After a completely bananas first inning, it looked like tonight was going to mirror some other horrible nights we’ve seen: Cubs get out to an early lead, the bats fall brutally silent, and the pitching slowly gives up the game.
And that did happen for the following seven innings. The Cubs did nothing offensively, blowing multiple scoring opportunities, and Eddie Butler, who’d pitched reasonably well, was left out one batter too long, and ultimately gave up a game-tying triple (which became a lead run for the Pirates when Pedro Strop came in an induced a dribbler that became an infield hit).
But then something totally unexpected happened. The Cubs went absolutely hog wild in the 9th inning, not at all unlike what the Mets just did to them last time out. Without the benefit of a home run, the Cubs put up a six-spot in the 9th inning. Wow.
After some unsolicited drama in the 9th inning, whereby Wade Davis control problems plus some fortunate BABIP for the Pirates together brought the tying run to the plate, the Cubs finally brought the win home. That was a good one.
But a crazy one.