Game Sixty-Nine – Cubs 3 Yankees 1
WP – Doug Davis (1-5) LP – Freddy Garcia (5-6) Save – Carlos Marmol (14)
Doug Davis picked up his first win of the season and his first win as a Chicago Cub with an unbelievable performance against the New York Yankees Friday afternoon. The Cubs offense scored all three runs in the first three innings but Friday was all about Doug Davis.
Davis put together the longest outing by a Cubs starter since May 31 (Carlos Zambrano, eight innings against the Astros) and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. Davis allowed one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings … and the run charged to Doug Davis came on a two-out single by Mark Teixeira off Sean Marshall. Davis threw 111 pitches, 62 for strikes.
Carlos Marmol picked up a four-out save, his 14th of the season.
Starlin Castro and Aramis Ramirez combined for four of the Cubs’ six hits. Castro doubled in the first run of the game and scored the other two on singles by Aramis Ramirez. Castro finished the game 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a RBI and two runs scored and Ramirez was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The Cubs played a solid game in the field behind Doug Davis. Aramis Ramirez made a couple of fine plays but it was a catch in the ninth inning by Reed Johnson that possibly saved the game.
Reed Johnson came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth and made a headlong diving catch toward the line in left that took away at least a leadoff double from Robinson Cano.
The Cubs finally hung a ‘L’ on Freddy Garcia and beat the former Southsider for the first time in seven tries.
With Friday’s win, the Cubs improved to 29-40 on the season, 11 games under the mediocre mark … Friday afternoon began the same way as Thursday for the Cubs … Kosuke Fukudome scoring from first base on a double by Starlin Castro.
Kosuke worked a walk to start the bottom of the first against Freddy Garcia. Starlin Castro followed with a double to left center on a 1-1 pitch. Fukudome scored … 1-0 Cubs.
After Blake DeWitt popped out to shallow right, Aramis Ramirez singled to right on a check swing. Castro scored … 2-0 Cubs.
Carlos Pena struck out swinging and Alfonso Soriano was robbed of a home run to left by the wind. Soriano flied out to Gardner with his back on the ivy to end the inning.
Doug Davis retired the Yankees in order in the second thanks to a nice barehanded pickup by Aramis Ramirez on a ball off the bat of Russell Martin.
The Cubs could not tack on in the bottom of the second … and neither would the Yankees in the top of the third. Doug Davis walked Brett Gardner to start the third but struck out Nick Swisher and retired Curtis Granderson on a tap back to the mound after Garcia had sacrificed Gardner into scoring position.
Starlin Castro led off the bottom of the third with a double to left … the 21st two-bagger of the season for the Cubs shortstop. Blake DeWitt followed with a single to center. Castro held at third with no outs and Aramis Ramirez stepping to the plate.
Aramis Ramirez singled to left on a 3-1 pitch. Castro scored, 3-0 Cubs and Q’s squad had Freddy Garcia on the ropes. But Carlos Pena flied out to center, Soriano struck out and Campana lined out to left center. Inning over.
Doug Davis took a 3-0 lead and a no hitter into the fourth.
Robinson Cano singled to center with two outs in the fourth for the Yankees first hit. Davis retired Russell Martin on a grounder to second to end the inning.
Freddy Garcia really settled in after getting out of the jam in the third. Garcia retired the Cubs in order in the fourth and fifth … and faced the minimum in the sixth after Tony Campana reached on a two-out bunt single but was erased by Russell Martin trying to steal second.
Davis kept up with Garcia and worked out of his only jam of the day in the fifth. After Eduardo Nunez reached on an infield single, the Yankees second hit of the game, Brett Gardner grounded into a 5-4 fielder’s choice. Garcia dropped down his second sac bunt of the game that advanced Gardner into scoring position. Davis walked Swisher to put runners on first and second with two outs. Davis struck out Curtis Granderson swinging to end the inning.
Davis retired the Yanks in order in the sixth and seventh … after seven complete, Davis had thrown 102 pitches.
The Cubs went down in order in the bottom of the seventh and Quade sent Davis out to start the eighth.
The veteran southpaw retired Andruw Jones to start the inning. Jones hit for Garcia and struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch for the first out of the eighth inning. Nick Swisher ripped a double into left and Quade went to his pen for Sean Marshall. Swisher’s double was the Yankees third and final hit off Doug Davis.
Sean Marshall struck out Granderson swinging for the second out. Mark Teixeria worked the count to 3-2 before ripping a single into center. Swisher scored … 3-1 Cubs. Quade went back to his pen and brought in Carlos Marmol to face Alex Rodriguez.
Carlos Marmol struck out A-Rod on a 2-2 pitch to end the inning.
The Cubs took a 3-1 lead into the top of the ninth … and Quade’s defensive replacement in left field made a game changing play. Quade sent Reed Johnson and D.J. LeMahieu out to replace Soriano and DeWitt respectively. Robinson Cano hit a 2-2 pitch down the line in left. Reed Johnson made an amazing diving catch right on the line and slid into foul ground. Johnson took away at least a double from Cano … and spent the rest of the inning wiping blood off his hand so he could make a throw if needed.
Marmol issued a one-out walk to Russell Martin. Marmol rebounded and struck out pinch-hitter Jorge Posada swinging. Brett Gardner kept the inning alive with a single to left but Marmol struck out pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson to end the game.
Carlos Marmol earned a four-out save and preserved Doug Davis’ first win in the big leagues since May of 2010.
Four out of five to start the homestand … not bad, not bad at all.
Ryan Dempster against A.J. Burnett in game two Saturday afternoon.