Game 155 Recap: Cubs 9, Pirates 5
Big Day for the Big 3
Box Score, Play by Play, Photos
W-Hill (10-8), Keeping pressure on the Brewers, Home Runs, pennant-chase baseball on beautiful september days. L- Duke (3-8), Sam Fuld's noggin and shoulder. Magic Number - 6 (with Brewers loss factored in) Things to Take from This Game 1. The Big 3 Soriano had two HR, including his first opposite-field blast at Wrigley, a double, and 5 RBI. Lee went 4-5 with a HR, Ramirez had a two-run HR. All three have been on huge hot-streaks at the moment when it matters the very most. Theriot also had 3 hits and scored twice. 2. The Other Big 3 (+1) Hill got pulled after 5 effective innings and 73 pitches, with only a series of scratch hits in the second leading to 3 unfortunate runs. Marmol, Eyre, Howry and Dempster then closed out the game. A bit odd that all four pitched in a game that was 7-3 when Hill left. Marmol looked sharp, Howry and Dempster got hit around a bit, Eyre got saved on a spectacular play by... 3. Sam Fuld Fuld made a terrific play to turn a run-scoring extra-base hit with one-out in the seventh, into an inning-ending double-play that revved up the fans. Nyjer Morgan stroked one to the right-center wall. Fuld ran back, lept into the vines, crashing hard against them, to catch the drive. A strong throw to Lee doubled-up the runner, and kept us out of a potentially big Pirate inning. Fans just loved it. The closing in on the division details, below. Game Recap Inning 1- Whoops, thought the game began at 1:05 central, not 12:05. Nyger Morgan is on first, and Bautista walks. Sanchez then hits a sinking soft liner to right. Morgan badly misjudges it, taking off for third, while Murton catches it quite easily. Murton tries to hulk up a bit too much on the throw, and skips it in to Theriot who catches it on a very tough hop, to double off Morgan. Phelps then bounces out to Theriot, who catches a tough hop off the lip of the grass, to get the force at second.
- Cubs half of the inning, Morgan then badly misjudges a Derosa fly ball, has to hit the brakes and make a big leaping catch on what should have been a routine fly.
- Lee smokes one out to the left-field bleachers on an inside fastball. Crowd goes wild.
- Cubs dugout yelling at umpire Tom Hallion over balls and strikes calls.
- Ramirez and Murton single.
- Soto singles sharply off the side of the pitcher's mound. Sanchez at second has to redirect, barehands the ball, and rushes a sidearm throw to first, which gets away from Phelps. Ramirez scores, 2-0. Monroe K's to end it.
- Len informs us that the Reds' appeal of the game featuring the double-switch has been denied. We've officially won that game, for good. Suckers.
- Paulino and Pearce both single with one out, runners on 1 and 2 for Kata. Neither hit hard, Pearce's a badly broken bat
- and Kata with a jam-shot floater just over Lee's head, into fould territory - Murton with a nice play on the carom off the bullpen wall, but Paulino still scores. 2-1 on a series of cheap hits, runners at 2 and 3, Duke up.
- Duke singles down the third base line past the drawn in infield. Two runs score. 3-2 on a series of cheap hits.
- Morgan pops out to Lee, who makes a nice basket scoop catch by where the brick barrier to the new seats meets the Pirates' dugout. 2 outs
- Trachsel up in the bullpen. Len tells us he was scheduled to pitch a sim. game later today, if not needed in the real game.
- Nice called strike 3 on a curve to Bautista. Len and Bob laugh at Hallion's very exaggerated twisting-backwards left-hook on the call.
- Soriano hits a line drive that just gets out to right. 3-3 game.
- DeRosa hits one into the seats foul down the right-field line. Pearce made an awkward effort to jump for it, sort of jamming his foot into the foul wall padding. Seems to be ok. Nothing else interesting in the inning, Tied at 3 after two.
- Was making an omelette for most of the top of the third. Seems that not much happened. Hill K's Nady and Phelps swinging. For having an era of 9 so far in this game, Hill has looked quite in control for most of it.
- Lee rolls one into right for a single to lead off the third.
- Ramirez lines one out to left, just a few rows up. Awesome series for Ramirez so far. Soriano's gotten to 30 HR and Ramirez to 100 RBI on the year, today.
- Murton and Soto K, Monroe Walks and Theriot hits a ball that probably should be a 6-3 out by Kata, but the ball gets away from him, Theriot credited with a hit. 1 and 2 with 2 outs for Hill. Bounces back to Duke to end the inning.
- The Wash-Our-Hands-of-the-Kellie-Pickler-Incident Contest Winner gets announces. He's declared to be the "first fan" to get to sing the 7th. I guess Ronnie Woo-Woo and celebrities who are also genuine fans don't count?
