NEWSLETTER
NINTH INNING COMEBACK!
Oh, I’m so glad I don’t have to lead this off with some dour reflection on how the Cubs ONCE AGAIN failed to come through with a runner on third base and fewer than two outs.
Sure, it happened a lot today (again), but not in the 9th inning, when the Cubs came back from a 2-1 deficit to put up a four spot on the Corey Knebel-less Brewers. The Cubs got a couple gifts to load the bases up for Ben Zobrist, who dribbled one into no man’s land to tie the game. Then Ian Happ – who’d had another tough day – floated one into left center to give the Cubs the lead. Then pinch hitter Jon Lester (yup) laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to bring home the fourth and final run in the 9th.
Outside of the late scoring and the whole failing-with-runners-on-third thing, the conditions may have been the story of this one. Not to take anything away from the starting pitchers, but the way the sun was blasting into Miller Park creating shadows all over the place could not have made it easy to see the ball with any kind of consistency in the first six or so innings.
Yu Darvish’s second start with the Cubs – granting the shadow assist – was a huge success, as he allowed just the solo homer to Eric Thames and struck out nine over six innings.
Kris Bryant, who had a huge day overall, tied the game with a solo homer of his own, and that was hit for scoring until the Brewers took the lead in the 8th and the Cubs took it back in the 9th.
The Cubs had a prime scoring opportunity in the 5th inning, but a whirling play by Zach Davies on a Jason Heyward dribbler cut down Tommy La Stella at the plate. There was a review, and it kinda looked like La Stella probably hit the plate before he was tagged, but it was one of those that the call on the field – out – was going to stand whatever it was in the first place.
Thankfully, that was all academic, as it didn’t matter in the final score.
