Game One Hundred Fourteen – Cubs 4 Giants 5
WP – Sergio Romo (5-3) LP – Justin Berg (0-1) Save – Brian Wilson (33)
Alan Trammell ran out a Spring Training lineup Wednesday night and the result was the Cubs 12th defeat in their last 14 games. The Cubs got their hits but not when it counted. The offense finished the game 1-for-5 with RISP and left seven on base.
The Cubs played from behind all night and tied the game twice. They out-hit the Giants (11-10) but came up a run short once again. For the 28th time this season (13-28), the Cubs lost a game decided by one-run.
Pat Burrell (2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI) beat the Cubs for the second time in the series. Burrell launched a 1-2 pitch from Justin Berg in the eighth over the wall in left. Berg hung a curve and Burrell deposited it into the stands.
Tom Gorzelanny received a no-decision after a horrible start to his night. Gorzelanny labored through a three-run, four-hit first inning. Gorzelanny threw 34 of his 95 pitches in the opening frame and put his team in an early 3-0 hole. Gorzelanny gave up five hits and a walk to the first 10 batters he faced before settling down in the third inning.
Gorzelanny ended up going six innings. He allowed four runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Marlon Byrd hit his 11th longball of the year in the fourth. Byrd’s first homer since July 16 (Joe Blanton) put the Cubs on the board.
Tyler Colvin (2-for-5 with a home run) tied the game at four in the seventh with his 18th dinger of the season. Colvin ripped Barry Zito’s first pitch over the wall in right.
Starlin Castro recorded his 16th multi-hit since July 10 (27 games). Castro finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored but could not deliver in the ninth. Castro struck out to end the game with Kosuke Fukudome at second base.
Welington Castillo made his big league debut Wednesday night … and got a hit in his first at bat. Castillo ripped a 1-0 pitch from Barry Zito into left for a double in the second inning … Blake Dewitt was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay, Burrell to Uribe to Posey.
The Cubs dropped back to 18 games under .500 with their 66th loss of the season (48-66) … No one could have predicted the Cubs would run out the lineup they did Wednesday night back in March. From underperformance back in May and June to injuries beginning to take it’s toll, the final two months figure to be more growing pains for the organization.
The Giants jumped all over a very wild Tom Gorzelanny in the first inning. Gorzelanny gave up a single to Andres Torres on a 3-2 pitch. Gorzelanny then walked Freddy Sanchez. Aubrey Huff followed with a single to center to load the bases with no outs.
Buster Posey put the ball in play and hit a weak grounder to short on a 3-2 pitch. Starlin Castro threw out Posey but Torres scored … 1-0 Giants.
Pat Burrell fell behind 0-2 before ripping a single into left and plating Sanchez and Huff … 3-0 Giants.
Gorzelanny settled down after the first and put together a decent outing.
The Cubs started chipping away at the 3-0 lead in the fourth … and of course, it was Marlon Byrd that put the Cubs on the board.
Byrd launched a 2-2 pitch from Barry Zito over the wall in left. Byrd’s 11th of the season cut the Giants lead to 3-1.
Gorzelanny retired the Giants 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth … the only inning Gorzelanny sat San Francisco down in order. The Cubs’ southpaw pitched around a one-out triple by Aubrey Huff in the fifth. Gorzelanny struck out Buster Posey looking and retired Pat Burrell on a fly out to center.
The Cubs offense went back to work in the sixth. Starlin Castro reached on a bloop single to center to start the inning. Xavier Nady doubled to right center on a 1-2 offering. Castro scored from first … 3-2 Giants.
Marlon Byrd then launched a deep fly out to center. Nady tagged and scored on a bloop single to right by Alfonso Soriano. Soriano did not hustle out of the box, he should have been at second and it cost the Cubs a run.
Jeff Baker followed Soriano with a single to left. With runners on first and second with one out, Blake DeWitt flied out to left … two chances the Cubs had to score a run.
Welington Castillo was called out on a 2-2 pitch from Zito to end the inning. Replays showed the pitch was never a strike.
Aaron Rowand gave the Giants a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Rowand hit his 10th longball of the season on a 1-0 offering from Gorzelanny.
Not to be outdone, Tyler Colvin tied the game at four in the top of the seventh. After Carlos Zambrano pinch-hit for Gorzelanny and grounded out to third, Colvin launched Zito’s first pitch over the wall in right … and it just missed McCovey Cove.
With the game tied at four, James Russell walked Andres Torres to start the bottom of the seventh. Freddy Sanchez sacrificed him to second. Torres then stole third with Aubrey Huff at the plate … Welington Castillo made a very strong throw from his knees and almost threw out Torres.
Russell struck out Huff for the second out.
Justin Berg retired Buster Posey on a ground out to short … but would serve it up to {at Burrell in the eighth.
It’s a Way of Life!
Randy Wells against Matt Cain in the finale Thursday afternoon.