Mike Kane did, for a second time this year, what very few others have done in the last three years in the 35+ division. He shut out a very potent Cubs line-up, in a 2-0 victory at Bethlehem Town Park, on Friday night. Mike scattered 7 hits over seven innings, while walking none and striking out just one hitter. Mike used his movement and location to pitch to contact all night long, using the Cubs' aggression at the plate against them. Kane retired the first 8 Cubs in order, before Jon Martin singled in the 3rd inning with two outs and nobody on. The only extra base hit of the night for the Cubs came in the 4th inning, also with two outs and nobody on, when Mike Girard doubled to left center. Kane then got the Cubs' clean up hitter to ground out to seconfd to end the inning. The only inning that the Cubs seriously threatened to score was the sixth inning. With one out, Ron Massaroni and Steve Lounello were able to get consecutive singles off of the stingy Pirates hurler. Randy Craft was at the plate, with Girard and Lochner looming. Kane led Randy off with a breaking pitch that Randy turned on and smashed. Good fortune was with the Pirates ace, as the shot turned out to be a one hopper to 3rd baseman, Chris Burnett. He snagged the shot, stepped on third, and threw on to first in time to complete an inning-ending double play. The Pirates would score all of the runs that Kane would need in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Carlo Agneta started the rally with a single. Then Mike Clary hit a grounder to first that hit off the mid section of Mike Girard and when Girard tracked down the ball and threw to Tom Sheperdson covering, it was a little too late. Mike Labanowski followed with a RBI double. Paul Miles then worked a walk to load the bases with just one out. Mr. Sheperdson the struck out the next Pirates hitter to provide the second out. Bob Coffey, subbing for the Pirates, then worked a bases loaded walk to push the score to 2-0. Sheperdson avoided further damage by getting the Pirates lead-off hitter to pop out to third. Ron Smaka was the only hitter at the ball park on this night to record two hits, as the Cubs trio of Sheperdson, Massaroni, and Gadomski also combined to pitch a 7-hitter. Good pitching and defense were on display all night long. The Cubs fall to 13-6 with the loss, setting up a showdown next Wednesday night with the Nationals for the third seed in the playoffs. Barring a loss by the Nats in one of their two make-ups next week. The winner of the Cubs-Nats game on Wednesday gets the third seed and the loser gets the 4th seed. The Pirates closed the season on a winning streak to finish at 12-8 and solidified the 5th seed with the win over the Cubs.
-- Edited by mgirard11 on Saturday 13th of August 2011 11:34:27 AM
