Cubs win a crazy one
How nutty was it at Wrigley Field on Thursday? So nutty that Cubs manager Mike Quade broke into his Lou Piniella impersonation after a 5-2, 13-inning victory over the San Francisco Giants.
“How about that one?” Is that Skip?” Quade asked as he paid homage to his former boss.
Games like Thursday's may have helped drive Piniella out of the business last year. The Cubs looked all but cooked in the ninth inning as they were down 1-0 with Giants ace reliever Brian Wilson bringing his famed beard to the pitcher's mound.
But Aramis Ramirez, who hit a game-winning single Wednesday, crushed a 3-1 pitch from Wilson into the left-field bleachers for a game-tying homer.
In the bottom of the 13th, Geovany Soto was the last man off the bench, and he hit a pinch 3-run homer off Ramon Ramirez to spark a 4-run rally. Pablo Sandoval had given the Giants a 2-1 in the top of the inning with a homer off Cubs reliever John Grabow.
Want some more craziness?
Ÿ With Carlos Zambrano starting for the Cubs, there's always a chance for something strange happening. Sure enough, Zambrano left the game in the second inning after experiencing soreness in his lower back.
Ÿ Reliever Marcos Mateo became the unlikely hero for the Cubs as he pitched 5 scoreless innings.
Ÿ Giants hitters went from the third inning to the 13th without a hit, a span of 10⅓ innings of no-hit ball.
But the real concern for the Cubs is Zambrano, who was coming off 2 straight quality starts. He was taken to the hospital for an MRI on his back, and the Cubs will know more Friday.
“He got here this morning, and I think he was a little cranky,” Quade said. “(Trainer Mark O'Neal) kind of talked to us. You're hoping, and they worked on him extensively, hoping he could loosen it up and give us what he could and hoping they wouldn't bunt on him. He threw quite a few balls up, and he just didn't have the freedom and flexibility that he normally does. This has been an ongoing thing with him from time to time, and unfortunately, it reared its ugly head today.
“We're fortunate Mateo came to the rescue.”
Quade was even more effusive in his praise for Mateo, who opened the season with the Cubs, went to the minor leagues and came back up just Tuesday.
“God bless Mateo,” Quade said. “Are you kidding me? The whole bullpen, obviously, was great, but he was better than great, to give us that length and that quality. Man, oh, man, what a great job by that kid. Saved us. Helped us win the game. Helped us for tomorrow. Just a huge effort.”
As for Soto, he spent the day on the bench as backup catcher Koyie Hill got the start. Soto spent a little time in the dugout serving as translator when pitching coach Mark Riggins talked to Mateo.
He then came up in the 13th after Jeff Baker doubled with two outs and Darwin Barney singled Baker home with the tying run, going to second on the throw home. The Giants walked Starlin Castro intentionally, but Soto pulled a high pitch over the wall in left.
Ready for even more craziness? The White Sox come to Wrigley Field on Friday, and the Cubs will have a chance for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
“I was just trying to get a fastball,” Soto said of his game-winner. “See it. Time it. He never threw one. On 3-2, I just try to see the ball, see it up, breaking pitch up. I knew (Carlos) Pena was on deck and a lefty. He left it a little bit up, and I put good wood on it. It feels unbelievable.
“We've been playing good down the road in late innings. We never give up until the end. We're fighting and fighting and pushing and pushing.”