Tuesday night's Cubs vs Dodgers game had to be moved from the B-Diamond because that field was way too wet to dry out in time. Jim Bonaparte again saved the day, by locating a dry field at the Rotterdam Babe Ruth field. With as many rainouts as this division has to make up, avoiding another, due to wet field conditions, on a beautiful sunny evening, was a Godsend.
The Dodgers would get on the scoreboard first, in the top of the 3rd. Tim Burns led off with a single, and Don Ball reached on a HBP. With no outs and two on, the Dodgers opted for a sacrifice bunt. Mike Girard threw two high fastballs that were fouled off, and then completed a very important strike out, leaving the runners where they were. Mike Surin, a late arrival to the game, was added to the bottom of the order , and promptly singled past a diving Alex Marin, scoring Burns. Had that sacrifice bunt been executed, the single surely would have scored two. Harold Staulter then ripped a line drive right at Cubs' first baseman Chris Dunn. Dunn gloved the liner and stepped on first to complete an inning ending double play.
The Cubs immediately answered back, in the bottom half of the inning. Alex Marin reached on a HBP, and immediately stole second. Ron Massaroni singled him to third, and followed with a steal of second, and John Coulombe worked a walk to load the bases with nobody out, and the top of the Cubs order coming up. Paul Miles lifted a sacrifice fly to right, to tie the game at one. Chris Dunn followed with a bomb over the right fielder's head, scoring two more runs. Jerry Rosen followed with a RBI single, scoring Dunn from third. Dodger's starter, Mark Callahan gave up one more single, before extinguishing the fire with a fielder's choice and a groundout.
The score remained 4-1, until the bottom of the 6th. The Cubs rallied for an insurance run on a single by Ron Lochner; a HBP to Jim Bonaparte; a walk by Jim McQuade, and a RBI single by Dan Hernandez. That insurance run (making the sore 5-1) proved an important one. The Dodgers rallied in the top of the 7th to get the score to 5-3, with a runner on third with one out. A walk and an error left runners at second and third with one out. Greg Gougler hit a screaming liner to center. Paul Miles came in hard and made a sliding attempt at the catch, but the ball went whizzing by his face and Gougler made it all of the way around to third, with one out, and the score at 5-3. Chris Mason, the Cubs' pitcher for the 7th, got a strike out and a weak grounder to first, to end the threat and finish off the win.
The Cubs got solid pitching from Girard (5 innings 1 run on 4 hits); Ron Massaroni (1 scoreless hitless inning); and Mason (1 inning 1 earned run); but the real story was the shortstop played by Massaroni for 6 innings (8 assists and 1 put out on 9 chances). A perfect night, when there was no room for error. Fun to watch, especially from the mound!
The Cubs move to 10-0 with the victory, and the Dodgers slip to 3-7 with the hard luck loss.
The Dodgers are now 3 - 6 and looking to win some close games. We have lost three one-run games and one two-run game.
Second, you suggest that a bunt would have moved me to 2B and I would have scored on Surin's single. I would've had trouble scoring from second on Gougler's double!
Agreed, Don. The Dodgers have not lost a game to any team not named the Whiz Kids, Damn Yankees, or Cubs. In fact you have lost 2 one-run games to the Yankees; 1 one-run game to the Whiz; and 1 two-run game to the Cubs. That by far is the best record against the top three. My prediction is that you will win at least one of the three remaining games against the top 3, and your record will be no worse than 9-8. You are still the most dangerous team, not in the top 3, when it comes to playoff time, especially if you get Weber back for the playoff run. No disrespect to any of the other teams. Your team plays the game right, and hits and fields exceptionally well. If you have your big 3 pitchers in tact for the "second season" you will be a very tough out.
