CUBS-12
Pirates-8
(12 inn.)
W: Lieber (1-1, 0.00 ERA)
L: Meek (0-1, 27.00 ERA)
S: Marmol (1, 1.50 ERA)
Most Valuable Cub: Jon Lieber (3.0 IP, 2H, 0 R/ER, 2BB, 2 SO)
Recap
The Cubs walked the plank, but lived to tell about it Monday after escaping with a 12-10 win in a 12 inning, 4-hour 47-minute marathon against the Pirates. The Cubs jumped all over the Bucs early, leading 7-0 after three innings. But the Pirates were able to rally and tie the game at 8 in the bottom of the seventh in front of a nearly-full PNC Park on Opening Day in Pittsburgh. An array of poor pitching and defensive miscues plagued both teams.
Scoring Plays
CUBS – Top 2nd
The Cubs got the scoring started early. In the top of the second inning, second baseman Mark DeRosa doubled to right center before advancing to third on a wild pitch by Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny. Catcher Geovany Soto then drove in DeRosa when he singled to center. 1-0 Cubs.
CUBS – Top 3rd
The Cubs biggest inning was the top of the third. Center fielder Reed Johnson started things off by drawing a walk. Next, first baseman Derrek Lee also walked to put men at first and second with one out. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez was up next, and he reached on an infield single back to Gorzelanny. Johnson scored on the play, and Lee advanced to third. Ramirez advanced to second thanks to a throwing error by Gorzelanny. 2-0 Cubs. Right fielder Koskue Fukudome then singled to right, scoring Lee. 3-0 Cubs. After a walk to DeRosa, Soto singled to left, scoring Ramirez, and ending Gorzelanny’s day. 4-0 Cubs. Shortstop Ronny Cedeno hit next, and he doubled to deep center, clearing the bases. Fukudome, DeRosa, and Soto all scored. 7-0 Cubs.
Pirates – Bottom 4th
The Pirates got their first runs of the game in the fourth. With the bases loaded thanks to a single by catcher Ryan Doumit and walks to right fielder Xavier Nady and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, shortstop Luis Rivas reached on an infield single to short, scoring Doumit. 7-1 Cubs. Nady then scored, and Rivas and Mientkiewicz advanced a base, thanks to a throwing error by Cedeno. 7-2 Cubs. Back-up shortstop Chris Gomez then hit for Pittsburgh reliever Phil Dumatrait and reached on an infield single. Mientkiewicz scored on the play, and Rivas scored on a throwing error by Ramirez. 7-4 Cubs. Center fielder Nate McLouth was up next, and he tripled to deep right. Gomez scored, and Cubs starter Ted Lilly was chased from the ballgame. 7-5 Cubs.
CUBS – Top 6th
The Cubs were able to widen their lead in the sixth. Johnson led off the inning with a single to left, and Lee hit a ground-rule double to deep left, moving Johnson to third. Ramirez scored Johnson and moved Lee to third by hitting into a fielder’s choice to second. 8-5 Cubs.
Pirates – Bottom 6th
The Pirates answered the Cubs runs in the bottom half of the sixth by scoring two runs. New Cubs reliever Carmen Pignatiello relieved Kevin Hart, who came in for Lilly, and had a rough go of it. After inheriting two runners from Hart, Pignatiello walked Pirate pinch-hitter Nyjer Morgan to load the bases. Pignatiello next walked McLouth, scoring third baseman Jose Bautistia, who was on third. 8-6 Cubs. After Bob Howry relieved Pignatiello, who threw eight consecutive balls to the only to batters he faced, second baseman Freddy Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to center, and Rivas scored. 8-7 Cubs.
Pirates – Bottom 7th
The Bucs would tie the game in the seventh after Michael Wuertz relieved Howry. Weurtz retired Mientkiewicz to start the inning, but gave up a double to deep right center by Bautista. Following a fly-out by Rivas, Mogan reached first and Bautista scored on a fielding error by DeRosa after a seemingly-routine (Is anything routine when it comes to the Cubs?) ground ball hit off the webbing of DeRosa’s mitt and careened into shallow right. 8-8 tie.
CUBS – Top 12th
Neither team was able to make any noise in the four innings that followed, but the Cubs finally broke the tie in the 12th when Pirates reliever Evan Meek imploded in only his third Major League appearance. Meek, who was the Pirates last available pitcher in the game, began his adventure by walking shortstop Ryan Theriot, who did not start the game, but started the ninth at short. Theriot then stole second, before left fielder Alfonso Sorianio walked. Theriot went to third and Soriano went to second, when Meek threw a wild pitch to center fielder Felix Pie, before Pie grounded out to first. The Pirates next game Lee a free pass to load the bases. Former Pirate Ramirez then hit a sac fly to right, scoring Theriot. 9-8 Cubs. Soriano then took third on another wild pitch by Meek, before Fukuome was also given a free pass, to load the bases again. DeRosa batted next, and he was given an unintentional walk, scoring Soriano. 10-8 Cubs. Meek’s nightmarish 12th finally ended when Soto flied out to right. However, the two runs were enough as reliever Carlos Marmol, who was supposed to have the day off, according to manager Lou Piniella, started the 12th to pick-up the save. Jon Lieber worked three solid innings of relief to get the win.
News & Notes:
Meek, who was a product of the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings, had an ugly line for the day (1 IP, 5 BB – 2 int. – 2 WP)…Because he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft, Meek must stay with the Pirates for the remainder of the season, or be shipped back to his old club, the Rays, for a penalty of $25,000…Both teams combined for 26 hits and 27 runners left on base…The Cubs used every available batter except for back-up catcher Henry Blanco, who started Sunday’s game…Pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who is a good hitter for a pitcher, was reportedly going to pinch-hit if the game continued…Neither starting pitcher had a good outing. The Cubs Ted Lilly lasted only 3.2 innings, gave up seven hits, allowed five earned runs, and walked two. The Pirates Tom Gorzelanny only made it through 2.1 innings, gave up six hits, seven earned runs, and issued four walks…More than half of Gorzelanny’s pitches (36 of 70) were balls…The Cubs did not hit a home run for the first time all season…The Cubs have eight errors in seven games, while the Pirates have 11 over the same span…The Pirates used eight pitchers in the game, to the Cubs seven…Pitcher Rich Hill, who started on April 4 against the Astros, was warming in the bullpen in the 12th, in case the Pirates tied the game…
Fashion (Home) Plate:
The Cubs donned the blue jerseys (right) for the second straight game. Maybe they’re good luck. So far, the club is 2-0 when wearing Cubby blue.
Next Game:
Both teams have a well-deserved day off Tuesday, and they will meet next on Wednesday, at 6:05 p.m. CT (TV: CSN+ Radio: WGN 720 AM). Ryan Dempster (1-0) will start for the Cubs. He will be opposed by Zach Duke (0-0) of the Pirates.
(Image from Chicago Tribune/Getty Images Photo by Gregory Shamus/April 7, 2008)
Editor’s Note: We apologize this recap is late. The ongoing technical difficulties are making it difficult to post on-time. However, we figure it’s better late than never. If we can wait 100 years for a World Series…
Posted by danbiederman 
