, Barney doubled down the right-field line to score Soto. Garza followed with a single to right to score Barney to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. It was Garza’s first RBI in the majors.Barmes’ first inning home run ended Houston’s streak of 27 consecutive hits without an extra base hit. Barmes connected on Garza’s 1-1 pitch in the first inning for his sixth of the season.