harleyhorse8's Dynasty Blog
Cubs Win Extra Inning Thriller off Rizzo Solo Shot
By Andrew Kovalchuk, MLB.com Journalist, April 10, 2014
CHICAGO- We thought the Cubs (3-5) were going to lose this game multiple times to the Pirates (5-3), but ultimately they didn't. And whether it's by a dominating blowout or a scrappy comeback, winning is the only thing that matters in baseball.
As expected, the Cubs gave up a run in the first, after Pirates LF Starling Marte singled to start off the ballgame. Although Jason Hammel (0-1) managed to work the next three batters out, they were all productive outs and sent the runner home, Unlike in the last few games, the Cubs would answer in the second. After Welington Castillo walked and advanced to second on a double play, the so-far quiet Anthony Rizzo came up big, slapping a grounder up the middle to tie the game.
Both pitchers, Hammel and Jeff Locke (0-0) shut it down in the middle innings, but again, the Pirates would strike first. With Andrew McCutchen on first, third baseman Pedro Alvarez doubled, making it 2-1 Pirates. But again the Cubs would equalize, off the bat of Rizzo. With Starlin Castro on third and two down, Rizzo hit a hard line drive over the first baseman's head that would nestle in the corner, earning him two bases and Castro a trip home.
Cubs veteran reliever Carlos Villanueva put in good work in the sixth and seventh, giving Chicago a chance to take the lead. After getting the first man out to start the bottom of the seventh, Bucco reliever Jared Hughes left the mound with an injury. Bryan Morris came in and would give up a hit to PH Nate Schierholtz and a bunt single to Emilio Bonifacio, putting the Cubs in a promising situation. But 2B Darwin Barney struck out, and Starlin Castro's ground ball that may have scored a runner on a fielder's choice the previous at-bat simply ended the inning.
With the eighth approaching, RHP Blake Parker took over on the mound. After getting the first batter out, Neil Walker tripled off the ivy in left center. The next batter sacrifice flied him home, and the fans at Wrigley began to leave for the exits.
With the bottom of the ninth looming and Pirates closer Jason Grilli in, it was do or die time for the Cubs. Their first batter, pinch hitter Ryan Kalish, hit for a single and Bonifacio bunted him over. With one away, Darwin Barney was intentionally walked to set up the double play. Luis Valbuena pinch ran for Barney, and immediately Castro lined to right, blowing Grilli's first save of the year. But the Cubs weren't able to get the winning run as it went into extra innings.
For the extras, Chicago lefthander James Russell was summoned to pitch against Pittsburgh righty Edinson Volquez. One pitcher had been jumped on in yesterday's game, and the other had not pitched yet this season. You can believe fans on both sides were biting their fingernails. It went to twelve innings, but in the bottom of the 12th with one away, it was Rizzo who uncorked a ball to straightaway center, giving the Cubs a thrilling victory in extra innings and their first series win of the year.
For both teams, recently struggling players turned it around. Anthony Rizzo, boasting a .087 average before this, went 4-for-5 and won the game for his team. On the other hand, Pedro Alvarez got his first hit...or hits, should I say, as he went 4-for-5 as well with 2 RBI. On the other hand, it was disappointing for the Cubs to see Mike Olt go 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
The Cubs will travel to Saint Louis to play the Cardinals tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday, and then play a 2-game interleague series at Yankee Stadium against New York. For the Pirates, they will play two away series in the next six days, first against the division-leading Brewers and the second-place Reds.
Andrew Kovalchuk is an independent journalist who covers the NL Central for MLB.com. He also writes for Sporting News and SBNation.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ItsAndyK.
| Pirates at Cubs | | |||||||||||||
| Apr 10, 2014 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Extras | R | H | E |
| Pittsburgh (5-3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 0 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| Chicago (3-5) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 0 1 | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| W: Russell (1-0) L: Volquez (L, 0-1) S: N/A | |||||||||||||
| Scoring Summary | ||||
| SCORING DETAILS | PIT | CHC | ||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | ||||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | HR | AVG |
| Marte, LF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .176 |
| Polanco, RF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .364 |
| McCutchen, CF | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .206 |
| Alvarez, 3B | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .118 |
| Walker, 2B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .300 |
| Martin, C | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .357 |
| Tabata, LF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .444 |
| s- Santos, C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Sanchez, 1B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .194 |
| Mercer, SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .179 |
| Locke, P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
| Hanson, SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .143 |
| Volquez, P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 42 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 0 | |
| BATTING: 2B: Alvarez 2 (2) 3B: Walker (1) RBI: Alvarez 2 (3), Tabata (2) SF: Alvarez, Tabata GIDP: Polanco | ||||||||
| BASERUNNING: SB: Marte (1) CS: Martin (1) | ||||||||
| FIELDING: PB: Martin (1) | ||||||||
| Chicago Cubs | ||||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | HR | AVG |
| Bonifacio, RF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .303 |
| Barney, 2B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .258 |
| r-Valbuena, 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .375 |
| Castro, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .250 |
| Ruggiano, CF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .187 |
| Castillo, C | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .200 |
| Rizzo, 1B | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ,187 |
| Olt, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .167 |
| Sweeney, LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Hammel, P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Lake, LF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .222 |
| Schierholtz, RF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
| Kalish, LF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Baker, C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .375 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 42 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 1 | |
| BATTING: 2B: Rizzo (1) HR: Rizzo (1) RBI: Castro (7), Rizzo 2 (3), Sweeney (1) GIDP: Castillo, Olt | ||||||||
| BASERUNNING: SB: Bonifacio (4) | ||||||||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | ||||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| Locke | 5.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3.60 |
| Wilson (BS, 1) | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.25 |
| Hughes | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Morris | 0.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Melancon (H, 2) | 0.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.80 |
| Watson (H, 3) | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Grilli (BS, 1) | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.86 |
| Volquez (L, 0-1) | 3.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1.80 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 11.1 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 1 | |
| Chicago Cubs | ||||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| Hammel | 5.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4.91 |
| Villanueva | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.25 |
| Parker | 0.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 |
| Strop | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.15 |
| Wright | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Russell (W, 1-0) | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8.10 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 12.0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 0 | |
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