Enhanced Box Score: Marlins 3, Cubs 2 – April 28, 2023
Michael Rucker, who had been really good this year until tonight, is going to want to forget this one. He was asked to take the game to extra-innings, but he gave up a leadoff single in the 9th before plunking the next two batters. The Marlins walked it off from there. Oof. Bad night.
Cubs could’ve had more than two runs there by the 9th, too, so that didn’t help. Then again, Jesus Luzardo is just so nasty out there, I’m actually surprised he doesn’t have even more success. Cubs had a one-run lead a couple times, and got good pitching all night outside of the 9th. Crummy one to lose.
Two nice highlights to share (outside of the Nelson Velazquez homer), at least? I’ll cop to it. I loaded up these highlights before the game was over, because I knew I wanted to share them. I liked them. I didn’t know at the time that I was going to be pissed off about a walk-off loss. So just ignore the next two bits if you want.
David Ross took a big chance in the 7th, pulling the trigger on pinch-hitting Eric Hosmer for Patrick Wisdom with Cody Bellinger on third and one out. It was a decision to go for maximum contact (especially in a match-up that didn’t favor Wisdom), and it worked:
The Marlins had a similar opportunity an inning earlier, but Dansby Swanson squashed it. This is an outstanding play in a huge moment, setting himself up as he caught the liner so that he could throw to third as quickly as possible:
OK. Back to being bummed.
