CHICAGO - With the wind whipping and the temperature cool, Aramis Ramirez felt far from comfortable on the field.
He found a way to warm up.Ramirez walked with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night, their fourth straight win.
“That’s how you win games,” Ramirez said. “Early in the year, it’s going to be tough to hit. It’s going to be cold.”
But he likes what he’s seeing at the moment.
So does Marlon Byrd.
He feels the Cubs are turning things around. Actually, he feels like the turnaround is complete.
“We’re a good team and we win games,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do now — win series.”
Ryan Theriot, coming off a five-hit game against Milwaukee on Sunday, started the winning rally with a leadoff single to right against Brian Bruney (1-1). Derrek Lee walked with one out before Byrd blooped a single over second baseman Cristian Guzman for his third hit. That loaded the bases for Ramirez, who walked on four pitches and became the third player — and second Cub — to walk with the bases loaded in the game.
“I put this one on me,” Bruney said. “Unfortunately, this is not a good feeling to have, with a locker room full of guys that are busting their (butts) and you go out there and walk a guy to win a game. Obviously, I’m not happy with myself.”
Carlos Marmol (1-0) pitched around a two-out double by Adam Dunn in the top of the 10th and recorded his first win since June 14 against Minnesota.
Ace-turned-reliever Carlos Zambrano pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings in his second appearance out of the bullpen and first at Wrigley Field since his removal from the rotation last week. He came on to loud cheers with one out in the eighth after Dunn lined a single to right off Sean Marshall. Josh Willingham singled past a diving Ramirez at third to put runners on first and second before Adam Kennedy popped out and Wil Nieves struck out with the crowd on its feet.
Zambrano took off his cap and pointed toward the sky as he often does on his way to the dugout.
“It was pretty exciting,” said Zambrano, who believes the move is a temporary one. “I was a little pumped up. I had to calm myself down and I did it.”
Lee and Ramirez both flied out to the warning track in the bottom half off Tyler Walker, as did pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman against Zambrano in the ninth, but on a windy night, the balls weren’t going over the wall.
Bruney came on in the bottom half for Washington and walked Alfonso Soriano on four pitches leading off before Koyie Hill forced him with a bunt in front of the mound. But Chicago broke through in the 10th for a dramatic finish to what started out looking like an easy night.
Coming off a weekend sweep at Milwaukee, the Cubs appeared to be in good shape early on.