(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Tonight I felt like I was reliving the soundtrack of my youth. Ask me to describe a game that the Cubs played at 9 o’clock central time from Dodgers Stadium and I will tell you that in my memory every game played this way for the last 31 years ended the same way. In my memory every game against the Dodgers from Dodger Stadium ended with our closer blowing a lead and the Dodgers coming back to beat the Cubs in the ninth inning. It seems like I cannot ever remember the Cubs winning a nine o’clock game at Chavez Ravine. This is probably not true, and I think that the truth would be easily found but why tamper with memories? (By the way I would be interested in hearing your Cub memories from childhood that you know are not true but you still believe them anyway. Another one that I might have mentioned before: I used to watch games from places like old Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia and think that because of the angle of the Center Field camera that it was almost impossible to throw strikes there.) Anyway, yet another sign that this “is the Cubs year” is that the Cubs were staring face to face with the exact same ending as every other late night game against the Dodgers in their history and they found a way to get the job done.
This one looked early on that the Cubs might charge to a lead and never look back. In the second inning the Cubs got their first run off of Chad Billingsley when Kosuke Fukudome hit a solo home run to right field. The Cubs scored again in the third when Soriano singled, Theriot singled, Lee walked, and Soriano scored when Ramirez hit a run scoring fielder’s choice. In the fourth mark DeRosa hit a solo home run and Ryan Theriot drove in Ryan Dempster who had doubled earlier in the inning. At this point the Cubs led the game 4-0 and Dempster had not given up a hit and had only relinquished one walk. Things seemed in hand.
In the fifth inning Dempster began to struggle (Exhibit C) the Dodgers went back to back to back with a triple, double, and single and the Cubs lead was cut to 4-2. With one out in the third Jeff Kent hit a home run to cut the lead to 4-3 and Neal Cotts came in after Dempster walked Russell Martin. Cotts got James Loney to ground into a double play to end the inning. The Dodgers led off the seventh with a single by Blake DeWitt who advanced to second on a bunt. Lou brings in Marmol at this point who strikes out oe batter and gets Juan Pierre to fly out and end the inning with the lead. Bob Howry came in to pitch the eighth and gave up a game tying home run to Jeff Kent- his second of the game. This was his first earned run given up since May 16.
The game was tied in the ninth when Theriot led off with a double. Lee could not move him over and struck out. Ramirez was hit by a pitch. This brought about a face off between Fukudome and fellow Japanese star Takashi Saito. Interestingly, this seemed to effect Kosuke as he took the two most out of control swings at the first two offerings from Saito that I have ever seen him take. Len and Bob made similar comments. Then he proved us wrong by grounding a base hit that gave the cubs the 5-4 lead for the ninth.
Kerry Wood came in to pitch the ninth. James Loney begins with a lead off double…and here we go again. (I can just envision Mike Scioscia pounding Ryne Sandberg at home plate as he is trying to score the go ahead run in extra innings. Not to mention Brett Butler and Steve Sax…and Tommy Lasorda…nightmares). Wood then gets Blake DeWitt to K looking on a wicked slider. With two outs Terry Tiffee pinch hit. Terry has never faced Wood and is only 1 for 4 in pinchi hitting this year. Wood gets ahead 1-2 and seems like this could be an easy K until he hits Tiffee with a fast ball. Juan Pierre then fell behind 1-2 and Woody seemed afraid to throw to him. He winds up walking him with breaking balls and Bob Brenly astutely said “That was the most respect that Juan Pierre has ever gotten in an at bat in this league. Go after him. Throw him a fast ball and get him to fly out to end this game.” Matt Kemp then bats and Wood falls behind 2-0. Kemp expands his strike zone and swings at a high fast ball (ball 3 thank you) and then takes a borderline fast ball called a strike to even the count. Then Woody blows a fast ball by him for strike 3…and a Cubs winner.
I was impressed by the game that the Cubs had against Billingsley. He has been one of the stronger pitchers in the National League and has given up 0,2,0,1,4,1,1 earned runs in his last 7 starts. He did have 8 strike outs and Soriano and Soto both struck out three times. It seems like these guys sometimes cannot see that they are obviously striking out on the same pitches repeatedly…but whatever this is not new (Here comes the sweeping breaking ball Sammy…whish). Good offensive games from Theriot (3 for 5), Fukudome (2 for 4 with 2 rbi), and DeRosa (2 for 3 with a homer).
Dempster wound up being just OK after starting real good. He crumbled a little after starting out with only 2 base runners through four. He pitched 5.1 innings and only struck out 1. He was OK. Yesterday’s start by Ted Lilly was the first quality start by a starter since May 28. The pitching staff seems tired and the Cubs are carrying 13 pitchers which seemed to hurt them strategically some tonight.
Tomorrow the Cubs send Sean Gallagher against Hiroki Kuroda. This could be another game where Gallagher seals his spot in the rotation above Jason Marquis.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I like how Lou used his bullpen last night, despite the fact that Howry couldn’t get the hold. Using Marmol in the most critical spot and then not trying to over use him by leaving him in there for the 8th. We need to limit the length of Marmol’s appearances, not necessarily use him less often. The problem has been we have been in every single game in the last month, which makes it difficult on your bullpen. I actually hope we get some blowouts soon, even if it means the occasional loss. Our run differential is amazing when you compare it to the second best in baseball (Cubs +96, Philly +68, Red Sox +54).
June 6th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Three out of four to start a west coast road trip. I can’t complain.
I have a clear memory of Adolpho Phillips hitting five home runs in a double header in the mid-sixties. It was just a couple of years ago that I discovered it didn’t happen (I think he hit three in a double header).