Game 160: Cubs 6, Reds 0: Cubs Clinch Division
CUBS WIN
DIVISION
Box Score, Play by Play, Photos
W- Zambrano (18-13), Cubs Fans Everywhere. Setting up your rotation for the playoffs. L- Arroyo (9-15), for one night, at least, talk of Cubs' history. Magic Number - 0 (Brewers Lose 6-3.) Things to Take from This Game 1. Cubs Clinch the Right WayWe're playing baseball in October, folks. Check out this picture, courtesty of our own "Brick." It's too large to really be done justice inside of a Word Press column.2. Resting Easy, Early
Soriano led off the game with another solo Home Run. Theriot added a sacrifice fly in the second, and Zambrano looked to be in command of his pitches and his emotions early.3. Power Game
Besides Soriano, Lee hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Jones had a blast of an opposite-field, two-run double in the eighth. Really, from the second inning on, you just felt that we had this game in hand. But it was good to see the Cubs keep pouring it on.4. Great pitching.
Z had no troubles at all with the Reds injury-riddled lineup, and neither did Howry or Dempster. Not a lot of strikeouts tonight (just 5), but really few serious rallies or even hard-hit balls.your 4 years in waiting details, below. Game Recap Inning 1
- On an 0-2 pitch, Soriano gets a high fastball and drives it to right-center, a couple seats into the bleachers. Solo HR to lead off the game. 1-0 Cubs.
- Major laggage on my computer, but Kendall K's, Lee Lines out, and woo, my feed is back, and Floyd gets hit on the left ankle (back foot) with a 2-2 pitch, takes first. Ramirez bounces out to third to end it, 1-0 Cubs after top of the first
- Z quickly gets Hopper 0-2 to start the inning. Hopper bounces out to Lee.
- Keppinger bounces one that Derosa can't quite corral. Called a base hit.
- My connection goes down, but Votto and Phillips both fly out, ending the inning.
- We'll see if my connection does better, this time. Derosa lines a single to lead off the inning, Jones gets an inner-half fastball and lines it to right for a single. 2 on, no outs, Theriot up, Cubs hitting Arroyo pretty hard.
- Wild pitch, both runners advance! Valentin with a real bad effort - ball wasn't even in the dirt, he just moves his glove to his lower right, and the ball deflects off of it.
- Theriot hits a sinking liner to center, and Hopper makes a nice shoe-string, sno-cone catch on it. The throw is a one-hopper up the third base line, Derosa scores standing up just ahead of it, and the ball gets past Valentin, allowing Jones to take third. 2-0 Cubs!
- Zambrano pops out to second.
- Soriano flies to the warning track in Right. Lots of opposite field power in the last week or so, from Soriano. Inning over, 2-0.
- Encarnacion K's on a check swing to start the Reds' second.
- Valentin bounces to Theriot, two quick outs.
- And Coats bounces back to Z. I haven't had a chance to see as much of Z as I should do to internet complications, but from the sound of the Reds play-by-play guys, seems like Z looks good. Certainly making quick work of things.
- Kendall rolls one to third, easy ground out.
- Lee with a fly just short of the warning track in right. Another good swing on Arroyo.
- Floyd walks.
- Unlike the Marlins broadcasters, who decried the Marlins fans for not turning out, the Reds broadcasters are complimenting the Reds-fans turnout, interviewing some of their fans.
- And Ramirez grounds into a 6-4 FC, end of inning.
- Ellison bounces to Ramirez to start the Reds half
- Reds broadcasters now have their roving guy chat with the Cubs fans. Decent broadcast to be stuck with on mlb.tv, tonight. Still wish it was Len and Bob.
- Arroyo flies out, Hopper grounds out, and Z has another very quick inning. 37 pitches through 3
- Derosa flies out to center.
- Jones grouds out, and Theriot flies to shallow center, Hopper calling off Phillips. There have to be a ton of people watching baseball via mlb.tv tonight, as again my feed slags. Arroyo seems to be settling in.
- Keppinger grounds out, but then Votto singles, Phillips singles, and suddenly Encarnacion is up with 2 on, 1 out.
- Z goes 2-0, then 3-1 on Encarnacion.
- Encarnacion grounds through the hole past a diving Theriot, into left.
- Quick Quiz: What do you do when you have a ground ball single to Soriano, and a runner on second base? A. hold the runner, or B. let him get thrown out at the plate.
- The Reds third base coach chooses B, and Votto is out at home. Throw was actually up the third base line a bit, but Kendall dives back to tag Votto.
