November 19, 2008
From the Cubicle
Live play-by-play commentary of today's Cubs-Pirates game--the one they couldn't finish last night.
I think this is a first for the Cubicle--we'll be covering a game and a third today. Unless, of course, the Cubs shaky bullpen can't hold the lead and they play extras. Let's hope not. I'm scheduled to donate blood at the Tower at 3:15. And I don't bleed Cubbie blue. We need some quick innings.
I'm sure many of you are wondering what the deal is with a suspended game, so I checked out the MLB site and here you go:
A game shall become a suspended game that must be completed at a future date if the game is terminated for any of the following reasons:
Weather, if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead;
If a game is suspended after it is a regulation game, and is continued prior to another regularly scheduled game, the regularly scheduled game will be a nine inning game.
So there you have it. In the old days, I think the Cubs would have won since it was an official game. But I was told here in the newsroom that at one time, the Cubs would have lost the game because they used to go back to the score at the end of the last completed inning. Not that everyone is totally confused, we'll pick up this one in the bottom of the seventh.
The Cubs rallied for four runs to take the lead in the top half of the seventh inning. Bob Howry was scheduled to start the inning.
Baseball coming up.
Hopefully, Lou Piniella today. Also, if the Cubs win, it's their first one-run win of the year and they'll become the last team to win one this season.
Seventh inning
Cubs lead 6-5. Howry will indeed start the frame for the Cubs. Did they sing the stretch yet? The count is 1-2 on Chris Duffy. He's called out on strikes. Jack Wilson bats. He's 2-for-2. He flies out to Jones in center. Freddy Sanchez steps in. Sunny skies in Pittsburgh today. Cliff Floyd's homer last night almost landed in the Allegheny River on the fly. Only one player has ever done that--current Cub Daryle Ward. Sanchez singles to center. Here's Jason Bay, who won Monday's game with a homer. Full count. Barrett goes out to talk to Howry. More foul balls. He Ks swinging.
Cubs 6, Pirates 5
Eighth inning
To What's up on the board--I'll just go another day. And Rahula has to handle the Sox game. Plus, K.C. Johnson will have a live Bulls chat on ChicagoSports.com at 3:00, so it's a busy day around here. John Wasdin faces Jacque Jones, who homered last night. Jones doubles to right as Ryan Doumit struggles to come up with it and Jones grabs the extra base. DeRosa grounds to short. Thought he might bunt there. Izturis swings at the first pitch and grounds to Wasdin. Jones is still at second. Nice to see the Cubs being patient at the plate. Murton hits one down the line at third that Bautista nabs, but his throw is late and Jones flies around third and scores. Soriano bats. He's 3-for-4 including his first homer as a Cub last night. He flies out to deep left-center.
Cubs 7, Pirates 5
OK, I'm freezing in here. Maybe Zell told them to turn down the thermostat. Maybe I shouldn't give blood today. Felix Pie is on to play center. Jones moves over to right. And Pie grabs Doumit's fly ball for the first out. Bautista bats. Len says if the Bucs had batted in the bottom of the inning and then the game had been called, the Cubs would have won. Bautista walks. Will Ohman will come on to face Adam LaRoche. He goes down swinging and that's all for Ohman. Ryan Dempster will come on now and Theriot will come in to play second. So much for the quick end to this one. CT Cubs Fan--all I know is Lee was thrown out at third after getting a double, but I didn't see the game, so I don't know if he was trying to stretch it into a triple or what. Anybody see it? Dempster balks and the runner moves to second. Ronny Paulino is the batter. He grounds out to Aramis at third.
Cubs 7, Pirates 5
Ninth inning
Thanks for the Lee explanation on the board. Ryan Theriot leads off. He drives one to right and that's a double. Double-switch pays off immediately. Lee singles to left and the Cubs lead by three. That's four hits for Lee. Cubfan in VA, I'd like to see Pie in the outfield with Jones and the real rich guy. Ramirez flies out to right. Barrett grounds out to Bautista at third as Lee moves to second. Jones is walked intentionally with Dempster coming up. He makes contact and pops out to Sanchez.
Cubs 8, Pirates 5
To The Cubicle--I got nothing. Last hope for the Bucs. I'll be back for the second game about 30 minutes after this one ends. Brenly thinks the umps should have called the game much sooner last night since the radar was showing that it was going to rain all night. Leadoff walk to Nate McLouth. Duffy just doubled and Dempster is in a jam here as McLouth scores. Jack Wilson is the tying run at the plate. OK Ryan, the Cubs don't really need to win by one run. Worry about that another game. Wilson pops out to Lee. Sanchez bats. He rolls one to Ramirez, who makes the play barehanded and gets Sanchez by a step. Duffy is still at second. Bay has a chance to ruin the day again. 2-2 count. He takes strike three on an off-speed pitch and the Cubs hang on.
Final: Cubs 8, Pirates 6
Rocky Cherry gets his first win in the bigs and the Cubs even the series. See ya in about 30 minutes.
Mixx it!
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
Popular stories
- More layoffs may number hundreds
- This Bud is gone for $52 million
- Hotel discovers better occupancy
- Home at last for W&M men’s soccer
- Events This Week
