Sun 07/22/2001
The Cubs welcomed back Eddie Murray, who took a 10 day break for rotator cuff surgery, and crushed the Yankees
18-5. The Cubs pounded at 24 hits and forced the Yankees into 6 errors. The Cubs rallied from a 5-1 middle
of the third deficit to score 17 unanswered runs! Earl Carpenter and Dan Gould were fantastic in relief
pitching a combined 6 hitless and scoreless innings. The Cubs held the Yankees to just 4 hits all day!
Another Cubbie blowout today which didn't start off looking so good. The Cubs played horribly in the top of
the third making 3 errors and allowing 3 unearned runs to score. At that point the Cubs trailed 5-1. From
there on the Cubs scored 17 unanswered runs and didn't allow a hit!
Andy Luckhardt was great in his first Cubbie start in over a year. He pitched three innings and allowed
just two earned runs and with a couple better throws from center field could have had three scoreless innings.
He allowed just four hits. Earl Carpenter picked up the win with 4 dominating innings of relief. Earl
did not allow a hit while walking 3 and hitting a batter. No Yankees even reached third while Earl pitched.
Dan Gould pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth without allowing a hit either! Dan had a great curve going
for him in the ninth.
The Cubs defense was miserable in the second and third innings. However, the last six innings were awesome!
The Cubs made another 2 double plays, making it 11 double plays in the last 5 games! The first was a great
1-6-3 double play started by Earl Carpenter to Dennis Fontecchio who threw a bullet to Mark Grogan. The
second double play was turned in the eighth inning when Scott Carpenter caught a ball in left field and threw
a perfect 1 hop strike to Paul Sonnett at the plate to nail the Yankee runner trying to score from third. Mark
Grogan had a very good game at first snaring a foul pop and making two great scoops of one hopper throws. Earl
Carpenter made a diving stop on the mound and also tracked down a foul ball at first base with his back to the
plate.
Where do you start with an offense that pounded out 24 hits and scored 18 runs? Tim Shaver played a key role
in this one collecting 4 singles and 3 RBIs. Tim's two out second inning single off the Yankees ace scored
the first Cubs run. Tim also singled and scored the tying run in the fourth inning. Bruce Sher, Eddie Murray,
Dennis Fontecchio and Mark Grogan all collected three hits. Bruce maintained his team leading .600 batting
average with his 3-5 day. Eddie Murray, who was supposed to miss 2-3 months with his rotator cuff surgery,
incredibly missed just one game and 10 days. Eddie had a great comeback with three singles, a reach by error
and two runs scored. Mark Grogan doubled in each of his first two at bats in route to a 3-5 day with 2
runs scored. Dan Gould was 2-5 with a line drive triple to left center. Dan reached by error twice and scored
3 runs. The Cubs had 4 doubles as a team, Dennis Fontecchio and Paul Sonnett collected doubles. Scott
Carpenter, a late edition to the starting lineup, delivered a clutch two out base hit in the bottom on the
fourth which plated the eventual game winning run.
The Cubs had two runners thrown out at home for the second consecutive game and also had runners picked off
second base in both the first and second innings. However, they still scored 18 runs and won the game.