Game 72 Recap: Cubs 4, Devil Rays 5
How Many Losses?
W - Sonnanstine (8-3), loud domes, cowbells
L - Zambrano (8-3), soreness and discomfort, opposite field singles
S - Percival (17)
Things to Take from This Game
1. Cheap Runs
The Devil Rays scored a run in the first when DeRosa missed a line drive that allowed the runner to come around from first. It was a pretty bad miss by DeRosa. In the third the Devil Rays scored four times on a seemingly endless series of controlled swings producing opposite field singles.
2. Missed Spots, Calls
Zambrano didn't have much command of the fastball, missing up in the zone with some frequency. The home plate ump didn't have much command of his strike zone, either. It made for a bit of a bumpy game. But other than the third, both Z and Sonnanstine worked quickly and effectively. Cotts gave up a leadoff walk, but Wuertz got through the rest of the game without incident.
3. Missed Opportunity
The Cubs had a great chance to score in the fifth, with the bases loaded and no outs for Theriot, Lee and Ramirez. Theriot beat out a potential GIDP to score one run, but Lee and Ramirez couldn't drive the other runners in.
4. Another Wild Ninth
Soto makes up for last night's near-miss, and lines a home run off of Percival in the 9th, to make the game 5-4. DeRosa then walked, but Percival managed to nail things down from there. Another dramatic loss.
5. Uh. Oh.
Z left the game with two outs in the seventh after throwing a pitch to Eric Hinske. Soto saw something, and immediately got up, motioned to the dugout, and all went out to the mound. Z left and as of this posting has "Right Shoulder Discomfort" Edmonds had left the game in the fourth with "Left Foot Soreness." With Reed Johnson hobbled by a strained back, Fukudome had to play center. As per usual, stay tuned for updates.
Your "they're still the Devil Rays, no matter what their marketing department thinks the focus groups want" details, below.
Game Recap
Inning 1 - Top
- Fukudome bounces the first pitch to Iwamura at second, 4-3 putout
- Theriot with a smash to third. Longoria makes the 5-3.
- Sonnanstine is working very quickly. He has an interesting delivery, where he seems to really sling his right, throwing arm way down and around like a windmill. Just as I say it, Brenly points out that he also has a hitch in the windeup as he comes down with the leg.
- And Lee grounds out to Aybar at first, unassisted. Very fast top of the first
Inning 1 - Bottom
- Z also working very briskly. Iwamura walks on a full count. Looks like he's missing with the fastball.
- Crawford laces a slicing liner into left-center. DeRosa partially overruns it, but the ball is still just directly over his head when the ball hits off his glove and rolls to the wall. Error on DeRosa. Iwamura scores, Crawford on second. Pretty unfortunate miss, there.
- Called strike three on an inside fastball to Upton.
- Hinske flies out to Edmonds. Crawford goes to third.
- Longoria gets brushed back a bit. Then taps out to the catcher, 2-3 putout. Inning over, 1-0 Devil Rays
Inning 2 - Top
- Lots of Cowbell and other percussive instruments in effect at the Dome
- Ramirez singles up the middle, left of the shortstop
- Edmonds thinks he has walked (and so did I) but the ump calls it strike 1. Another fastball in for strike two, full count.
- Really have the percusion working. Inside the dome, it reminds me of the few bits of Japanese major league games I've seen on TV
- and Edmonds K's on a fastball
- It really sounds like it could be a playoff game at Tropicana. PRetty neat.
- Soto just barely tips a changeup that would have been strike three. Drops out of Navarro's glove.
- Soto hits a slow bouncer, Longoria comes in on it and turns a 5-4-3. Yesterday and today are the first two games I've had a chance to watch Longoria, but his D seems to be as good as advertised.
Inning 2 - Bottom
- Floyd chops one off the plate. Z waits for it, patiently throws to first, gets Floyd by a step.
- Aybar grounds 6-3 to Theriot.
- Navarro fights off an inside fastball, lining it over Cedeno for a single into right.
- As Brenly observes, Z getting his fastball up
- Bartlet grounds the first pitch into a routine 6-4. Another quick inning
Inning 3 - Top
- DeRosa pops to second
- Hoffpauir lines a single just in front of Upton in center.
- and Cedeno grounds out to Longoria, who makes another really fine play coming in on a ball, reaching across his body one way and then throwing back across his body on the run. Hoffpauir to second
- Fukudome lines a double down the right field line. Nice job pulling the inside fastball. Hoffpauir scores. Crowd still going wild.
- Theriot lines one back through the middle. I didn't think there'd even be a play at the plate, but Upton charges, makes a fantastic throw home. It's only a bit high, and Navarro has to go up for it as Fukudome slides in for the run. 2-1 Cubs. Theriot takes second on the throw.
