Most. Cubs. Loss. Ever.
The Cubs hung around long enough for Luis Valbuena to play the hero in the top of the 13th with a two-run homer. And the Reds hung around long enough for the Cubs to be the Cubs and give it up in the bottom of the 13th, courtesy of Michael Bowden pitching his second inning.
Travis Wood turned in another fantastic start, though he ran into a spot of trouble in the 7th, and the pen couldn’t bail him out. Folks are giving Dale Sveum a hard time for pulling Wood in the 7th, but I’m not sure I can hop on board. Wood doesn’t have overpowering stuff, and he was winding through his third time through the Reds order. And the guy who gave up the tying run – James Russell – is, like, the one good guy in the bullpen. Saying, “welp, of course the bullpen blew it again” is the worst kind of hindsight. Wasn’t everyone begging for James Russell to make more late appearances just two days ago?
Carlos Marmol had himself a night, throwing two scoreless innings (including a 10 pitch ninth), and striking out Joey Votto with the winning run on 3rd in the 10th. Anthony Rizzo, on the other hand, made sure to make me look foolish by laying a total egg.