Game Twenty-Seven: Cubs 6, Cardinals 5
WP – Travis Wood (2-3) LP – Adam Wainwright (5-2) Save – Hector Rondon (2)
The Cubs made Adam Wainwright work on Friday afternoon and handed the Cardinals’ ace his first loss at Wrigley Field. Wainwright was undefeated at Wrigley (6-0 in 11 starts) prior to Friday and took the mound at the old ballyard riding an impressive scoreless streak. The Cubs knocked Wainwright out of the game after five innings while Travis Wood limited the damage in his seven innings of work as the Cubs held on to take game one of the weekend series from St. Louis.
Anthony Rizzo (2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, a walk and two runs scored) and Welington Castillo (3-for-4 with two RBI) drove in five of the Cubs’ six runs and picked up where they left off in Cincinnati. After reaching base in all five at bats on Wednesday, Rizzo reached base in his first three plate appearances on Friday. Over that stretch, Rizzo homered twice, walked five times and ripped a two-run single to left centerfield off of Adam Wainwright.
The Cubs scored two runs in the first inning off of Wainwright on Rizzo’s single. After the Cardinals tied the game in the third, the Cubs scored three more runs off Wainwright in the home half with the big blow coming off the bat of Welington Castillo, a two-out, two-run double.
Anthony Rizzo hit his fifth longball of the season leading off the fifth inning. A solo shot on a 1-2 offering from Wainwright.
Emilio Bonifacio (2-for-4 with a run scored) and Luis Valbuena (1-for-4 with a double and a run scored) reached base three times hitting one-two in the lineup and scored twice. Nate Schierholtz (1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) walked and scored on Castillo’s third inning double. Starlin Castro (1-for-4 with a run scored) collected another hit and scored a run.
Ryan Sweeney (2-for-3 with a double and a RBI) drove in the eventual game-winning run with a fielder’s choice groundout in the third inning before he left the game in the eighth with a right hamstring injury. Sweeney had an MRI on his hamstring and will likely be placed on the DL prior to Saturday’s game.
The Cubs scored six runs on 12 hits with two walks (2-for-11 with RISP, six left on base) on Friday afternoon.
Travis Wood bounced back nicely from his rough outing in Milwaukee and surrendered just two earned runs in seven innings of work. Wood kept the ball down on a day the wind shifted from blowing in at game time to blowing out in the middle innings. Wood picked up the win after allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Wood threw 112 pitches, 80 for strikes, in seven innings.
Justin Grimm did not have it on Friday and served up the two-run homer to Jhonny Peralta that cut the Cubs lead to 6-5 in the eighth. Brian Schlitter recorded the final two outs in the eighth with the tying run on base.
Hector Rondon picked up his second save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Cubs have won three of four and with Friday’s victory improved to 10-17 on the season.
The Cubs jumped on Adam Wainwright in the first inning after Travis Wood retired the Cardinals in order on 11 pitches, 10 for strikes, to start the game. Emilio Bonifacio singled to left (1-2 pitch) and advanced to third when Luis Valbuena doubled to right. Anthony Rizzo went the opposite way with a 1-0 pitch. Rizzo singled to left and plated both Bonifacio and Valbuena … 2-0 Cubs. Starlin Castro grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and Schierholtz flied out to right to end the inning.
Travis Wood took a 2-0 lead into the second and set down the Cardinals in order. Wood threw 21 pitches, 17 for strikes, in the first two innings.
The Cubs wasted a chance to add to their lead in the second inning. Ryan Sweeney led off with a single to left center (2-2 pitch). Welington Castillo worked a 3-1 count before driving a ball out to right center that rookie Randall Grichuk caught right before he hit the brick wall. The ball popped loose and, after some adventurous baserunning, Sweeney ended up at third on Castillo’s double. With runners on second and third with no outs, Ryan Kalish grounded out to first. Wainwright struck out Travis Wood and Emilio Bonifacio swinging to end the inning. The Cubs could not cash in but at least ran up Adam Wainwright’s pitch count (38 pitches, 26 for strikes).
