Three Hits to Go for Rose After Homer, Single

CHICAGO —  Pete Rose is just three hits away from breaking Ty Cobb’s career record of 4,191 hits after getting two in the Cincinnati Reds’ 7-5 victory Friday over the Chicago Cubs.

One of those was a two-run homer in a four-run second inning, giving Rose his 160th career homer.

Rose also collected a single in the sixth in going 2 for 5 as he closed in on Cobb’s legendary mark. Rose said he will play today against Chicago right-hander Dennis Eckersley and insisted he will try to break the mark at Wrigley Field instead of waiting for a homestand at Cincinnati, which begins Monday. But he probably won’t start against Cub left-hander Steve Trout Sunday.

The homer was Rose’s second of the season and second in the past two seasons. Both came at Wrigley Field.

“It’s kinda fun to play here when the wind blows out,” said Rose, who hit a 3-2 fastball into the right-field bleachers off Derek Botelho (1-3). “Non-home run hitters can become home run hitters when the wind blows out.”

The wind was blowing at 16 m.p.h. to left center but did not appear to affect Rose’s ball. Following the homer, he received a standing ovation from the crowd of 17,026.

Rose’s other hit was vintage Rose--a leadoff single to right in the sixth. He struck out in the first and ninth and grounded to third in the fourth.

“I wasn’t trying to strike out those times,” Rose said. “I’m trying my hardest to get base hits. I learned in 1964 that every game means something when we lost the pennant by one game.”

Rose has had four, three-hit games this season and will face Eckersley, who is scheduled to throw about 50 pitches, and reliever Jay Baller, a former teammate of Rose’s in Philadelphia.

“Of course I’d like to get it in Cincinnati. I’ve played 17 years there,” he said. “But I try to get three hits everytime I got to play.”

Rose got help from his teammates. Mario Soto (12-15) struck out 10, one fewer than his season-high, in pitching a seven-hitter.

Ron Oester, like Rose not known for home run power, hit his first of the season, with a man aboard in the fifth, to give the Reds a 7-4 lead.

“He’s gotten a few homers in his career but not me,” Oester said of Rose. “I didn’t change my swing to get one. If I do that, I’ll never hit one.”

Soto, going the distance for the ninth time this season, surrendered three homers. Ron Cey hit a three-run shot to close the gap to 5-4 in the fourth and Leon Durham had a solo shot in the second and Thad Bosley a solo homer in the ninth.

“It was unusually warm. I was tired,” Soto said. “But on those homers, the one Cey hit, no way that one can go out. I give up a lot of homers but the wind was blowing out.”

Chicago dropped its fifth straight game and Manager Jim Frey was more upset with Oester’s hit than the one by Rose.

“Guys like Rose and (Dave) Parker are expected to get their hits,” Frey said. “But Oester was coming up with the pitcher up next and he got his ball out. Yes, the wind was blowing out.”

Parker had three hits and one RBI, raising his National League-leading total to 96.

Leading 1-0 in the second, Dave Concepcion led off with a single off Botelho, but was caught stealing. Bo Diaz singled and Oester walked but Soto forced Diaz attempting to sacrifice.

Eddie Milner followed with a two-run triple to right, scoring Diaz and Oester. Rose then hit a 3-2 pitch into the right-field bleachers.

Cincinnati had taken a 1-0 lead in the first. Milner led off with a single. Rose took a third strike but Parker doubled to left, scoring Milner.

After Durham’s homer--his 16th of the year--made it 5-1 in the second, the Cubs closed to 5-4 in the fourth.

Ryne Sandberg, who had three hits, singled to center with one out and Keith Moreland walked on four pitches. Cey then hit a 1-0 pitch for his 18th homer.

But Cincinnati came back to make it 7-4 in the fifth when Diaz singled off the pitching rubber and scored on Oester’s homer to left center off reliever Jon Perlman.

Rose singled to right in the sixth on the first pitch off Reggie Patterson.