San Diego 39-29
Cubs 31-36
POTG: SP Z! (CG [1/7], 2 H, R, 5 BB, 6 K)
It’s hard to remember, given everything that went down in this game, but as much as we wanted Z! to hit the home run in the 8th inning to put the team ahead, he almost did it back in the 4th with the near sac fly. It probably was too shallow, but Bocachica made a better average throw to gun down Theriot at the plate. If that throw bounces or is a little off, everything after might change with a one run lead.
In some no hitters and near no hitters, you have great plays to keep it going. In this one, you had obvious errors, to keep the official scorer from ruling a hit. It fit with this game; Z was less dominant and more effectively wild, as those five walks can attest to. He and the Padres pitches were helped by the extra couple inches the umpire was giving on the outside edge. For whatever reason, the ump didn’t give it to Z on the second to last pitch to Branyan, so we got the only run of the game.
I’m using way too many commas today. Sorry.
Really, this is should be all on the offense, but there’s not much of one with Lee out of the lineup. I know Lee was ticked about being hit in the hand, but he really had to control himself better after – the team needs him, and now they won’t have him for a week or two sometime in the near future. Someone’s going to have to get hot here again, or the runs just might not be coming.
Ward might never have been much hurt and he’ll be rushed back after this – he’s already rehabbing in Iowa (and 1 for 9 so far) – so he’d split time with DeRosa at first if Lee stalls long enough for Ram to return. It’d still be until about the All Star break for the starting lineup to be intact, and they need to making up ground sooner than that. Someone’s gotta pick it up.
(hey, a one run loss. YAWN.)
I don’t have much to say about the fight. I don’t seem to have much to say about any of the fights, because pretty much all was said. (Z saying he was running out to “separate people” is probably not a lie, as long as you take that to meaning he wanted to separate people’s heads from their bodies.) Lee thought it was intentional, Young wasn’t apologetic enough to make Lee think differently, and Derek snapped. It’s so unlike him to do that, he must still be very concerned about his wrist.
I think no retaliation tomorrow, a little because of warnings, a lot because it’s Maddux. Not that Maddux won’t hit people, but probably not a team he was just on.
One game till Sammy. Just in time for 600. As if June hadn’t been crazy so far…