Game Fifty-Seven – Cubs 1 Astros 4
There will be days like these….to quote the late great John Lennon, but this season they always seem to come against left handers. Wandy Rodriguez shutout the Cubs through 7 innings and allowed just 5 hits on Tuesday night in route to a 4-1 victory over the Cubs. The entire team looked tired and Kerry Wood left to many breaking balls out over the plate, he did not record a strikeout and it was his error in the 2nd that led to 3 unearned runs. Neither team played well but the Astros did just enough to win the ballgame.
Ronny Cedeno’s hit streak was halted at 10 but both Aramis Ramirez and Jacque Jones extended theirs. Carlos Marmol pitched 2 scoreless innings allowing only 2 hits and striking out 3. The Astros ended their 5-game losing streak and for those of you that missed the game, you did not miss much…. Kerry Wood threw 75 pitches but could not record the third out in the 4th inning. Wood gave up 7 hits and 4 runs, only 1 earned in 3 2/3 innings and hit Chris Burke on a ball in the 1st inning that did not break. The 1 earned run came off the bat of Lance Berkman, a solo shot to right, in the 4th inning. The Astros scored their 3 runs in the 2nd after a leadoff double to Preston Wilson, Wood walked Eric Bruntlett with 1 out and on an attempted sacrifice by Wandy Rodriguez….Preston Wilson scored the first run of the game. Wood fielded the bunt, spun and threw the ball past Aramis Ramirez to score Wilson and with 2 outs Chris Burke tripled to right past the reach of Jacque Jones to score Bruntlett and Rodriguez. The Astros would have added at least one more run if not for a tremendous catch by Jacque Jones on a ball hit by Lance Berkman….Jones robbed Berkman of at least a double if not a home run.
Carlos Marmol pitched 2 more scoreless innings and in 4 innings of relief in 2 games this season he has struck out 6 and allowed only 3 hits….and not a single walk. Will Ohman and Scott Eyre both threw well out of the pen but Bobby Howry struggled and loaded the bases on 2 walks and a hit by Craig Biggio in the 8th. Howry went to a 3-2 count before he struck out Morgan Ensberg to end the inning….Howry threw 33 pitches in just an inning of work.
The Cubs did manage to score a run in the 9th to avoid the shutout against Brad Lidge. Matt Murton had an infield single and scored on a pinch hit double off the bat of John Mabry. The Cubs managed only 7 hits and were unable to string together any offense….they hit into 2 double plays and left 8 on base.
The Astros made the Kerry Wood error hurt and whenever a team gives the opposition extra outs they usually lose the ballgame and Tuesday was no exception. The Cubs need to bounce back behind the rookie Sean Marshall and win their 3rd consecutive series….
(Ed. Note – Correction Made 6:10am C.T. 6/7/06)