The Colorado Rockies entered Wrigley Field with 5 – 4 record on Jackie Robinson Day. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the Jackie Robinson game back in 2009 against none other than the Rockies. Chad Bettis would go up against Kyle Hendrix, who landed a W on his last start against the Diamondbacks. He would make it through the first inning but would give up an RBI single to Ben Paulsen scoring Nolan Arenado. He would hold it together through five.
The Cubs would get thier first attempt at scoring in the bottom of the fifth playing small ball but the squeeze bunt by Hendrix didn’t work catching Jorge Soler by at least 5 feet.
In the top of the sixth, Hendrix would give up singles to Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado & Gerrado Parra, scoring Cargo. Nolan would score on a 6 – 4 -3 double play putting the Rockies up 3 – 0. Rizzo would get the only hit in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Hendrix would give up a leadoff single to Tony Wolters, prompting Maddon to go to the pen and bring in Trevor Cahill. Brandon Barnes would bunt his way on base but would reach second on a horrible throw by Kris Bryant that went in the Rockies bullpen, scoring Wolters putting them up by 4. The bottom half would get exciting with Chaf Qualls coming into the game giving up a single to Soler, a walk to Montero. He would get Russell to fly out but Soler would score on a Tommy La Stella force out giving the Cubs thier only run of the game.
Clayton Richard would come into the eighth giving up a single to Parra but moves to second on a throwing error by Russell. He would then steal third base. The Cubs would put Mark Reynolds on and would advance on a wild pitch. Tony Wolters would hit a soft ground ball to Rizzo scoring Parra because Rizzo’s throw would appear to hit Tony but really he just lost the ball on the exchange. Former Cub DJ LeMahieu would ground into a force out RBI off new pitcher Neil Ramirez putting the Rox up 6 – 1. He would finish off the eighth and the ninth.
For the Rockies in the bottom of ninth, Justin Miller would come into the game getting both Bryant and Soler to watch strike three. Montero would come up to bat but would go down swinging.
Bettis would get his second win of the season giving up 3 hits, 3 walks and striking out 4. Hendrix would make it through 6, striking out five, giving up 7 hits but only 2 earned runs giving him his first loss of the season in front of 34,437 in a two hour and fifty-nine minute game. Despite the fours produced by the Cubs it was the bats that were silenced that lost them the game. There’s always tomorrow!
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