Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs
Current mood: cheerful
Category: Sports
My friend Andrei, dmitri and I got off to an early start this morning left Rockford about 9:00 and then we got to Chicago about 10:30 or so. We tried to get handicap parking but at Wrigleyville there is no handicap parking. We ended up paying 25 dollars and parked by the taco Bell and McDonalds that were close by Wrigley Field.
Today was Derrick Lee Bobble head Day to the first 10,000 fans. We got there so early and parked we went around taking pictures. We saw the new Ernie "Mr.Cub" Banks statue that opened and unvailed on opening day and the Harry Carey statue which we also took pictures of.
We got a bunch of souveniers and i got one of the foam claws that has the cubs logo on it. I also got a bunch of cubs cups for some friends if they want them. Along with the usual program and scorecard.
We got to our seats and a guy who is on the chariots was sitting right next to me. What a coincedence to see heim there at that game out of all the games the whole year lol. I said hi and had to make sure it was him because it was hard to believe.
So the game startedand the pirates scored first off jason bay and him getting a single , stolen base, and Xavier Nady getting the RBI. Then in the 4th Inning the cubs scored 3 runs. Fukudome hit a triple and scored off mark derosa's single and then Derosa got to 3rd on the double by Geovana Soto. The Next batter Reed Johnson hit a single scoreing DeRosa from 3rd and Soto went over to 3rd base. Next up was Rich Hill and he was suppose to bunt but swung away and hit into a fielders choice making it so there were guys on 1st and 3rd. The next batter was Eric Patterson he hit a lazy grounder to Shortstop and the guy at second got out on a fielders choice but because of pattersons speed it allowed Soto to score from 3rd which ended up to be the game winning run. IIt was the game winning run because NAte Mclouth hit a homer off Carlos Marmol in the 8th Inning. Marmol pitched 2 innings relieveing Sean marshall who faced a batter after Jon Lieber. got two out. Marmol ended up striking out 5 of the 6 batters with hte other out being a lazy infield ground out.
Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates ended up with a 3-2 one run win with Kerry Wood saving the game
CHICAGO -- Friday was a good first step for Cubs lefty Rich Hill.
Mark DeRosa had two hits, including a game-tying RBI single, and Hill gave up one run over five innings to help the Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2.
Hill (1-0), making his first start since April 10, and first since spending the weekend in the bullpen, struck out four, walked three and gave up three hits. He and lefty Ted Lilly were winless in six starts prior to Friday's game.
"It was a start in the right direction for him," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Like I told him, he needs to build on this now. He went out there and threw the ball. There were a couple rough spots, but it was a vast improvement. He threw the ball well today and let it go."
Hill walked Pirates leadoff man Nate McLouth on four straight fastballs to start the game, but catcher Geovany Soto switched up the calls and got the lefty to throw his curve. It worked, and Hill struck out the next batter, Luis Rivas.
Hill didn't overhaul his delivery during his break.
"It wasn't anything mechanical that had to be adjusted," he said. "It was just approach and how you stay aggressive. I was talking about staying aggressive and attacking. The time previous, I wasn't doing that. It was almost to prove something to yourself to go out there and pitch like you know how to pitch."
Hill won 11 games last season, and posted a 3.92 ERA. He and Lilly have gotten off to rough starts, but Piniella said it was too early to consider replacing them.
"Let's get these guys straightened out," Piniella said. "They all pitched well last year. A few of them have scuffled, but let's not panic and worry about making drastic moves. They're capable of pitching, and let them get their work in."
Soto saw improvement by Hill.
"He was throwing the ball with a lot of confidence today," Soto said. "He walked a couple guys with two outs, but he never stopped pitching and had a pretty good outing, I think."
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the second when Jason Bay was safe on an infield single, stole second, and scored on Xavier Nady's single.
Kosuke Fukudome led off the Chicago fourth with his first Major League triple, and scored on DeRosa's single to tie the game. Soto doubled, and DeRosa scored on Reed Johnson's infield single. Hill was safe on a fielder's choice, advancing Soto, although he should've been bunting.
"We've got to talk about these signs a little more," Piniella said. "We were bunting in that situation. It surprised me a little bit when the ball was hit to the shortstop. Let's not confuse the issue -- [Hill] pitched well, and we won the baseball game."
Soto scored when Eric Patterson hit into a fielder's choice, opening a 3-1 lead. Patterson, called up to take the injured Alfonso Soriano's spot on the roster, was making his first start and picked up his first career RBI.
McLouth made it 3-2 when he homered to open the Pirates' eighth, sending a 2-2 pitch from Carlos Marmol into the center-field seats. Kerry Wood retired the side in order in the ninth for his fourth save in five tries. Wood had gotten up early to warmup, and the extra time in the 'pen was a bonus.
"I had the last couple days off and I didn't mind getting up and throwing a little more before going into the game," Wood said. "I threw more pitches than I normally throw. I think it helped."
Marmol and Wood were two of the five pitchers the Cubs used in the game. Piniella wanted to make sure Hill got the win.
"There was more in there," Hill said about being pulled after five, "but it's definitely something to build off of, and a good confidence booster to go into the next outing. What we were talking about in the dugout is it's something to build off."
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
