The Cubs played the Dodgers in game two of their best of 3 semifinal series last night, at Rogowicz field in Cook Park. The Cubs got it started early when Paul Miles led off with a single and stole second. Alex Marin followed with a single, moving Miles to third. Marin then proceeded to steal second, leaving runners on second and third with no outs. Mike Girard followed with a single to left, scoring Miles. Marin was gunned down at third, on the play, for the first out. Dodger's starter, Mark Callahan, got two quick ground outs and the lead was just 1-0 after the first half inning.
The Cubs were back at it in the top of the second. With 2 outs and nobody on, Jim McQuade walked and stole second. Dan Hernandez doubled him home, and was driven in himself when Miles followed with his second single in as many innings, pushing the lead to 3-0. Cubs' starter, Chris Mason, held the Dodgers scoreless in the 1st and 2nd innings. He started to have control difficulties in the 2nd inning, with a walk and a hit batter, but pitched around the difficulties by getting a line drive double play and a strike out.
The Cubs ballooned the lead to 6-0 in the top of the 3rd, on singles by Jerry Rosen and Andy Hoyle, along with walks to Jim Bonaparte, McQuade, and Miles, and a Dodgers' error in the middle of the rally. McQuade, Hernandez, and Miles had the RBI's. The Dodgers announced to everyone in attendance that they would not go down easily in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Mason continued with his control issues walking Don Ball and Harvey Staulters to start the inning. The Cubs bullpen was immediately alerted. Marc Trinchillo laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving the runners into scoring position. Mark Callahan delivered the first run with his second hit of the game. Ray Colletta drove in the second run on a RBI ground out, and Callahan came around to score on a RBI single by Jim Bradley, to tighten the score to 6-3. The inning ended when Cubs'catcher, Jerry Rosen, threw out the runner trying to steal second.
The Cubs scored for the 4th inning in a row when Rosen was hit by a pitch, and his shared runner (Mason) stole second with one out. Two batters later, Andy Hoyle delivered Mason with a RBI single. Going to the bottom half of the inning, the Cubs had a 7-3 lead, and Girard warming in the pen, in case Mason continued to issue free passes. Well, Tim Burns walked to lead off the inning and that was the end of the evening for Mason, on the mound. Girard came on, and wild pitched Burns to second on his first pitch. Girard then got a ground out to second. Burns was unable to advance on the play. Dennis Lane singled sharply to right, and Burns had to hold at 3rd (especially down 4 runs). Girard then induced John Weber to ground the ball to short, where Ron Massaroni and Alex Marin turned a very nice 6-4-3 double play, and the inning was over with the 4-run lead intact. No damage done.
The Cubs picked up an insurance run in the 5th on a Hernandez single and a two out RBI double by Girard. They would add a ninth run in the 6th on a walk and stolen base by McQuade, followed by a RBI double by Hernandez (his third hit on the night). The Cubbies would close out the scoring, in the 7th, on hits by Rosen and Massaroni. The final score was 10-3. Girard, after coming on in the 4th inning with a runner on and no outs, put out the fire and any smoldering ashes by pitching 4 innings, allowing 4 singles and walking none. The only runners to reach scoring position were the inherited runner in the 4th, and Greg Gougler, in the 7th with one out. After Gougler and Lane had consecutive singles with one out in the 7th, the game ended on another very nice 6-4-3 double play turned by Massaroni and Marin. The ball was hit sharply in the hole between short and third. Massaroni had to move quickly toward the hole; cleanly fielded the ball; and turned with his momentum going the wrong way, and fired a strike to Marin at second, who quickly fired to first just in time to complete a game ending twin killing. It was a very fitting way for the game to end as Marin and Massaroni have been one of the biggest improvements for the Cubs in 2023, from the team that was eliminated in the semifinals last year. Some sloppy defensive play last year was a big problem for the Cubs in 2022. As the Cubs' pitchers will tell you, having these two up the middle all year, in 2023, was a big reason that the pitchers were so successful.
A tip of the cap to the Dodgers! As always, led by Don Ball, the Dodgers were probably the classiest group in the division. They play the game the right way and they have a very tough, very deep, hitting line up. Good health to you all in the off season. We look forward to sharing the field with you again in 2024.
On to the Finals for the Cubs, where we await the winner of the other semifinal. That series currently stands at one win each, with the Yanks winning game one 10-9, and the Whiz Kids winning last night, 7-4. The deciding game in that series will be played on Monday night, at Watervliet High School, at 5:00 pm. The winner will face the Cubs on Wednesday night, in game one of the finals, at a site and time to be determined.
