The luck lives.
Relying on the same magic they rode to a division title a year ago, the Cubs dodged a hailstorm of bullets to edge the New York Mets 8-6 in 13 innings Tuesday night in Shea Stadium.
The end perfectly fit the bizarre 4-hour-38-minute game. Joe Girardi stole second, moved over on Orlando Mercado`s throwing error and came home when Howard Johnson threw away Ryne Sandberg`s two-out grounder. Johnson`s error also scored Jerome Walton, who had walked.
Dean Wilkins picked up his first career save by retiring the Mets in order in the 13th, a rarity on a walk- and error-filled night. Paul Assenmacher (1-0) took the win.
”Had them right where we wanted them all night,” said Mitch Williams, who pitched out of bases-loaded jams in the ninth and 10th innings. ”We were holding a horseshoe.”
The Mets were holding something else-their throats. They committed five errors in all and stranded 11 men in scoring position.
It was hardly an artistic masterpiece, but it gives the Cubs a 5-3 record and evens the season series with New York. The clubs combined to walk 22 men, and they scored the first 10 runs with the benefit of only five hits.
The Cubs took a 6-5 lead in the 11th, an inning in which just one ball traveled beyond the infield-Girardi`s leadoff grounder that Gregg Jefferies knocked down in short right.
Girardi moved over on Greg Smith`s bunt and took third on Walton`s 30-foot single up the third-base line. Sandberg`s bouncer to short brought home Girardi.
That inning looked a lot like the scratch-and-claw Cubs of 1989, who often combined guts and good fortune to win.
”A couple of times we had a chance to win it and hit line drives to center field,” manager Don Zimmer said. ”Then we scored on some dribblers.” It was far from over. Reliever Assenmacher, who hasn`t saved a game since September 1988, served up a mammoth home run to Mike Marshall that opened the Mets` half of the 11th inning and tied it at 6-6.
”I was only wondering how far it would go,” Assenmacher said.
The home run cost Williams his first win of the season, but for two innings he was thinking only about surviving, not winning.
The Mets last year were plagued by their inability to hit in the clutch, and the same problem doomed them Tuesday night. Twice they loaded the bases against Williams, and twice they gagged. Darryl Strawberry whiffed to end the second threat.
”We had to win after that,” Williams said. ”We had them where we wanted them.”
Williams used his heater to retire Strawberry, but he waved a shamrock to get out of the ninth.
Mark Carreon`s blooper down the left-field line sailed foul. Williams then blew a called third strike past him.
The Cubs needed the late heroics because starter Jose Nunez couldn`t hold a 5-2 lead, given to him courtesy of Lloyd McClendon`s first career grand slam in the fifth inning. That was only the Cubs` second hit.
But Nunez gave it away in the Mets` half of the inning, with a little help from Les Lancaster, who surrendered a three-run homer to Johnson.
After that the clubs settled down for a bizarre ride to the finish. Baseball is always grand on cold April nights, but especially after a lockout- shortened spring training.
The Cubs might play better, but they can`t ask for better luck.
Williams needed it in his two-inning dance with danger. He walked three men-one of them intentionally-and gave up two hits but somehow, someway, avoided surrendering the killing blow.
Three strikeouts helped. After Strawberry`s, the Cub bench let out its collective breath. The magic clearly was back, at least for this night against this particularly intense rival.
”Some game, huh?” Zimmer asked reporters. ”When the good guys win, it`s a sense of relief. The good guys won.”
