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The Cubs are trying to give Wrigley Field a facelift -- again. The team gave the city of Chicago a renovation proposal June 18 that includes a 1,980-seat expansion of the bleachers, renovation of the exterior outfield walls and a new multipurpose building on the west side of the ballpark that would include a restaurant, parking garage and underground batting cages and pitchers' mounds.
A month after a couple of violent sneezes landed Sammy Sosa on the disabled list, the slugger is finally back. The Cubs activated Sosa on June 18 and sent OF Jason Dubois to Triple-A Iowa. "It's a good feeling to be back," said Sosa. "The team played very well, I like that. It's always good to be back in the field."
With a 5-4 win over the Astros on June 17, the Cubs completed a four-game sweep. It was the Cubs' first four-game sweep of the Astros since June 23-25, 1967, and the first in Houston.
RHP Greg Maddux earned his 295th win June 16 -- a 4-1 victory over the Astros. "When the pitchers on this team keep us in the game, we're going to win a lot of close games," said Maddux, who allowed only one run on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. "Our hitters are going to hit."
2B Mark Grudzielanek, who went on the disabled list April 10 with a partial tear of his right Achilles tendon, is expected to return June 19 against the A's, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Manager Dusty Baker is looking forward to regaining Grudzielanek's demeanor as well as his skills. "We have a mellow team," he told the newspaper. ''Grud brings us fire and wildness."
RHP Kerry Wood threw off a bullpen mound June 14 for the first time since he went on the disabled list May 12 with a right triceps strain, the Sun-Times reported. Wood is no longer feeling the kind of discomfort that forced him to the sidelines. ''It's more a little bit of tightness,'' he told the newspaper. ''But stiffness is fine. I can pitch with stiffness. You don't have to be concerned about that." Wood plans to return for another bullpen session on the mound June 16.
RHP Mark Prior pitched five shutout innings in his third start since coming off the DL, ending Roger Clemens' unbeaten streak at 13 games with a 7-2 win over the Astros on June 14. Prior allowed only five hits and struck out eight, denying his childhood idol a chance to become the first pitcher in the big leagues with 10 wins. "Going against someone that's going into the Hall of Fame … it was just nice to beat him," said Prior. "It's pretty special because he doesn't give up many runs."
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