Abbott's win over Cubs his first with Philly

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Paul Abbott, who had gotten little run support from his teammates, helped himself.

Abbott got his first win with the Phillies and drove in the first two runs of his career to lead Philadelphia over the Chicago Cubs 4-3 Saturday.

Abbott (1-4), signed on June 9 after Tampa Bay released him, allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings for his first win since April 21. He lost his first four decisions with the Phillies and hadn't won since April 21.

"Dying for a win? That's an understatement," Abbott said. "I needed to get that out of the way. I'm officially a Phillie now."

Before his single in the fourth put Philadelphia ahead 4-2, Abbott had been 4-for-18 at the plate in his career. Abbott threw 80 pitches and left after Aramis Ramirez's solo homer in the sixth.

"I was just trying to see the ball and get a good pitch to hit," Abbott said. "I didn't see it go through. It was probably a 50-hopper."

Abbott left the game with the lead, but had to sit through 3 2/3 agonizing innings while icing his arm in the clubhouse.

Roberto Hernandez and Rheal Cormier combined to pitch two scoreless innings. Then, with closer Billy Wagner unavailable because of a strained left shoulder, Tim Worrell got six outs for his 10th save in 14 chances.

Michael Barrett and Ramirez hit back-to-back singles in the eighth, but Phillies second baseman Placido Polanco made a backhand stop on Alex Gonzalez's sharp grounder and flipped to shortstop Jimmy Rollins at second. Rollins then threw to first to complete the double play.

"Polanco's as good a defensive second baseman as there is," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "The ball took a bad hop. If you're an infielder, that's the worst kind of hop there is. It was an unbelievable play."

Worrell allowed a leadoff double to pinch-hitter Tom Goodwin in the ninth before retiring the next two hitters. He fell behind Sammy Sosa 3-1, then threw a slider on the outside corner. Sosa dropped the bat and started to trot to first. He stopped when he heard plate umpire Joe West call the pitch a strike.

"I thought it was a ball," Sosa said. "He just didn't make that call."

Worrell threw another pitch in the same spot and got Sosa swinging to end the game.

Sosa and Derrek Lee homered for the second straight game for Chicago, which had won three in a row. Sosa homered in the first, reaching 20 for the 12th straight season and pulling within four of Reggie Jackson with the 559th of his career.

Chicago starter Carlos Zambrano (9-6), pitching while he appeals a five-game suspension given after he hit Jim Edmonds of St. Louis twice with pitches Monday, allowed four runs, eight hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. He has lost three straight starts and four of five.

"I wasn't surprised Carlos came back with a good outing," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "He's still young and still learning."

Chicago led 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Bobby Abreu walked leading off, Pat Burrell singled off the glove of shortstop Gonzalez with one out and Ricky Ledee singled home the tying run.

David Bell loaded the bases when his broken-bat looper sailed over second baseman Mark Grudzielanek for a single.

Todd Pratt took a called third strike but Abbott hit the next pitch up the middle past a diving Gonzalez.

"That's the first time all year Larry's not told me to take a strike," Abbott said. "It seems like every time he does, they groove the first one. That's the protocol for a pitcher when you're facing another pitcher."

Chicago had runners at first and third with two outs in the fifth, but Abbott got Moises Alou to fly out. Alou threw down his bat in disgust before jogging to first. With a runner on in the seventh, he again flied out.

Abreu hit a run-scoring groundout in the bottom of the first, but Lee homered in the fourth, his 18th of the season and sixth in 10 games.

Game notes
Cubs CF Corey Patterson stole his team-high 13th base in the third inning. ... Phillies 1B Jim Thome returned to the lineup after missing Friday night's game with a finger injury and went 1-for-4. ... Abbott has allowed 12 homers in eight starts with the Phillies, 10 of them solo shots.