Prior earning his marks Vaults Cubs into first with second straight win against Dodgers

cubs 2, dodgers 1

The thoughts going through Cubs pitcher Mark Prior's mind in theeighth inning Friday weren't exactly what the crowd of 40,188 wasthinking as it stood to urge him on against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With the tying run at third threatening the Cubs' one-run lead,the crowd was thinking strikeout.

What was going through my mind shouldn't have been. It was that ifShawn Green got a hit and then Jeromy Burnitz, they would have thelead and we'd have to face [Eric] Gagne," Prior said of the Dodgers'closer.

But Prior did what he had to, getting Green to pop to shortstopAlex Gonzalez and then, with the crowd roaring support, striking …