- Lee K's swinging
Inning 3 - Bottom
- Hmm, this game is also on ESPN. I learn this as Len is pointing out that Carlos has to wait an extra half-minute between innings, due to the national-TV advertising. Between that on not hitting, and Len and Bob speculate he might be antsy.
- Iwamura walks again.
- Crawford lines one to Cedeno's left. He dives for it, deflecting off his glove and rolling slowly away into right field. Iwamura to third and Crawford to second. I didn't know Crawford was having leg troubles, but yeah, he's definitely running with a limp
- Upton lines a fastball up in the zone, outer-half, back to center. Edmonds gets to it before it goes to the wall, Iwamura scores with Crawford holding at third, Upton at first. 2-2 game
- and Hinske goes opposite field to left, scoring another run. Z still lacking command of the fastball.
- Longoria fists one inside-out, rolling it past Cedeno's left and into right field. Runner on second comes in to score, runners still at 1 and 2, still no outs, 4-2 game. Devil Rays finding all the holes.
- Floyd with a big swing, pops out to Cedeno. Floyd makes a big windup to slam his bat into the ground, but then thinks better of it.
- Yet another oppo-field hit, this one by Aybar. Run scores, still 1st and 2nd. 5-2.
- When did the Devil Rays put in an aquarium tank behind right field, full of Devil Rays?
- Navarro walks, loading the bases.
- Lieber warming up.
- Bartlett rolls one to Cedeno, who turns a nice 4-6-3 with Theriot. Inning over, 5-2.
Inning 4 - Top
- Ramirez strikes out looking at a pitch he thinks is high and inside.
- and now the first pitch to Edmonds is a called high strike, and he's not too fond of it.
- Kirwan Danly (sp?), your home-plate ump. Now Navarro isn't happy with the second pitch.
- Edmonds pops out to the pitchers' mound in the left field foul territory
- Soto lines the first pitch he sees off of the very top of the wall in left-center for a double.
- DeRosa grounds to Bartlett, inning over
Inning 4 - Bottom
- Edmonds has some sort of injury. Murton goes in to left, moving DeRosa over to right, with Fukudome over to center. Reed Johnson is unavailable due to a strained back that he aggrevated running out of the box on his game-ending bunt attempt last night.
- Iwamura promptly flies to Murton in left.
- Crawford rolls out to Theriot.
- and another grounder to Theriot, Upton out. Nice rebound from last inning
Inning 5 - Top
- Hoffpauir lines one just to Aybar's left at first. Into the corner, double.
- Cedeno walks.
- 3-0 on Fukudome. And now walks him. 2 walks in a row from one of the best strike-throwers in baseball.
- Bases loaded for Theriot.
- Curve for strike one to Theriot.
- Theriot chops a pretty routine-looking double-play ball to Iwamura. Theriot runs like hell and beats out the relay at first. Run scores, runners 1 and 3, 5-3 game. Extra helping of scrap served on that play.
- Lee looks bad swinging at a low breaking pitch for strike three.
- Ramirez flies to Hinske in right. Only one scores with bases loaded, no outs, and the 2-3-4 guys due up.
Inning 5 - Bottom
- Cute footage of the Devil Rays mascot miming Theriot's stretching routine before the game.
- Hinske grounds to Cedeno.
- And now, footage of Raymond gyrating at Theriot. Oh my.
- Edmonds leaves due to "left foot soreness."
- Longoria K's looking, inside fastball
- Floyd pops to Theriot. Another easy inning for Z
Inning 6 - Top
- Murton christens his appearance in this game by hitting a grounder. Gets past Bartlett for a single.
- Sonnanstine departs.
- J.P. Howell in.
- Soto linesone back up the middle on a hit and run, but Iwamura is covering the bag and the ball winds up being hit right to him for a 4-3 double play. Ouch.
- DeRosa grounds to Bartlett, inning over.
Inning 6 - Bottom
- Aybar hits a high drive to the warning track. DeRosa makes a very small hop to catch it at the wall.
- Navarro squibs one to Ramirez, out.
- Bartlett with a soft liner into shallow center. First runner for the Devil Rays since that awful third inning
- Iwamura with an easy 4-3 to end the inning
Inning 7 - Top
- Hoffpauir with the easy ground-out to first
- Cedeno fouls one right off the top of the toes on the left foot. Owwie.
- Cedeno then hits a chopper behind the mound, beats Iwamura's throw to first.
- Cedeno runs on a full count, and Fukudome pulls one to second. Cedeno hops over it, Iwamura has to go to first base.
