The Cubs won their third straight game with a tough 7-2 victory over the winless Mariners on 6/7!
The Cubs used a 5 run third inning to break a scoreless tie and then held on the rest if the way to beat the
Mariners 7-2. This was a struggle as the Cubs could not mount many rallies in this game and the Mariners had
threats in every inning to get back into the game. The Mariners would score twice in the 7th to make the score
5-2, but the Cubs scored once in the 7th without a hit and once more in the 8th.
It was a game that never felt
comfortable. Fortunately the Cubs played great defense to help thwart several Mariner rallies. There was a key
pickoff at second base from catcher Paul Sonnett to second baseman Earl Carpenter in the 5th. That inning started
with 2 walks and 2 hit by pitches, but the pickoff and then 5th batter double play (Alex Scott to Earl to Glenn
D'Avanzo) allowed the Cubs to not give up a run. In the 6th, after the leadoff man reached, the next batter ripped
a bullet down the first baseline that had trouble written all over it. Glenn made a great catch and turned that
potential issue into a double play. In the 7th, after Mariners had scored 2 runs, Eddie Murray threw a bullet
from right field to catcher Paul Sonnett to cut down a Mariners runner for the last out of the inning. The Mariners
also left the bases loaded in the first.
Tom Barnes struggled with his control, but made huge pitches when he needed to and managed to hurl six scoreless
innings. Tom walked 7 and hit 2 batters but only allowed 2 hits in his 6 innings. Tom had 4 Ks. Earl Carpenter
picked up the save throwing the final 3 innings. Earl allowed 2 runs in the 7th, but pitched a 1-2-3 8th and 9th.
Offensively, the Cubs hit a lot of bombs in this game. Unfortunately the Mariners outfielders had a good day and
made several fine catches taking away sure extra base hits. The Cubs still managed to have 5 doubles and a triple
on the day. Eddie Murray was 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and Ken Hamm had a 2 for 4 day with 2 RBIs and a double. The big
inning was the third when the Cubs scored 5 runs to break a scoreless tie. Rich Schwarz led off with a walk and
then stole second and went to third when the throw from the catcher went into center field. Alex Scott had an RBI
groundout. Then Eddie doubled and scored on Paul Sonnett's triple. Ken Hamm drove in Paul with an RBI groundout.
Earl Carpenter doubled and Glenn D'Avanzo followed with a single to put runners on first and third. A double steal
plated both runners with the help of two Mariners errors on the play.