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CHICAGO (AP) -- Corey Patterson just stays calm in the clutch.

Patterson hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth inning and a game-winning shot in the 12th, giving the Chicago Cubs a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

"I'm just really trying to keep things simple," Patterson said. "You try to treat every situation like it is the same, no matter what happens at what point of time it's in the ballgame. It's hard to do, especially in clutch situations, you have the crowd going and everyone up on their feet cheering. That's when you really need to stay back and take a couple of deep breaths."

The Cubs remained a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL wild-card race.

After retiring Michael Barrett and Jose Macias in the 12th inning, Pirates reliever Brian Meadows (2-4) gave up Patterson's homer to center. It was Patterson's 23rd of the season, his second game-winning shot.

"It was right on time, too," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Everybody complains about (we) just hit home runs, but this is a night where Corey's two home runs was the difference in the game."

With the Cubs trailing 2-0 in the eighth, Pirates reliever Salomon Torres hit Barrett with a pitch leading off. One out later, Patterson homered to left off Torres to tie the game.

Baker believes Patterson is turning into one of the Cubs' best hitters in clutch situations.

"Once you start doing it, you can do it again, that's the whole thing. The hard time is doing it the first time, after you do it a couple of times your concentration level increases, especially during those situations," Baker said.

Todd Wellemeyer (2-1) worked a scoreless 12th inning for the win. The Chicago bullpen pitched six scoreless innings of relief. Sammy Sosa made a diving catch in right field on Ty Wigginton's drive in the 11th and doubled off Daryle Ward to end the inning.

With the wind blowing out of Wrigley Field at 10 mph, Pirates starter Josh Fogg kept the ball down and pitched 6 2-3 scoreless innings. He extended his streak to seven starts without allowing a home run.

After giving up back-to-back singles leading off the second, Fogg faced the minimum through the fifth. He got Derrek Lee to hit into a double play to end the fourth, and Barrett popped out to end the fifth.

"I felt good tonight. I got them swinging early. I was locating my fastball real well and my changeup was decent, not great," Fogg said.

Fogg was lifted after giving up a two-out single to Sosa in the seventh. Torres struck out Mark Grudzielanek to end the inning.

Fogg gave up just four hits, walked two and struck out one.

Cubs starter Matt Clement left his last two starts early with muscle stiffness and discomfort in his back and neck. Working on two extra days of rest, Clement walked three batters in the first inning, but escaped when Craig Wilson hit into a double play.

Tike Redman legged out a double in the second inning, and Fogg helped himself out with a two-out RBI double. Jason Kendall followed with a single, and Jack Wilson drove in Fogg with a single, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Before the double, Fogg's last hit was July 2 against Milwaukee. He was in an 0-for-22 slump.

Clement settled down after the second and pitched six innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked four.

"After the second inning I think I just settled down and wasn't worried how I was going to feel," Clement said.

Game notes

Pirates left-handed starter Sean Burnett might miss the entire 2005 season because of a tear in his left elbow. Team doctors found the tear Tuesday, and Burnett probably will undergo surgery to repair it. ... It is uncertain how long Cubs SS Nomar Garciaparra will be out with a strained right groin, but Baker believes it will be more than five games. "Five days will probably be the minimum, actually," Baker said. Garciaparra will continue to get treatment. He will be re-evaluated in five to seven days.