LaHair hits 2-run homer in 9th, Cubs still fall
Cubs manager Mike Quade insisted there was no wistful feeling Tuesday.
It was team photo day at Wrigley Field before the evening's 3-2, 13-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
Quade probably could have addressed his team by saying: “Take a look around, gentleman. Chances are you or the men on either side of you won't be here next year.”
But there was none of that from Quade after Tuesday's moment frozen in time.
“You know what?” Quade said. “The team picture is, ‘Let's put a smile on and let's get it done.' No, not really, just another picture day. Thirty-some of them for me now.”
No doubt there will be more of them for baseball lifer and good-guy Quade, but with a new general manager coming to town as soon as Cubs owner Tom Ricketts hires one, it's questionable or even doubtful whether Quade will be saying “cheese” as manager here.
One guy who'd like to be in the team picture next year is Bryan LaHair, who spoiled Mike Leake's shutout bid in the ninth inning.
Leake was working on a 1-hitter entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Starlin Castro reached on an infield bouncer down the third-base line, and LaHair came up as a pinch hitter and crushed a pitch over the wall in right field for a game-tying 2-run homer. This on a night when the wind was howling in.
LaHair, 28, is one of the Cubs' recent call-ups from the minor leagues. He's a journeyman minor-leaguer to be sure, but he did hit 38 homers at Class AAA Iowa this year earning MVP honors in the Pacific Coast League.
No doubt fans will be “clamoring” for him to play more, to use a term by former Cubs and current Reds manager Dusty Baker.
But Quade likely will continue to parcel out playing time sparingly to “the kids” (and LaHair) while keeping his veterans happy.
“I've talked to all of them,” Quade said. “We'll use them when it's appropriate, whether it's off the bench, whether it's a start here or there. You look at Bry (LaHair) and Colv (Tyler Colvin) and Campy (Tony Campana) and LeMey (DJ LeMahieu) and all these guys and the guys that have been here working hard all year. You mix and match the best you can. You look for quality opportunities when you do play guys so they can have some success.”
Leake wound up working 9 innings and throwing 91 pitches. In keeping with the Cubs' free-swinging nature, Leake threw only 65 pitches through the first seven innings while Cubs starter Rodrigo Lopez lasted 5⅔ innings, throwing 92 pitches.
The Reds scored a pair of runs in the sixth, getting 4 hits off Lopez and chasing him from the game.