- Soto with a nice catch of a popup at the screen behind home plate.
- Soriano with a leadoff walk in fourth. Derosa forces him, 5-4 for the first out. Lee singles to left.
- Ramirez hits one up the middle, and Sanchez ranges far to his right to grab the ball while sliding behind second base, gets Ramirez at first, but runners advance to 2 and 3. Murton up with 2 outs. Murton walks, bases loaded for Soto.
- Soto gets jammed, bounces out to Sanchez.
- With one out, Morgan walks, steals second. Bautista pops up, and Lee makes another nice catch in foul territory. Derosa with a nice play on a hard-hit ball by Sanchez to end the inning.
- Torres relieves Dukes, and Jones pinch-hits for Monroe. Strike 3 called, another wild twisting punch-out call by Hallion, much to Len and Bob's amusement.
- Theriot singles, and Floyd comes in to pinch-hit for Hill. Only 73 pitches in 5 basically good innings, and Hill comes down... That'll cause some chatter.
- Floyd called out on strikes, not to thrilled about the call on the inside fastball.
- Theriot steals second, just ahead of the tag. Nice foot-first slide. 2 outs, runner on 2nd for Soriano
- Soriano clobbers one to the back rows of the bleachers in left. Like Ramirez, Soriano with 3 HR in the last two days. 7-3, Soriano with a huge smile on his face as he goes back to the dugout. Gets the curtain call.
- Zeus in to relieve in the sixth. Walks Phelps.
- Nady pops one towards the foul line in left, Soriano can't find it. Theriot, Jones race to try to get there, but ball drops well into the stands. Phew. Nady eventually flies out to Soriano, with Jones again running over just to be safe.
- Paulino K's looking on a knee-buckling slider.
- Pearce K's looking as Zeus hurls a mighty thunderbolt past himl. Zeus finishes the inning looking strong.
- Van Benschoten in to relieve, McClouth in, Nady over to Right, Pearce out of game on what must be a double switch. I spelled Benschoten correctly, without looking? Sweet.
- Lee lines one back through the middle where Van B's head had just been, for a 4-4 day so far.
- Ramirez pops up to Sanchez, who struggles to look for it in the sun. Lee is lured off of first base, and when Sanchez catches it (quite easily, suggesting perhaps a great Deke), Lee is doubled off of first. Murton flies out to end it.
- Sam Fuld in for Murton, and Eyre in for Marmol, on the double-switch? Len doesn't think so, which is a bit odd.
- Eyre's new glove gives his name as Stevey Ire.
- One out, McLouth walks on a full count.
- Morgan hits a deep drive to right-center, Fuld makes a spectacular leaping catch into the ivy. (Upon further review, he hit the ivy very hard, jumping into it with no chance to brace himself.) A strong throw back to Lee gets McLouth, for the fan-frenzying double play going into the Stretch. A very fortuitous defensive placement by LouPa, right there.
- As much as I think the idea wound up being a sham, Props to the guy who sung the seventh inning, Dustin Eglsedar or something like that. He did a nice job, sounds like a very decent and devoted Cubs fan.
- I'm actually rather surprised that only 2700 people applied for the competition.
- Soto K's, Jones bounces sharply through the left-side hole. Theriot then drops one in to right field.
- WGN shows the replay of Eyre giving Fuld a big hug and kiss on the cheek in the dugout, laughing.
- Ward K's looking, pinch-hitting for either Eyre.
- Soriano hooks a double into the left-field corner. Jones and Theriot score, 5 RBI for Soriano today. 9-3 Cubs
- Derosa ends the inning, he's now 0-5.
- Howry in. Eglsedar still in the booth.
- Bautista clobbers one to dead center, it lands in the vines on the fly, and disappears. Ground rule double.
- Sanchez doubles inside the first base line, 9-4 game. Fuld boots it a bit (we'll forgive you, this time) and Sanchez takes third.
- Howry K's Phelps, gets Nady on a come-backer, Sanchez still at third.
- Paulino flies to shallow center to end the threat.
- Lee strikes out looking on a low pitch, Lee is quite unhappy and throws his bat down. It was most certainly low, costing Lee a 5-5 day.
- Ramirez looks really bad waving at a few sliders from Benschoten.
- Fuld gets a standing ovation when he comes up to bat. Very cool of the Cubs fans.
- Fuld comes back from 1-2 to walk. Fans go wild.
- Soto flies out to Morgan, who struggles with what must be a very tough sun, today.
- Dempster in. Castillo pinch hits for Pearce, K's swinging. Again, sort of interesting to see the Big Three Relievers in for such a large lead.
- Kata flies to Soriano. Fans on their feet
- McLouth up, golfs one out down the right field line, to the back of the luxury bleachers. 9-5.
- Morgan up, lines to Lee, who tosses to Dempster covering to finish the game.
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