This one rated a 10. Four stars. A must-see thriller.
You may have seen another game as scintillating as the Cubs’ 12-11 extra-inning victory Saturday over the St. Louis Cardinals. But when it comes to moving sports experiences, you’d be hard-pressed to top this four-hour TV special.
Just ask the 38,079 Wrigley Field witnesses [a mixed bag of Cub and Cardinal fans] and a national television audience.
? Consider that the Cubs trailed 7-1 after two innings and 9-3 after 51/2.
? Consider that the Cubs trailed 11-9 with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, when ace reliever Bruce Sutter walked Bob Dernier on a close 3-2 pitch and then gave up a homer to Ryne Sandberg to tie the score.
? Consider that light-hitting rookie utility infielder Dave Owen, the last position player available on the Cub bench, delivered a pinch-hit bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 11th to drive in Leon Durham with the winning run.
? Consider that Sandberg went 5-for-6, hit two home runs, drove in seven runs and scored twice. His first homer led off the ninth, and tied the score 9-9.
“I’m in a state of shock,” said Sandberg, who has 24 hits in his last 48 at-bats [.500] and is 12 for his last 16. “I don’t even know what day it is. I was going up there thinking about pulling the ball against Sutter. I wasn’t even thinking about hitting one out.”
Sandberg was 1-for-10 lifetime against Sutter before Saturday’s two homers.
“I made two bad pitches and both went out of the park,” said a disconsolate Sutter. “Except for those two pitches, everything was hit on the ground.”
“Sandberg is the best player I have ever seen,” said Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, never known to bite his tongue, except perhaps when he’s biting into a chili dog.
The Cubs’ comeback tarnished the splendid offensive showing of St. Louis’ Willie McGee, who hit for the cycle and drove in six runs. He tripled in the second, singled in the fourth, homered in the sixth and doubled in the 10th. Tommy Herr had three hits for the Cardinals.”
“I managed a 23-21 game in the Rookie League in Harlan, Ky., once,” said Cubs manager Jim Frey. “We won, but they had the tying runs on base when we got the last out. This game, for the wind not to be blowing out, was just incredible.”
“I think we kind of amazed ourselves,” said Sandberg.
The Cubs won the game when Durham led off the 11th with a walk and stole second. Catcher Darrell Porter’s throw went into center for an error, allowing Durham to perch on third. Keith Moreland and Jody Davis were walked intentionally to load the bases and set up a force at home. But Owen foiled the plan with a line single to right on a 1-1 pitch.
“The bases being loaded took the pressure off me,” said Owen modestly. “I can’t really say I won the game. Sandberg, Dernier, Durham?they won it. I was just in the right situation at the right time.”
The game started out like a real Citarella story. Rookie pitcher Ralph Citarella made his second appearance of the season for the Cardinals and his first start in the big leagues. He went 5 1/3 innings before being lifted when the Cubs exploded for five runs to cut their deficit to 9-8.
Cubs starter Steve Trout was long gone by that point, having been pummeled for seven runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings. He gave up six runs in the second inning, including McGee’s bases-loaded triple to right. Trout’s left index finger is still swollen from a June 13 batting mishap. Trainer Tony Garofalo says he thinks it may be a bone bruise and Trout will be examined by doctors Monday.
Six relievers were to succeed Trout, including winner Lee Smith (4-4).
Although Sandberg tied the score with his homer in the ninth off Sutter, the excitement was short-lived because the Cardinals came up with two runs off Lee Smith in the top of the 10th. Ozzie Smith led off with a single and stole second before McGee doubled him in.
George Hendrick grounded to short, sending McGee to third. Pinch-hitter Steve Braun grounded to first, allowing McGee to score for an 11-9 St. Louis advantage.
In the Cubs’ 10th, Sutter retired Larry Bowa and Richie Hebner before Dernier [3-for-5] came up. Sutter’s 3-2 pitch appeared over the plate but a tad low for ball four.
“The 3-2 pitch to Dernier?we thought we had him struck out,” said Herzog. “But Doug [umpire Doug Harvey] said it wasn’t. Porter didn’t hold onto the ball and that makes it tough for the umpire to call it a strike.”
After Dernier trotted down to first, “Then comes Baby Ruth,” said Herzog. Sandberg climbed on Sutter’s 1-1 pitch and sent it into the left-field bleachers.
“To go up there and think I’m going to hit a home run again is unbelievable,” Sandberg said. “Both of the homers were off of split-fingered fastballs. I was looking for it.”
The Cardinals chased Trout in the six-run second when nine men batted. Herr led off with a single up the middle. Trout balked him to second before walking Art Howe. Porter grounded out, moving the runners to second and third.
Citarella hit a bouncer to deep short for a single, Herr scoring. Lonnie Smith hit a sharp single past Ron Cey at third, scoring Howe. Ozzie Smith walked to load the bases, and McGee followed with his three-run triple into the right-field corner.
Frey brought in Rich Bordi, who got Hendrick on a ground out as McGee scored for a 7-1 lead.
The Cubs got two runs in the fifth to make it 7-3. Jay Johnstone, pinch-hitting for Bordi, singled, and Dernier bunted for a hit. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch.
Sandberg grounded out to short, scoring Johnstone. Gary Matthews bounced a double down the third-base line to score Dernier.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 9-3 in the sixth on McGee’s two-run homer off Dickie Noles, and threatened to take an even bigger lead.
Ozzie Smith bunted for a single and stole second. After Noles walked Hendrick and gave up a single to Herr, Frey brought in Warren Brusstar. He struck out Howe to end the inning.
The Cubs got back into the game with a five-run sixth. Moreland led off with a walk, and Cey was hit by a pitch on the right wrist one out later. Neil Allen then came on in relief of Citarella and walked Bowa to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Hebner dumped a single to right, scoring Moreland. Dernier doubled over the third-base bag to score Cey and Bowa and make it 9-6.
Sandberg singled to left to score Hebner and Dernier, but he was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw toward the plate.
