Dodgers take 2-0 lead over Cubs

CHICAGO — After two duds by the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers look ready to run Chicago's championship drought to 100 years.

Ramirez hit a mammoth homer to extend his postseason record, Russell Martin had a three-run double and the Dodgers took advantage of four errors by the clumsy Cubs in a 10-3 victory Thursday night that gave them a 2-0 lead in the NL division series.

"It wasn't good baseball. In fact, the last two days, that's probably been the two worst games we've played all year," frustrated Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "It wasn't fun to watch, I'll tell you that."

Chicago became the 23rd major-league team to lose the first two games at home in a best-of-five playoff series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Only one has come back to win — the 2001 New York Yankees against Oakland.

Of course, that Yankees team was managed by Joe Torre, now in the Dodgers' dugout.

Chad Billingsley shut down Chicago's slumping lineup, and Ramirez's 26th postseason home run landed on the roof of the batter's eye club in center, at least 450 feet away. It was his second jaw-dropping shot in two nights.

"We've still got one more game to win," Ramirez said.

On defense, the Cubs collapsed. All four infielders made an error, including two in the second that led to a five-run inning for Los Angeles. The four errors by Chicago tied a division series record.

Billingsley allowed five hits and a run in 6-2/3 innings to the Cubs, who haven't played like the team with the NL's best record or one that went 55-26 at home this season.

Carlos Zambrano worked 6-1/3 innings, giving up seven runs — three earned — as Chicago dropped its eighth straight playoff game.

Billingsley said it "kind of" looks as though the Cubs are pressing.

"We took advantage of some of their mistakes, and that's really big for us to do," he said.