It was a fantastic night all around for the Cubs, who ripped the Cardinals early and then poured it on as the game went along. The night didn’t look quite as strong for Travis Wood, though he was not helped by his defense a couple times, and he also was not given a strike three call (on a pitch that was very in the zone) that immediately preceded a couple runs scoring with two outs. It was a bit of a tough luck outing in that regard.
Wood also got plunked by reliever Eric Fornataro, who was obviously throwing at him, on the first pitch Wood saw after a half inning in which he inadvertently hit two Cardinals batters. It was really embarrassing – especially because the pitch was high – for Fornataro or Mike Matheny, or both. It was just a stupid, unnecessary, dangerous thing to do. The Cubs didn’t retaliate in the conventional sense, but the did kick the shit out of the Cardinals on the scoresheet.
After Wood departed, the bullpen allowed nothing, and the bats just kept on hitting. Every single starter (and Ryan Kalish as a pinch hitter) had at least one hit, and MIKE OLT! and Junior Lake went deep. Emilio Bonifacio had four hits and a walk, which is as many times on base as he’d been in his previous eight games combined. Starlin Castro, Lake, and Darwin Barney all had three hits. Big nights all around.
It really turned into a laugher late, and I enjoyed it. Very much. Where’s your voodoo now, Cardinals?
Also: I think Jeff Samardzija might kill someone tonight.