Most memorable Cubs games in Houston since 1998

Daily Herald sports writer Bruce Miles has covered the Cubs full time since 1998. As the Cubs play the Astros as a National League team in Houston for the final time this week, here are Miles’ favorite memories of games in Houston over the past 15 years.

Sept. 27, 1998The Cubs blew a 3-1 lead on the final Sunday of the season and fell 4-3 to the Astros at the Astrodome. They headed off the field thinking they had blown their chance at the wild card, but on their long walk to the clubhouse, the Rockies#146; Neifi Perez hit a game-winning homer to beat the Giants and force an extra game between the Cubs and San Francisco for the wild card the next night. #147;We aren#146;t in the playoffs,#148; said Cubs closer Rod Beck. #147;But having a second chance is real good. There will be no scoreboard watching tomorrow. There#146;s one game going on. It#146;s us and them.#148;Terry Mulholland started and worked 8 innings of the Sunday game at the Astrodome before pitching one-third of an inning Monday as the Cubs held on to beat the Giants 5-3, with Beck earning his 51st save. Sept 23, 2001:Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park) showed it could play quirky, too. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Astros#146; Moises Alou hit a drive to left field. The ball hit a notch high on the scoreboard, spun up and over the wall into the seats for a home run. The Astros won the game 7-6 despite the Cubs#146; Sammy Sosa hitting 3 home runs. Cubs left fielder Michael Tucker argued Alou#146;s home run vociferously, but umpires made the correct call because the ball never hit the ground. #147;It still doesn#146;t make sense,#148; Tucker snapped. #147;They need to fix the (bleeping) ballpark.#148;Aug. 16, 2006:With the Cubs needing an emergency starter because the previous night#146;s game went 18 innings, they turned to their Class AAA Iowa farm club, which was playing at Round Rock, Texas, about 165 miles away. Getting the call was little-known lefty Ryan O#146;Malley, a native of Sprinfield, Ill. #147;I didn#146;t really know until 6 this morning,#148; O#146;Malley said. #147;Our trainer from Iowa, Bob Grimes, came in, knocked on my door and said, #145;Get your stuff, you#146;re going to Houston to pitch against the Astros today for the Cubs.#146; I told him to quit kidding with me. This is some kind of a joke.#148;All O#146;Malley did was work 8 innings of 5-hit shutout ball after taking a limo from Round Rock. The Cubs won 1-0 on Michael Barrett#146;s sixth-inning homer off Andy Pettitte. But O#146;Malley was all the talk. Manager Dusty Baker said the victory was #147;sent from above.#148;#147;Oh, man, that was sweet,#148; Baker said. #147;The young man had a real gutsy performance. He worked quickly, kept our defense sharp. He had them off-balance all day long. Eight innings in your first outing, your first win, that#146;s a young man from Illinois, too. I bet his parents are happy, too. I know we are.#148;O#146;Malley pitched in only one more big-league game, losing to the Phillies six days later as his elbow came up sore.