Sosa reaches 60 HRs for 3rd time; Cubs eliminated

CHICAGO -- Sammy Sosa became the first player in major league history with three, 60-homer seasons, but it wasn't enough to keep the Chicago Cubs from being eliminated from postseason contention.

Adam Dunn hit a solo homer off Kyle Farnsworth in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday night. Dmitri Young and D.T. Cromer also homered for the Reds.

The loss, along with St. Louis' 5-1 victory over Milwaukee, eliminated the Cubs from the NL wild card race. The Cubs are six games behind St. Louis with only five games left.

While Barry Bonds chases Mark McGwire's record of 70 home runs, Sosa remains amazingly consistent. He reached 60 on Tuesday with a solo shot in the first off Reds left-hander Lance Davis, an arching shot to left-center that almost went out of the park.

Sosa is one of only five players to hit 60 homers, and the only one to do it three times. He hit 66 homers in 1998, when McGwire set the single-season record and followed that with 63 in 1999.

The homer also gave him 150 RBIs.

PHILLIES 3, BRAVES 1

ATLANTA -- Randy Wolf (9-11) allowed three hits in eight innings, and Bobby Abreu hit a two-run homer as Philadelphia closed within one game of NL East-leading Atlanta with five to play.

Greg Maddux (17-11) failed for the seventh time to win his 18th game, giving up two runs and six hits in eight innings. His seven-game winless streak is his longest since 1991.

Jose Mesa worked the ninth for his 40th save.

PIRATES 10, METS 1

NEW YORK -- The defending NL champions were eliminated from postseason contention when Bronson Arroyo (5-7) pitched a five-hitter for his first major league complete game and Craig Wilson drove in a career-high four runs.

New York, coming off its first NL pennant since 1986, pretty much ended its comeback hopes by losing two of three in Atlanta last weekend.

Wilson followed Aramis Ramirez's RBI double in the first inning with a two-run homer off Bruce Chen (7-7).

MARLINS 4, EXPOS 3

MIAMI -- A.J. Burnett (10-12) allowed three runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings to win for for the first time in seven starts since Aug. 21 and Kevin Millar hit a two-run homer.

The game drew 7,737, the smallest home crowd of the year for Florida.

Tony Armas (9-14) lost for the ninth time in his last 11 decisions, leaving the game in the fourth inning after being hit by Dave Berg's line drive.

Braden Looper worked the ninth for his second save.

-- From wire reports