Tough loss for Cubs as Tigers win with 9th inning HR
The sight of Carlos Zambrano walking into your office carrying a baseball bat might intimidate some people.
Not Lou Piniella.
The Cubs' skipper half-expected that to happen a few hours before Tuesday night's game against the Tigers in Detroit.
"He came into my office and he had the bat in his hand," Piniella told WGN radio on his pregame show. "I said, 'No, son, all we need today is a glove and a ball. We don't need the bat today.' "
Zambrano kept at it, lobbying Piniella to insert him in the ninth spot instead of using a designated hitter.
"He said, 'You know, right field here is a little shorter,' " Piniella said. "I said, 'I know, we're going to put (Micah) Hoffpauir out there and give him a shot at it,' "
For quite a while Tuesday, Piniella looked like a genius because pitch Zambrano did, going a strong 7 innings and allowing just 3 runs. And hit Hoffpauir did, coming through in the clutch with a go-ahead, 2-run homer in the eighth inning.
But then came the ninth and - iceberg straight ahead.
Closer Kevin Gregg (2-2) started the inning with a walk and, quicker than you could say walk-off homer, pinch hitter Ryan Raburn was getting mobbed at the plate by teammates following a 2-run blast, giving the Tigers a 5-4 victory in front of a sellout crowd at Comerica Park.
It was Gregg's third blown save of the season.
"I could have hit that ball out of the park," Gregg said. "When you throw that pitch, all you can do is hope he pops it up, and he popped it right out of the park."
The win was the Tigers' fifth straight, while the Cubs dropped their second straight to move to 0-2 on their current road trip.
"One-run leads on the road aren't easy to hold," Piniella said. "Gregg has been pitching well. Just didn't happen today."
Mike Spellman's game tracker
The grade: B. B for Big Z's quality start, for Micah Hoffpauir's big clutch home run in the eighth inning and unfortunately for Kevin Gregg's blown save in the ninth, his third of the season.
No pressure, though: The apparent offensive savior-to-be, injured third baseman Aramis Ramirez (shoulder), may begin taking batting practice as soon as this weekend in preparation for his rehab assignment.
Nobody doesn't like Derrek Lee: As long as he continues swinging the bat the way he has of late, that is. Lee extended his career-best hitting streak to 20 games with a pair of hits Tuesday.