Cubs Gut Out Late Night Win, Ross Firing on All Cylinders

The game took five hours to complete and thirteen innings. There were ample scoring opportunities by both teams on a night where it seemed like not much was going right for either team. For their part, the Cubs left fourteen men on base and were 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The Brewers weren’t much better, they left ten men on base and were 1-for-12 with RISP.

David Ross was unbelievable on defense tonight behind the plate for the Cubs. He owned second base all night long. He registered four throw-outs of men on second base. Four! Jonathan Villar stole second base in the first inning and it was almost as if that triggered something in a very deep, dark, scary place within David Ross, because after that happened he was a man possessed. One of the best defensive games I’ve seen in a very long time from a catcher.

While there were many scoring opportunities for both sides, the Brewers took only a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning. It was then that Addison Russell drove in the game tying run by driving in Javier Baez on a fielder’s choice to send the game into extra innings.

In extra frames the Cubs emptied their bench and also ended up using every pitcher in their bullpen, including Trevor Cahill who came in to pinch hit….for Pedro Strop. Travis Wood was the last man standing and he came on in the bottom of the twelfth inning, inheriting two runners and promptly walking a third to load the bases with no outs. Three fly outs later and the Cubs escaped, somehow.

Move to the top of the thirteenth, Ben Zobrist hit a one-out single and stole second base. Tommy La Stella got hit by a pitch, Russell struck out and all the sudden there were two outs. Miguel Montero was intentionally walked so the Brewers could pitch to Travis Wood and, somehow, Brewers pitcher Carlos Torres walked Travis Wood, scoring a run, on five pitches. And that would be your game winner, as the Cubs held on to win a bizarre game 2-1.

Stats that mattered

• David Ross picked off four runners. Four!
• John Lackey was good – 6IP, 4H, 1R, 2BB, 5Ks
• The Cubs bullpen was stellar – 7IP, 2H, 0R, 6BB (<==except this), 9Ks – and the winning walk…
• Ben Zobrist’s 1B and SB in the top of the 13th fueled the win – 3-for-5, 1R (winning run), 1BB
• Kris Bryant got on base three times – 2-for-5, 1BB

Bottom line

It wasn’t pretty, or conventional, but the Cubs got the win. That is all.

Next up

The Cubs will close out the series and go for their tenth series win of the year on Wednesday as Jason Hammel takes the mound for a 12:40 start time.