Randall Grichuk led off the third with a double down the left field line. Mark Ellis hit a one-hopper up the middle that Wood fielded and caught Grichuk in a rundown. The Cubs tagged out Grichuk (1-5-6-5) and kept Ellis from advancing to second base. Adam Wainwright bunted Ellis to second. Matt Carpenter put together a long at bat (nine pitches) that ended with a single to center. Ellis scored, 2-1 Cubs, and Carpenter advanced to second on Sweeney’s throw to the plate, which was well up the third baseline. Jhonny Peralta followed with a double to right center. Carpenter scored and tied the game at two. Wood struck out Matt Holliday swinging to end the inning. Wood needed 43 pitches, 33 for strikes, to complete three innings.
Wainwright struck out Valbuena swinging to start the third. Anthony Rizzo worked a walk. Starlin Castro followed with a single to center. With two on and one out, Nate Schierholtz coaxed a walk to load the bases. Wainwright jammed Sweeney with a 1-1 pitch. Sweeney broke his bat and rolled one toward second. Ellis had only one play, first base. Rizzo scored, 3-2 Cubs. With Castro at third and Schierholtz at second and two outs, Welington Castillo doubled to right and the Cubs took a 5-2 lead. Kalish grounded out to first for the third out. Wainwright needed 71 pitches, 44 for strikes, to complete three frames on Friday afternoon.
After three innings, the Cubs had a 5-2 lead.
The Cardinals were given a run right back in the top of the fourth. Wood struck out Allen Craig swinging for the first out. Yadier Molina just missed a home run to left, but settled for a one-out double. Jon Jay hit a rocket back up the middle on a 3-2 pitch. Wood knocked the ball down and got the out at first. Molina advanced to third on the play. Randall Grichuk hit a routine grounder to short. Castro fielded the ball, but his throw was low, skipped past Rizzo and Molina scored, 5-3 Cubs. With Grichuk at second base, Mark Ellis flied out to right to end the inning.
The Cubs went down in order for the first time in the fourth inning. After four complete, the Cubs had a 5-3 lead.
Anthony Rizzo led off the fifth with a home run to right. Rizzo pulled a 1-2 pitch from Wainwright and gave the Cubs a 6-3 lead with his fifth longball of the season. The Cubs failed to add on after Schierholtz reached with a one out single and Ryan Sweeney doubled to right. With runners on second and third with one out, Castillo grounded a 3-1 pitch toward second. Ellis fielded the ball and threw out Schierholtz at the plate. Wainwright struck out Ryan Kalish swinging to end the inning.
The Cubs took a 6-3 lead into the sixth inning. And the Cubs held on to the three-run advantage until the eighth inning.
Justin Grimm replaced Travis Wood for the start of the eighth inning. Grimm issued a leadoff walk to Matt Carpenter (3-1 pitch). Jhonny Peralta lifted a 1-0 pitch into the wind. The ball carried over the wall in center and cut the Cubs lead to 6-5. Matt Holliday almost took Grimm’s head off with a single to center. Grimm continued pitching from behind and Allen Craig pulled a 2-1 pitch to deep left center. Sweeney raced over and made the catch has he appeared to hurt his right hamstring. Sweeney flipped the ball to Kalish to keep Holliday from advancing to second base. Sweeney left the game with an apparent hamstring injury.
Emilio Bonifacio moved to center, Darwin Barney entered the game at second and Renteria went to his pen for Brian Schlitter with the tying run at first base. Schlitter retired Molina (fly out to center) and Jay (groundout to short) to end the eighth.
The Cubs could not cash in Welington Castillo’s third double of the game in the eighth. And the game went to the ninth with the Cubs clinging to a one-run lead
Hector Rondon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and picked up his second big league save … it’s always a good day when the Cubs beat the Cardinals.
Jake Arrieta is set to make his 2014 debut on Saturday afternoon (12:05pm CDT) in the second game of the series with the Redbirds. Michael Wacha is scheduled to take the hill for the Cardinals.