Tag: Chicago Cubs

Wednesday, March 11
Kansas City 8 at Chicago 9
Sloan Park
Temp: 80 at 1:10 first pitch

Cubs Clip Royals in Sloan Park Slugfest

Rare are the days when you clout five home runs and wind up second best on the scoreboard. Factor in that it’s a split-squad game with half of KC’s players in Surprise hosting the Giants … AND Italy snatching Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglinone for the World Baseball Classic. But that’s what Kansas City did, outhomering the Cubbies 5-to-2 in an exciting see-saw game where the lead changed hand five times and the Cubs finally prevailed 9-8.

The game’s second batter Lane Thomas led off the Royals scoring when he smoked a triple into right center and scooted home when Nico Hoerner’s errant throw wound up in the Cubs dugout. The Cubs roared back against KC starter Mitch Spence with a 5-spot in the second. Spence thought he was home free after getting Dansby Swanson to fly out to second and Michael Conforto on a line-out to right. But Carson Kelly and Dylan Carlson singled before Spence plunked Matt Shaw to load the bases. Number nine hitter Pedro Ramirez promptly parked Spence’s 0-1 pitch into the right field Blankets-on-the-Berm for a Grand Salami. Next up, Hoerner with the back-to-back jack, taking Spence over the fence in center to put the Cubs up 5-2 through two.

KC wasted no time getting back on the board in the third. Peyton Wilson led off with a walk and Brett Squires squared up a Chris Rea offering and launched it 30 feet beyond the center field fence, whittling the Cubs lead to 5-3. Next inning, the Royals bats were still battle royale. Elias Diaz led off with a blast to left and, following a Tyler Tolbert groundout, Luca Tresh trashed a pitch 30 feet to the right of where Diaz’ dinger landed. With no pals aboard, the two solo shots made it a 5-5 game through four.

The two clubs’ pitchers escaped any damage in the fifth and sixth innings but KC took a 6-5 lead in the seventh when Wilson led off with a bomb to left. The bottom of the seventh began in bizarre fashion. The top of the order was due up. Jefferson Rojas had replaced Hoerner. But the number two batter Moised Ballesteros stepped to the plate out of order and singled to left, causing this scorekeeper to wonder … did I missed something? Not at all. The ump had Ballesteros immediately replaced by pinch runner Joan Delgado and Rojas batted next, striking out. Delgado stole second and, after a Justin Dean fly out, Brett Bateman singled home Delgado. Bateman swiped second and came home on a Scott Kingery single for a 7-6 Cubs lead.

In the top of the eighth, John Rave reached first when Cubs third baseman Matt Halbach tracked Rave’s mile-high pop-up from third towards short before reaching out … and dropping it. Yandel Ricardo moved him along with a single to center. Luke Pelzer came in to run for Rave. A Tyriq Kemp fielder’s choice scored Pelzer to tie the game, 7-7.

The Cubs failed to score in the bottom of the eighth and the game moved to the ninth. Following a Jose Cerice groundout, a Blake Mitchell homer put KC back on top, 8-7. Blake’s blast went over the SLOAN sign at the top of the bullpen in right. I pegged it at 390 feet. … There were several challenges with the ABS system during the game. Several calls were overturned. None were more poetic than the called third strike to Cubs lead-off batter Justin Dean in the ninth. He challenged, won the challenge and then drilled the next pitch to left center. He took off like a shot and simply outran the throw in to second. Bateman grounded out, but Kingery singled home Dean, tying the game yet again, 8-8. Halbach was next up and he ripped a pitch down the right field line. The ball took a big careening bound off the side wall and the (geriatric) ball “boy” swished when he should’ve swooshed. It was a dance step gone wrong. The ball nailed him in the waist and Kingery never stopped, sailing all the way home from first. They gave Halbach a double, the Cubs ran onto the field to celebrate and I think the umps figured that since the grey-haired ball boy still had his teeth and pride, “Cubs Win!” seemed the safe play. 9-8, Chicago, thank you very much.

Ballpark Buzz … Conforto’s double to left center off Mason Black in the fifth is today’s pic … One might argue that Royals players hit 8 home runs today as Pasquantino went deep thrice in Italy’s 9-1 mauling of Mexico, setting up a USA vs. Canada quarterfinal match on Friday. … The Royals acquired Spence from the A’s a month ago on Feb. 12. He allowed 5 earned runs on 4 hits and a walk in 2 innings of work. … Rea’s pitching line wasn’t much better. Same damage, though it took twice as long: 5 runs, 4 earned on 5 hits and 1 walk in four innings. He struck out 1. … The fan beside me asked me if Luca Tresh is related to Tom Tresh, who was a three-time all-star for the Yankees from 1961-69. Yes, indeed. They are cousins. … Attendance: 11,944. … My drink of choice today: Four Peaks WOW Wheat.