CHICAGO AP) - Bruce Kimm spent three months in the same Wrigley Field dugout where for years managers with all levels of experience have watched the Chicago Cubs in disbelief.

The team that has made losing an art form did it again this season and it cost Kimm, the interim manager, his job.

"We didn't perform. We got two managers fired," catcher Joe Girardi said, reflecting on Kimm and Don Baylor, who was let go in early July.

The Cubs did send Kimm out a winner Sunday when Sammy Sosa hit his 499th career homer to spark a 7-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hours before the first pitch, Kimm got the hardly surprising news from general manager Jim Hendry that he was out. Still, he ran the team for one last game.

"I'd rather be able to manage and things not to work out then never get the opportunity," Kimm said. "Disappointment? Yeah. But I know I went about it in a professional way."

The Cubs, despite another great individual season from Sosa, didn't give Kimm a chance.

After one listless, almost effortless loss in St. Louis, Kimm unleashed a profane tirade. Earlier, he unhappy when an unidentified Cubs player went to sleep in the clubhouse during a game.

Chicago's biggest problem was on the field - lackluster performances, disappointing seasons from veterans like Moises Alou and Todd Hundley, poor fielding and an unreliable bullpen in which closer Antonio Alfonseca blew nine saves.

"Bruce was pretty much in a no-win situation," reliever Joe Borowski said. "He was brought in to bring life to the team and we just didn't respond. Not only did we fail each other, we failed him, too."

Sosa, who hit his 49th homer in the first inning, couldn't save Kimm's job or the season.

"I would have enjoyed it more if the team had been closer to a pennant race and we had a much better winning percentage," he said.

The Cubs finished 67-95 - their fourth season of 90-plus losses since 1997. Last season they went 88-74 but got off to a horrid start this season and never recovered.

They were 33-45 after Kimm, who began the season as manager at Triple-A Iowa, replaced Baylor.

Sosa's chase of 500 was about all that was left in the final months of the season.

In a 1-for-19 slump before Sunday, he connected off Josh Fogg, his first homer since Sept. 20, to make it 2-0.

He walked and struck out twice. When he went down swinging in the seventh, Sosa got a rousing ovation from the crowd of 37,541 at Wrigley Field. He also finished one homer short in his bid to become the first player to hit 50 or more five times.

"That's a great feeling, even though they wanted to see me hit one more home run. I have seven more years to play, so I will get it sooner or later."

Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon, who led the Pirates to a 72-89 season, up from 62-100 last year, agreed.

"I would lay some money down that he'd get it next year," McClendon said.

Aramis Ramirez homered off Kerry Wood (12 (11)- in the second and the Pirates loaded the bases before Pokey Reese flied out.

Fogg 12 (12)- loaded the bases with a walk to Sosa in the fifth, forced in a run with a walk to Hee Seop Choi and gave up a two-run double to Angel Echevarria that made it 5-1. Echevarria also hit a two-run single in the seventh.

"I'm out trying to win a game. If he hits two and we win, it's not a big deal," said Fogg, referring to Sosa. "He got one and we ended up losing. It kind of stinks for me both ways."

Notes: @ Pirates bench coach Bill Virdon won't return to that post next season. He will be a spring training instructor but wants to spend more time with his family. ... Brian Giles got one at-bat and then left the game in the first with a tight hamstring. He finished the season at .298 after grounding into a double play. ... The Cubs led the major in strikeouts by their pitching staff (1,333) and their batters (1,269), the first time that's happened since 1884.