Cubs 9, Expos 1\nCHICAGO -- Four days off suited Aramis Ramirez just fine.\nRamirez hit a pair of two-run homers and Carlos Zambrano allowed four hits in eight innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 9-1 victory over the Montreal Expos Monday.\nMark Grudzielanek, Derrek Lee and Michael Barrett also homered for the Cubs, who played their first game since Wednesday's 2-1 extra-inning victory at Montreal. The Cubs had their last three games against the Florida Marlins at Miami postponed because of Hurricane Frances.\nThe Cubs took a half-game game lead over idle San Francisco in the NL wild-card race. Houston stayed 1 1/2 games back with a 11-5 win over Cincinnati.\nThe Giants and the Astros moved closer in the standings, while the Cubs remained idle during the weekend.\n"It's kind of frustrating, but we will still have to play those games, too," Ramirez said. "There is going to be a time when we are playing and they will be off and we have to take advantage of that, too."\nChicago won without Sammy Sosa in the lineup. The seven-time All-Star has bursitis in his right hip and is listed as day to day. The injury is not related to a lower back injury Sosa suffered earlier in the season, which put him on the disabled list May 19 through June 18.\nZambrano (13-8) gave up one run, struck out five and walked one to match his career high in wins. The right-hander has a league-low 2.17 ERA at home.\nZambrano retired eight in a row before giving up a double to Henry Mateo in the eighth. Zambrano came back by retiring the next three in order, including striking out Valentino Pascucci to end the inning.
Astros 11, Reds 5\nHOUSTON -- Astros pitcher Brandon Backe hit his first career homer, a two-run shot, and allowed one run in seven innings to keep Houston in the thick of the NL wild-card chase with an 11-5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds Monday.\nJeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman and Jeff Kent also homered, helping the Astros extend their season-high winning streak to 10 games. Houston is on its longest win streak in five years and has won 18 of 21 since Aug. 15, the best record in the majors during that stretch.\nThe Astros closed within a game of NL wild-card leaders Chicago and San Francisco. Houston hasn't been within striking range of the Cubs and Giants in more than three months.\nBacke (3-2), making his fourth career start, virtually shut down the Reds after giving up three hits and a run-scoring single to D'Angelo Jimenez in the first. He gave up only four singles from there, finishing with a career-high eight strikeouts and a walk.\nBut it was Backe's performance at the plate that was the biggest surprise.\nBacke went 2-for-2 with a walk, including the two-run shot in the fourth that gave Houston a 5-1 lead.\nThe crowd of 40,581 rose as Backe rounded the bases and didn't stop the cheers until he re-emerged from the dugout to doff his cap. It was the first homer by an Astros pitcher since Ron Villone did it against the Reds on Aug. 15, 2003.\nThe Astros have won six straight against the Reds, outscoring them 54-16 during that stretch.\nJuan Castro's three-run shot cut the Reds' deficit to 11-5 in the ninth. It was his fourth home run of the season and it drove in Darren Bragg and Ryan Freel, both of whom walked.
