Lance Johnson’s bases-loaded single in the eighth inning broke up a tie game and Sammy Sosa and Henry Rodriguez then delivered home runs as the Cubs beat the Montreal Expos 9-5 Wednesday night before a Wrigley Field capacity crowd of 39,179 fans.
First the Cubs played “short ball.” Jeff Blauser led off the six-run eighth by beating out an infield tap. Jose Hernandez, trying to sacrifice, reached when pitcher Miguel Batista slipped while fielding the ball. Scott Servais then sacrificed the runners to second and third before pinch hitter Mark Grace was walked intentionally to fill the bases.
Johnson broke the 3-3 tie with a two-run single. Then it was time to play “long ball.”
Sosa crushed his 37th home run of the season, a three-run drive to right. The next hitter, Rodriguez, hit his 24th homer, capping the six-run inning.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but allowed Expo starter Javier Vasquez to struggle his way out of a 36-pitch inning.
With one out, Tyler Houston walked, took third on Blauser’s single, and scored on Jose Hernandez’s single to left. With two out, Steve Trachsel walked, filling the bases. Johnson came up and ran the count to 3-2.
With all baserunners running, Johnson lashed a wicked drive that just missed being a bases-clearing hit when it landed foul down the right field line. Johnson then flied harmlessly to left.
Fifth inning RBI singles by Sosa and Rodriguez pulled the Cubs into a 3-2 lead and knocked out Vazquez. Shayne Bennett came in and quickly squelched the rally with two infield popups.
The tie lasted exactly one pitch into the sixth. Guerrero slugged Trachsel’s pitch onto Waveland Avenue for his 20th home run, tying the score 3-3.
