September 7, 2011 Cubs.Com Cubs Finally Plug Leake
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September 7, 2011 Cubs.com Cubs finally plug Leake but fall in extras By: Sam Zuba CHICAGO -- On a day when the Cubs took their team picture to forever remember the 2011 campaign, they'll want to forget their latest game as soon as possible. The Cubs spent the majority of their 4-2, 13-inning loss to the Reds on Tuesday handcuffed by Reds starter Mike Leake. Chicago's offense was nowhere to be found through the first eight innings, as Leake retired 18 of his first 19 batters -- allowing just one hit until the ninth. After battling back from a 2-0 deficit in the ninth, reliever John Grabow gave up two runs in the 13th inning, allowing Cincinnati to seal a victory. The Cubs overcame the two-run deficit when Starlin Castro reached first on a slow roller to third base with two outs in the ninth. Next up was the recently recalled Bryan LaHair, who connected with Leake's 2-0 pitch for his first home run since Sept. 20, 2008, to tie the game and force extra innings. "I just got a good pitch to hit," LaHair said. "I've been saying it all along, I'm just trying to hit balls hard. I just let the bat do the work. "It was an incredible moment. It's always fun to do something like that. The team really appreciated it, they were really happy for me. It's a good feeling." Reds manager Dusty Baker was impressed by LaHair's towering shot, especially since the wind was blowing in at Wrigley Field. "That ball was crushed," Baker said. "I could see why that young man hit 38 home runs and drove in 100-something [109] runs [in the Minors]. He definitely has some power. It was big. I'm sure Mike will see [it] for a long time, and that's a pitch that he wants back." Before LaHair stepped up to the plate, Carlos Pena gave him some tips on how to approach Leake, who tossed nine innings of three-hit, two-run ball. "Before my at-bat, I talked to Pena about how [Leake] was pitching him," LaHair said. "He gave me some advice on how some of [Leake's pitches] move, those kinds of things. My whole focus was to get a good pitch and hit it hard." The homer was the lone blemish on Leake's day. "He just attacks the bottom of the strike zone," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "There's something about that guy, outside of just attacking the bottom of the strike zone. He doesn't mess around. He's coming right at you. If you don't get after him, you'll be 0-2 before you know what hit you." The Cubs had a chance to steal a win in the 10th inning, but Jeff Baker grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Misfortune struck the Cubs in the 12th inning, when Tony Campana led off with a grounder to first base. The speedy rookie took off out of the batters box and charged to first. Replays showed that Campana beat the ball to first base, but umpire Tim Welke ruled him out. Instead of having Campana, who has stolen 19 bases this season, on first with no outs, the Cubs had one out with nobody on base. "That was a big part of the game," Campana said. "I got a little riled up. I think I had the best view of it, and I knew [the umpire] didn't even get there [in time.]" Cubs starter Rodrigo Lopez allowed just four hits coming into the sixth inning, before giving up a leadoff single to rookie Dave Sappelt. Joey Votto followed with a double to right field that scored Sappelt and gave the Reds their first run of the game. Votto later scored on Mesoraco's double-play ball, putting the Reds up, 2-0. This same combination began the Cubs' downfall in the 13th. Sappelt led off with a double to left field. Votto followed with a double to left of his own to score Sappelt with the go-ahead run. Miguel Cairo later added an RBI single to score Votto with an insurance run. "We had our chances," Quade said. "We just didn't have many of them." -- Cubs.com Cueto, Dempster to face off in rubber match at Wrigley By: Evan Drellich It took one more pitcher (14) than it did innings (13) for the Cubs and Reds to complete Tuesday night's game, but they got it done when Cincinnati plated two in the top of the 13th to help secure a 4-2 win. Now, heading into the rubber match of the three-game series at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, the Cubs and Reds need their respective starters to give their bullpens a break. Johnny Cueto has had a very good season. But he wasn't stellar his last time out on Friday -- giving up five runs in as many innings to the Cards -- before the Reds rallied for an 11-8 win. "Johnny didn't have his normal good stuff [on Friday]," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He was centering some balls over the heart of the plate." For Chicago, Ryan Dempster is coming off a season-high 122-pitch outing -- in the midst of 93-degree Chicago weather, no less. He went 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, with one walk and nine strikeouts. Unfortunately, he took the loss -- his third straight -- in the Cubs' 3-1 loss to the Pirates. A bright spot for both National League Central clubs, as they wind down their seasons, has been their second basemen. Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips, who was 1-for-6 on Tuesday, has hit safely in 19 of 20 games since moving to the leadoff spot, and is 33-for-86 (.384) with seven doubles, one homer and 11 RBIs. In his first full season, Chicago's Darwin Barney hasn't gotten the attention that other NL rookies have, but he's put a solid campaign together after winning the job in Spring Training -- despite struggling of late. Barney carried a .386 average (17-for-44) from Aug. 13-24, but is 3-for-38 (.079) in his last 12 games after an 0-for-2 performance on Tuesday. "He's like a lot of young kids. He's tired," Chicago manager Mike Quade said. "We've tried to give him some days. I'll try to be a little more careful with him. He's had a marvelous first year, and has held up pretty well. When you're a high energy guy and play with everything you've got all day long, it's a long season and it can wear on you." Reds: Rookies get a look • Baker started four rookies in the Reds' lineup on Tuesday, providing a glimpse of the future. Dave Sappelt (3-for-5) started in center, Todd Frazier (0-for-4) in left, Devin Mesoraco (1-for-5) at catcher and Chris Valaika (0-for-3) at shortstop. "Remember, you asked me how I was going to play everybody," Baker said. "I'm doing the best I can to give everybody a look-see. Some are getting longer [looks] than others. I'm just trying to help figure some things out." • Triple-A Louisville's season concluded on Monday, so the Reds made their final planned September callup on Tuesday, when lefty Travis Wood was recalled. He's 6-5 with a 5.02 ERA in 18 games this season for the Reds, including 16 starts. Cubs: Cashner can't go back-to-back • Andrew Cashner, activated from the disabled list on Monday, wasn't one of the seven arms the Cubs used in a 13-inning, 4-2 loss on Tuesday. Out since April with a strained right rotator cuff, when Cashner does see action, he'll likely need the following two days off. "Carefully," Cubs manager Mike Quade said of how the right-hander would be used. Worth noting • Cubs infielder Blake DeWitt did some agility drills on Tuesday to test a tender left hamstring, but was limited to pinch-hitting. -- Cubs.com Grabow visits Children's Memorial Hospital By: Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Cubs pitcher John Grabow took time out on Tuesday to do some coloring at Children's Memorial Hospital. Grabow spent part of the afternoon with some of the patients at the hospital, passing out Cubs hats, talking baseball and helping them with their coloring. "It's sad," Grabow said. "You see kids not feeling well, and it puts it in perspective when you have kids. ... It gets to you pretty bad. "Every kid I saw today was in good spirits, even though they have a tough road ahead of them. It makes my job look a lot easier. These kids have so much anxiety about getting healthy. I get anxiety if the phone [in the bullpen] is going to ring to go face a hitter." One of the patients he met was Mackenzie Tannhauser, 17, of Chicago, daughter of Ward Tannhauser, known as the "Ivy Man" because he has been spotted at Wrigley Field draped in faux ivy and standing on stilts. Mackenzie is waiting for a heart transplant and is writing about her progress on a blog. Grabow made sure to give her his email so she can update him on when she gets a new heart. The kids seem to handle their situations well.