Tigers fans take over Wrigley as Cubs fall 5-3
You can quibble all day about interleague play, and there certainly are some valid complaints.
The schedule can be unfair, and there are some matchups that generate absolutely no buzz.
But things were buzzing this week at Wrigley Field. No, make that things were roaring with Detroit Tigers fans.
The Tigers and pitcher Justin Verlander beat the Cubs 5-3 Thursday at Wrigley Field to take two of three in this interleague series.
The game was played before 42,292 fans, the vast majority of whom were cheering for the invaders from the American League.
“I thought we were in Detroit, not Chicago,” Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit told a Detroit newspaperman.
That should have been an embarrassment to Cubs ownership, but that’s a story for another day, and Michigan money spends just as well as Chicago money anyway.
Nevertheless, players inside the Cubs clubhouse seemed stunned that another team’s fans could walk into Wrigley Field and take over.
“It surprised me,” said left fielder Alfonso Soriano who has heard plenty of good and bad from Cubs fans and who was low with his math estimate. “I think most, 50 percent of the fans, was cheering for Detroit. That surprised me. But they’re good fans, and they support their team.
“We’ve got to do our jobs no matter what, if the fans are there are not.”
The crowd was the largest of the season, and the 124,782 fans who came out made for a record three-game midweek series at Wrigley Field.
It could be more of the same this weekend, when the Boston Red Sox hit town. With the Cubs putting out a poor product (their record is 21-42) and ticket prices being sky-high, season ticketholders apparently are dumping their tickets right and left, and curious fans from the other league are only too happy to snap them up.
“Obviously, it’s a little bit strange,” said Cubs manager Dale Sveum. “Today, it seemed like quite a bit more, actually. That’s kind of an adage of interleague play. Sometimes (fans) will spend a lot of money and take their vacations and come to a landmark stadium like this and pay a lot of extra money for the tickets, if it’s not scalped tickets or whatever. It might be the last time fans get to see their team at Wrigley.”
The Tigers certainly found the old joint to their liking.
“It was beautiful,” said Detroit manager Jim Leyland. “When they (the fans) are not doing anything, it’s almost like a picture. Like a painting.
“I love it here. It’s a great atmosphere. I’ve always said a Cubs game is more than a game, it’s a happening.”
Verlander (6-4), one of the top pitchers in all of baseball in recent years, worked 8 innings and gave up 5 hits and 2 runs while walking none and striking out eight.
“I got chills (before the game) running in the outfield with all the fans cheering so loud,” he said.
The Cubs got decent work from lefty Travis Wood (0-3), who gave up 8 hits and 3 runs in 6 innings. The leadoff batter for the Tigers reached in every inning against Wood.
“It was another battle for me out there today,” Wood said. “I fell into a lot of trouble but was able to keep it close and pitch out of a lot of jams. A guy like Verlander is a great pitcher even when he doesn’t have his ‘A’ game.
The Tigers took a 3-2 lead into the ninth but increased it to 5-2 on a 2-run homer by Austin Jackson off reliever Matt Camp. Right before that, pinch hitter Don Kelly hit a liner to center field. Tony Campana dived for the ball, but it got past him and went to the wall for a triple. Sveum absolved Campana, saying he didn’t want to take away the young player’s aggressiveness.
“I’m the kind of guy that’s going to play aggressive all the time,” Campana said. “If I make the catch, then there’s nobody on base, and everybody’s talking about it. If I don’t, then everybody’s talking about it because he’s on third base. That’s just the way it goes.”
And about those Tigers fans, Tony?
“Yeah, they traveled pretty well,” he said. “That’s pretty cool for them. They got pretty loud, so that was cool.”
Cubs scouting report
Cubs vs. Boston Red Sox at Wrigley Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet Friday: FOX Saturday; ESPN Sunday
Radio: WGN 720-AM
Pitching matchups: The Cubs Ryan Dempster (2-3) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1) Friday at 1:20 p.m.; Jeff Samardzija (5-4) vs. Jon Lester (3-4) Saturday at 6:15 p.m.; Paul Maholm (4-5) vs. Josh Beckett (4-7) Sunday at 7:05 p.m.
At a glance: This is the Red Sox first visit to Wrigley Field since 2005. The two teams played last year at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox winning two of three. Boston (31-32) is tied with Toronto for last in the American League East. Although the Red Sox rank high in several of the key offensive categories, pitching has been a problem. Boston was third from the bottom in team ERA (4.36) in the American League entering Thursday. David Ortiz, who likely will play first base for the Red Sox, is among the AL leaders in batting, on-base percentage, home runs, runs, hits and total bases. Boston recently designated former Cub Marlon Byrd for assignment.
Next: White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, Monday-Wednesday
Bruce Miles