Cubs take 3 of 4 from Cardinals

The Cubs and the Cardinals squared off in a 4 game set. With both teams at 2 wins and 2 loses, the divisional match up could be a tone setter for the rest of the season. Matching wits with, the always crafty and KOD seasoned veteran, BikeMike is always an enjoyable challenge.

Game 1

Greg Maddux would get the ball in game 1 for Chicago, while St. Louis would counter with Joe Magrane. The Cubs would score the game winner in the bottom of the first as Ryne Sandberg would double and then trot home on a Ron Cey home run down the left field line to put Chicago up 2-0. St Louis would score a run in the top of the 2nd. George Hendrick would single and then be sent to 3rd on a Terry Pendletoon single. A walk to Darrel Porter would follow and then a bunt by Ozzie Smith would score Hendrick. A Jody Davis solo shot in the Cub half of the 2nd and a RBI single by Cey in the 3rd would give Chicago a 4-1 lead. Maddux would scatter 9 hits and shut down St.Louis the rest of the way to go 2-0 on the season.

Game 2

The 2nd game of the series would  be in the friendly confines of Wrigley with Rick Sutcliffe going for Chicago and Joaquin Andujar would take the mound for the Cards.  St.Louis would pounce early as Keith Hernandez a would hit a solo shot in the St.Louis 1st and then Andujar would tag Sutcliffe with a 2 run shot in the top of the 2nd. Chicago would get on the board when Shawon Dunston would single home Andre Dawson to cut the lead to 3-1. St.Louis would stretch the lead to 5-1 by scoring a run in each of the 5th and 6th innings. Chicago would not go gently into that good night as Andre Dwason would hit a deep sacrifice to center scoring Dunston to make it 5-2. In the Cubs 8th Gary Matthews would smack and solo dinger down the left field line. Shawon Dunston would follow with a basket job to left center, and suddenly the Cardinal 5-1 lead was 5-4. Fortunately, for Cardinals, Bruce Sutter was on the job in the 9th and Chicago faded away 1-2-3 in the 9th and St.Louis held on for a 5-4 win.

Game 3

The series would move to St. Louis for games 3 and 4. Steve Trout would win his first of the year as he would give up 9 hits over 8 innings. Danny Cox would only give up 4 hits to the Cubs in his 7 innings of work . All 4 hits would come in the Chicago 5th, all singles, and Chicago would score 3 runs and take a 3-1 lead. The Cards would cut it to 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th as Ozzie Smith would single up the middle to score Tony Pena, who lead of the inning with a double. A Chicago insurance run off the bat of Ron Cey, as he hit his 6th home run of the young year, would add a Cub insurance run. Lee Smith would come in and earn his 3rd save of the year as Chicago wins it, 4-2.

The ever popular Steve Trout

Game 4

St. Louis would look to salvage a split with the Cubs and put Bob Forsch on the mound to try and do it. Chicago countered with Dennis Eckersley. It would be a wild game with the lead changing several times. It would be Eckersley who would get credit for the win. St.Louis would open the scoring on a fielder's choice grounder to short scoring Vince Coleman. Coleman would be a thorn on Chicago pitching all series as he stole every base imaginable. Vince has 7 on the year. Chicago would tie it in the 3rd as Eckersley would hit one that barley made the basket in left. St.Louis would regain the lead when a Keith Hernandez single scored Bob Forsch.. In the 4th Chicago would tie it as a seeing eye Jody Davis single scored Leon Durham from 2nd. The Cardinals, on a Darrel Porter solo home run, would regain the lead in the bottom of the 4th. In the Cub 5th, Gary Matthews would get hit in the elbow, Bob Dernier and Ryne Sandberg singles and a Ron Cey double would put Chicago back on top, 5-3. In the bottom of the 5th, The Cardinals would tie it as 4 Cardinal singles would plate 2 runs and just like that it was tied. That would be all the scoring St. Louis could muster as Chicago scored a run in the 6th and another in the 8th. Frank Dipino would grab his 1st save of the year for Chicago.

A great series and much fun in matching wits with BikeMike.