Game 44 Recap: Cubs 1, Padres 2
Aww, Hell's Bells.
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W - Wells (2-2) , fat, white, middle-aged, millionaire men. L - Marshall (0-1) , Fairness S - Hoffman (13) Things to take from the game 1. Marshall's first start of the year It's odd. Marshall hasn't really impressed me with my one eye on the TV, and yet I look up, and he's pitched six shutout innings with 2 hits, 2 BB and 5 K. The Padres got some good swings at him that wound up being harmless outs, and there's no disputing the results. 8 K's when he leaves the game after 7, with really only one mistake. And he leaves on the hook for a loss.... 2. The Seventh Cubs load the bases on Wells, and the inning ends with a 4-6-3 GIDP by Izturis. Marshall puts one runner on, just his fifth runner of the night at that moment, and Kouzmanoff crushes one into the upper deck in the left field bleachers. We go from a 1-0 lead, and a chance to blow the game open, to a 2-1 deficit. Len mentioned, at the start, how the Cubs scored 9 runs in his 9 losses, last year.... 3. DeRosa's good night DeRosa and Murton were the only guys who seemed able to handle Padres' pitching. DeRosa's fourth hit of the night came with two outs in the ninth, an opposite-field triple off Hoffman that was within 3 feet of going out of the park. Jones comes in to pinch-hit, works a 3-2 count, and lines out to RF to end the game. We gave Hoffman a good scare, but missed a crucial chance to avoid Hoffman, entirely, in the 7th. 4. Brevity You don't need many points, when it's a 2-1 game won on a home run. More tough luck for Marshall. More interesting things than you thought could be squeezed from this game, below.- It takes David Wells all of seven pitches to prosecute the top of the first.
- It takes Sean Marshall one batter to yield a walk.
- Marshall nearly throws a tap-back into right field, but Lee with a big stretch saves an error, and a run, in the first.
- There's a very visible "33" etched into the dirt behind the pitchers' mound. This is David Wells' number. Is this some ritual of his, writing his number in the dirt, in case fans at home have any question of what that number is on the back of his jersey?
- Brenley reporting the grounds crew is responsible for the 33.
- With two outs in the second, Murton singles, steals second, and scores on a DeRosa double into the Left-center gap. 1-0 Cubs.
- Wells and Marshall quickly settling down. Neither looks dominant, but both getting the job done.
- Murton and DeRosa smack a couple of solid singles to start the fifth. Izturis then hits a sinking line drive in to Right, which Cruz catches with Murton almost standing on third. Murton doubled off. Not good running from our favorite red-head.
- Wells is working a VERY fast pace, and we're letting him.
- This is why I like Bob Brenley - he can be genuinely unconventional in his thinking, and in a funny way. In the fifth he speculates about intentionally walking David Wells in some game, to make the rotund 40-somethinger run the bases.
- Cameron blasts yet another one, but Soriano makes a nice running catch on the warning track, before bumping into the scoreboard.
- one out in the seventh, and Wells walks Barrett and Murton back to back. De Rosa then lifts a blooper over Marcus Giles, who races out with Cruz Jr. racing in. Giles tries to make an over the shoulder sliding catch, misses, and collides with Cruz Jr. It could have been much, much worse of a collision than what it was. Phew. Bases loaded on wells, one out, and Izturis up in the seventh. Izturis GIDP, 4-6-3
- Linebrink with a single to Soriano, and then a walk to Lee puts runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs, for Aramis. Pop-up to end the inning.
- and Len with a nice "volume to eleven" reference.=
- I think that's the first time I've seen the full "Hell's Bells" Hoffman entrance. It's quite impressive. In a slightly corny way.
- With 2 outs in the ninth, DeRosa got just out in front of a change-up and hooked it foul down the left field line, maybe ten feet from tying up the game.
- a couple pitches later, DeRosa comes within maybe three feet of hitting it out, opposite field, into the porch that juts in closer to the field. Ball bounces away, and he gets a two-out triple! Four-hit game for DeRosa
- Jones in to pinch hit for Izturis.
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