The Cubs enter May with the best record in the MLB and continue to liter the warning track in front of their dugout. Julio Teheran takes on John Lackey looking for his fourth win of the season and trying to improve his ERA. Lackey would have a quick 1-2-3 first inning. Fowler would continue his hot streak with a leadoff single, deep into shortstop. Heyward would send a screamer right back at Teherhan moving Dexter to second. Kris Bryant back in the line up would strikeout on a caught foul tip. Anthony Rizzo would walk and with Bez Zobrist up to bat both men would steal but Ben would get caught watching the ball cross the plate for his first K of the day.
Aside from the leadoff hit by Fowler in the first, both men would cruise through the first four innings with out a run crossing the plate and for Lackey, no hits through four. His first hit would be given up to Kelly Johnson, who would attempt a bunt, throwing Lackey off enough for a double to left. Johnson would be pushed over to third and then score on Jace Peterson’s sac fly to right. Lackey would get out of the inning but it would be 1-0 Braves.
The top of the sixth would prove to be trouble for Lackey, he’d give up a single to Mallex Smith, the walk Nick Markakis. Erik Aybar would move up the runners with a bunt, setting up Freddie Freeman for an intentional walk. Adonis Garcia would reach on a fielding error scorin Smith. Kelly Johnson would get an unusual RBI in his inning ending double play, Zobrisy would miss the tag on Garcia, throw to Rizzo for the out, who would throw back to Ben for the tag to end the inning.
Mallax Smith would leadoff the eighth with a double to the left center gap but get tagged out trying to stretch it for three. Lackey would finish the eighth. Jim Johnson would replace Julio getting the lead off man to line out. Matt Szczur would reach on a bunt. Fowler would push Matt to third on a double who would then score on Heyward’s ground out to second base with Hunter Cevanka on the mound, Fowler at third. Arodyis Vizcaino would come in to face Bryant giving up a base hit scoring Fowler. But Rizzo would end the inning with a K. Braves 3, Cubs 2.
Travis Wood starts the ninth off against Freeman getting him to ground out. He’d give up a walk to Francoeur but get Johnson to fly out. Justin Grimm would come into the game, throwing a wild pitch to advance the runner but would get the last out.
Zobrist would lead off the ninth with a walk. He would make it to third on Vizcaino’s throwing error to try to pick off Ben. Zobrist would then score on Russell’s single to right, tying it at three but Aroydis would get out of it taking us into extra innings. Hector Rondon would come into the 10th, getting the first out but Daniel Castro would single to right advancing to third on Mallax’s single to left. Markakis would send a fly ball to left, scoring Castro. Rondon would finish the inning off. 4-3.
Jason Grilli would start the 10th off by getting Fowler to ground out, then get Heyward to strikeout. Kris Bryant with two outs and a 3-2 count would walk bringing Rizzo to the plate. However, Rizzo would fly out to left. Still a great game for the Cubs, not what we wanted but they can’t win them all.
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