- Theriot hits a soft liner to Iwamura, inning over.
Inning 7 - Bottom
- Z walks Crawford to start the inning. Umpire is consistent in his inconsistent strike zone, at least.
- Upton hits a hot shot to Cedeno's left. He goes down to one leg on a slide to get it, throws to second from that position, and Theriot makes the return throw for an easy DP
- After his first pitch to Hinske, Soto calls to the bench to alert them to some physical concern with Z. The trainer comes out to chat with Z.
- Len and Bob trying to figure out if Lou had waived to the pen or not as he came out to the mound. Replay shows he definitely gestured towards the bullpen, but they think he might have then tried to back out of it. In any case, Z winds up coming out, somewhat reluctantly. Soto definitely noticed something wrong, he got up very quickly after the last pitch, walked to the mound while waving into the dugout.
- Cotts in.
- And he throws three balls to walk Hinske
- WGN shows a replay of Carlos in the dugout, talking to the trainer and Lou. As he does, he moves his left arm up to touch his front right shoulder, sort of above the pectoral. Len and Bob are not thrilled to see this...
- Wuertz in.
- Hinske runs on a 3-1 pitch. Strike, safe at second.
- Longoria K's swinging at a low and inside pitch
Inning 8 - Top
- Gabe Gross in right for Hinske, Wheeler in to pitch
- Lee with a lazy fly to Upton. Doesn't look too happy with himself
- Wheeler really saws off Ramirez, easy roller to second.
- Murton grounds to Longoria
Inning 8 - Bottom
- Long battle, 3-2 count on Floyd. Finally walks.
- Gomes runs for Floyd at first.
- Aybar chops a grounder to Ramirez, 5-4-3 DP.
- Initial report on Z: "Right Shoulder Discomfort."
- Navarro K's swinging
Inning 9 - Top
- Percival in.
- Soto smacks a fastball down the middle for a big home run to left. No doubt about it. 5-4 game.
- DeRosa walks.
- Hoffpauir flies out to Upton
- Fontenot hits for Cedeno
- Like last night, Percival really looks like he's laboring with each pitch.
- Crowd on its feet, making a ton of noise. Lots of Cowbell.
- Full count on Fontenot.
- Flies out to Upton in left center. Two outs. Nuts.
- 2-2 count to Fukudome, and Percival picks now of all moments to break out a big slow curveball. Fools everyone, called strike three, game over.
Parachat Recap
Inning 1
- It's Carlos's Birthday!
- I have a great story involving drunk-dialing, my mother, Ricky Nolasco, the Shriners, Stinky the Clown and Alfredo Amezaga. Will enough people show up to justify my telling it?
- The Devil Rays' rap-sheet.
- DeRosa's error
- What weird off-speed pitch did Z throw to Hinske?
- MLB Gatorade Coolers' class-action lawsuit against Zambrano
Inning 2
- Tomato Talk.
- Did Tim Russert really have a childhood friend named Dick Eaton?
- !?!?!?!?!?!?!
Inning 3
- And I entertain parachat with my story of Shriners, Ricky Nolasco, Alfredo Amezaga, My Mother, Stinky the Clown and Drunk Dialing.
- to which Carlos responds with his own story of Amezaga and his Posse of Short Latinos in high school.
- complaints about the Cubs' defensive positioning tonight.
- and general moping.
Inning 4
- It's all Corey Patterson's fault
- Rob quotes TCR bylaws at me.
- How to accept your ban from TCR
- 17 inch TV screens
- Dewayne Staats
- Tattooed baseball players
- More talk of Reed's bunt play.
Inning 5
- Longoria's D.
- Going Roger Ebert
- FOX News-like accuracy in the parachat play-by-play.
- Run differentials
- late housemates
Inning 6
- Positive contributions to society.
- Boobs.
- The 1992 Mets
- The 1992 Cubs
- Chico F'ng Walker
- Continuing to flail away with our guesses at the 1992 Cubs
Inning 7
- The complete transaction history of Bob Scanlan
- More Bob Scanlan information than you can handle, courtesy of baseball-reference
- Devil Rays announcers whine.
- Tampa's Weather.
- Domes
- Jeff Stone
- Death by apple-seed poisoning.
- The mid-low/high 80s.
- BEES!
- Roids, Droids, Stroids, Rhoids.
Inning 8
- "We're not the drunks you're looking for" - nohit.
- Alligator skin gloves.
- The Brewers and Miller Park
- Parking at Wrigley
- Where is Z?
Inning 9
- Z's health
- RALLY CAPS
- Ugly Fans
Cubs record in games recapped falls to 9-4.
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