Wrigley Field
Chicago, IL
4/13/2015
A weary and somewhat down team arrived in Chicago after two straight extra-inning games followed by a devastating blowout against their ace left them wondering if a slump was about to begin.
Their opponents today are the Cincinnati Reds, a struggling ball club that has plenty of hitting, a frighteningly speedy leadoff hitter, and almost no starting pitching. This one figures to be interesting.
The Reds send Homer Bailey (I always find it kind of a bad idea to be a pitcher named “Homer”) to face Jon Lester, who went the distance in his last start. It’s 7:05, so let’s play ball.
Lester looks great as he gets three fly outs on just 12 pitches and the Cubs come to bat in the bottom of the first. Starlin Castro, who has been hitting the ball well so far gets a one out single to right but is stranded as the inning comes to a close with no score.
Lester has to work a bit harder in the second as Eugenio Suarez, Cincy’s hottest hitter in the season so far draws a walk with one out but Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier fly out to end the inning. The wind is blowing in from right field today, so Jon can play with fire a bit today so far.
Miguel Montero leads off the second with a single to center and moves to second with one out, but Bailey continues to look better than his DRZ rating as he gets Chris Coghlan to pop up to Frazier at third and Addison Russell to fly out to shallow right to end the inning with no score.
Bailey hits a fly to center with one out in the top of the third that Dexter Fowler either loses in the sun, or did not adjust for the wind, which has picked up a bit since game time and boots this for an error.
Billy Hamilton tries to bunt him over, but it goes right back to Lester. Unfortunately Castro’s relay throw to Anthony Rizzo is rushed and pulls him off the bag for a fielder’s choice and two outs. Lester of course is now famously noted for his lack of a pick off move and Hamilton steals second easily but Skip Schumaker whiffs to end the inning and it is still no score as we go to the bottom of the third.
The Cubs finally get some hitting as Castro hits a double off the access door in left field and scores shortly afterwards on Rizzo’s single to right to give them their first run of the day. Kris Bryant flies out to end the inning and it is 1-0 Cubs.
Lester has to overcome the Cubs defense, which has been somewhat poor to start the season as Joey Votto is on first after a walk Castro boots a routine grounder for an error that puts runners on first and second. Brandon Phillips bunts the runners to second and third with slugger Todd Frazier at bat, but Lester burns him with breaking stuff for the inning ending strikeout, his fourth of the day and despite the struggles still has a no hitter after four innings.
Bailey continues to baffle the Cubs with a quick 1-2-3 inning and the Reds come to bat in the fifth inning. Lester gets his fifth strikeout and three more outs and still has a no hitter and the Cubs cling to a one run lead as they come to bat in the bottom of the inning.
Things start off promising, as Addison Russell, who is struggling at a .235 average hits a sharp single to left for a single, and is still there with one out, but Fowler hits a grounder to short for the force, but beats the relay throw, but Castro flies to right, and this carries a bit deeper than any fly today as the wind has slowed considerably for the third out and we still have a 1-0 game with Chicago leading after five innings of play.
Lester is actually beginning to look better as the evening moves on and he has now retired seven in a row, punctuated by a strikeout of Votto to end the inning, and the no hitter continues.
Homer Bailey is really having a great night as he gets the Cubs in order in the sixth and it’s lucky for the visitors that he is as Jon Lester strikes out Phillips and Frazier to end the seventh inning and the Reds are still looking for their first hit of the night and trail the Cubs 1-0 as we go to the bottom half of the inning.
Chris Coghlan slips a single just out of the reach of Phillips into right for a single, but Austin Jackson hits a one hop smash right at Votto, who turns a 3-4-3 double play and the inning, is over, and still just a 1-0 game.
Lester gets Brayan Pena to strike out to open the eighth inning and Homer Bailey, who pitched a heck of a game tonight, is called back as Ramon Cabrera pinch hits. He hits a soft fly ball to Fowler in center for out number two. Hamilton draws a walk and again steals second but is stranded there as the inning comes to an end, and the Cubs still lead 1-0.
J.J. Hoover comes in and looks great as he strikes out Lester and gets a couple of ground outs and the Reds get one last chance at this game trailing 1-0 as we reach the top of the ninth.
So Jon Lester takes the mound in the top of the ninth seeking his first career no hitter. Unfortunately the drama ends rather quickly as Jay Bruce hits one just over Russell’s leaping attempt for a clean single to left.
Bruce steals second and moved to third on Votto’s grounder to second. Suarez crushes one to deep center field and Fowler chases it down near the warning track for out number two, but Bruce scores and suddenly after being shut down all night the Reds have tied the game! Phillips also flies to deep center to end the inning and suddenly the Cubs have to start all over again.
And start again they do. Anthony Rizzo slams Hoover’s first pitch fastball into the right field stands for a game winning home run!
So the Cubs win a game that was more like one of my dead ball era games than a 21st century game. Lester picks up his second complete game victory and Rizzo goes 2-4 with both RBI’s for the Cubs. Starlin Castro also had two hits and is now hitting .360 for the season.
Around the horn
Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 6-2. Kershaw strikes out 11 hitters for the second straight time this year.
Garrett Richards of the Angels tossed a three hit shutout of the Rangers
Nolan Arenado continues his torrid hitting. After destroying the Cubs the other night he follows this up with five for five night, which included his 4th homer in two games and two doubles and had 8 straight extra base hits as the Rockies pounded the Giants 11-3
As the former owner of Homer Bailey in the IAL, the jokes of “Homer? You want me to hit a homer?” never ceased. :)
Glad the Cubs pulled one out despite no shutout OR no-hitter.