- Valentin then flies to Soriano, and the inning ends without the Reds scoring. Phew.
- Z hits a bouncer that Votto fields way off the bag, almost where the 2B man would be if you were playing the infield really far in. Arroyo has to race to cover, beats Z who, to no surprise, is busting his butt to get down the line. Don't get cramps, Z.
- Soriano gets another fastball, hits a double down the left field line. Reds broadcasters just besides themselves that Arroyo would, at this point, throw a fastball anywhere near the plate to Soriano.
- Kendall lines out to just short of the warning track in Left. 2 outs.
- Lee lines a home run out to left center, gets out easily. 4-0.
- Cubs fans going nuts in Cincinatti.
- It's time for me to go put the bottle of champagne on ice. brb.
- Floyd bounces out to short, inning over. 4-0 Cubs.
- Some Reds fan is very amusing in his drunken excitement over winning season tickets for next year through the Ohio lottery. Go drunken Reds fan.
- Coats bounces to Lee, unassisted, to start the Reds off in the fifth.
- Ellison hits a soft looper that Jones catches in shallow right-center. Sort of does a casual shoulder-to-shoulder bump with Floyd when they meet after the catch.
- Arroyo bounces one over Ramirez's head for a single.
- Hopper bounces sharply to the drawn-in Ramirez, out of the inning.
- Ramirez pops to Ellison
- Votto with a nice grab over the tarp on a foul popup by Derosa.
- Jones legs out an infield hit, bouncing it softly off the mound towards shortstop.
- Theriot flies out, ending the Cubs half of the inning.
- Replay seems to suggest that Arroyo may have buckled an ankle a little bit on that close play on Zambrano's 3-1 ground out the other inning.
- Keppinger leads off by rolling one through the middle.
- Votto hits one about six feet up the first base line. As good as a bunt, he's out, Keppinger advances.
- Phillips advances the runner to third with a roller to Derosa.
- Z K's Encarnacion on a 93 mph fastball up. Inning over.
- Z with 92 pitches so far, Arroyo with 93. Arroyo taken down for Coffey. Coffey strikes out Z.
- Coffey K's Soriano.
- My mlb.tv feed is suffering, again, but Kendall K's, somehow. Nice inning for Coffey.
- Another drunken fan, this time a Cubs fan who does a better Harry impersonation than the guy they showed in Florida. I guess this is what teams with no fan support and that are out of the running do to run out the broadcasts....
- Valentin walks to start the seventh. No time to lose it now, Z.
- Coats K's
- Ellison K's
- Mark Bellhorn (when did HE become a Red?) grounds out to end it. Good to see ya again, Mark, thanks for not hurting us.
- Lee strikes out
- Fans cheer as they see that the Padres are now up 3-2 on the Brewers.
- After a long AB, Floyd flies to Hopper at the warning track. Got a nice jump on the ball.
- Brad Salmon (WHO!?!?!?) in to face Ramirez. Ramirez rolls one back through the middle for a single.
- Derosa bloops one into left. Sounds like he broke his bat on it. Runners on 1 and 2, two outs.
- Jones drives one deep opposite field to left. Coats makes a nice leaping effort at the wall, but misses it, ball hits high off the wall. Both runners score.
- Theriot immediately singles to left, Jones thrown out at the plate. 6-0 Cubs after the top of the 8th
- Howry in for Z.
- Howry K's Hopper on a check swing.
- Pie in center, Jones over to right. Keppinger singles.
- Votto flies to deep left- center, Pie grabs it on a very nice running catch. 2 outs.
- Phillips pops out to end it. Again, struggling with my mlb.tv feed.
- Marcus McBeth (WHO?!?!?) in to pitch for the Reds. Fontenot pinch hits for Howry, flies out.
- Soriano hits a long drive foul. K's swinging at a fastball on the corner. Kendall flies to center, inning over. 3 outs to go.
- Switching to the Pat and Ron radio feed for bottom half of the inning, as A. I want to hear Ron and B. my mlb.tv feed is jamming, again.
- Encarnacion grounds to Ramirez. Pat reports the thousands of Cubs fans at the ballpark are standing.
- Valentin lines a base hit tothe right-center gap, Pie cuts it off.
- Pat and Ron get the update, Padres up on the Brewers 4-3.
- Can hear the Cubs fans cheering as the Padres scores gets posted at the Great American Ballpark
- Coats 6-4-3 DP. Just one big "yes" from Santo to acknowledge the accomplishment. Game Over, Cubs win.
- Santo sounds pleased, not overly aggitated or excited, gives his Chevy Player of the Game award to everyone.
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