Fans in Wrigley Field’s biggest crowd of the season–40,684– booed Friday when three members of the Cubs’ bullpen combined to yield five runs in the final two innings of play to seal a double-header loss 5-0 and 7-3 to the Mets.
But manager Jim Riggleman doesn’t think it’s time to push the panic button regarding his relievers.
“This is not the day to make a knee-jerk reaction about our bullpen,” he said.
“It has been pretty good this season . . . and it was pretty good in the first game.”
Riggleman believes the sore elbow that forced out first-game starter Jeremi Gonzalez in the fourth inning ultimately caused the breakdowns by Terry Adams, Dave Stevens and Tony Fossas, who permitted the five runs in the final two innings of Game 2.
Adams, Stevens and Fossas each pitched in the opener. None permitted a run in that game.
“When a starter goes out early, it’s always tough on the bullpen,” Riggleman said.
“It’s even tougher in a double-header. It’s hard when you have to come back a second time in the same day.”
Tough outs: The Mets attacked aggressively at the outset of the double-header. They scored in each of the first three innings and took a 4-0 lead.
The Mets executed hit-and-run plays while their third and sixth batters of the game were at the plate. Lenny Harris in the first inning and Butch Huskey and Rey Ordonez in the second singled on first pitches.
For the game, the Mets had four hits on the seven first pitches they hit into fair territory.
“They swung at strikes and took balls,” said Riggleman. “The highest batting averages come on first pitches.”
Foul play: An injury and an illness forced two Mets regulars from the lineup Friday.
Shortstop Ordonez sustained a strained stomach muscle while fouling off a pitch in the seventh inning of the opener. He left the game and didn’t play in the nightcap.
Bernard Gilkey was penciled in to start the second game, but he was scratched because of a migraine headache. Harris replaced Gilkey in the outfield.
Gilkey entered the game as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning. He scored a run and stayed in the contest to play left field in the bottom half.
Double trouble: The Cubs had a sensational 12-2 record (.857 percentage) in double-headers, sweeping five of them and splitting the other two, when they won the National League East in 1984.
Since that time, however, the Cubs have suffered in double-headers.
Including Friday’s double defeat, the Cubs’ record in twin bills since 1984 is 28-50, for a percentage of .359. They have swept only three of 39 double-headers, have split 22 and have been swept 14 times.
Best crowd: Friday’s crowd topped the previous season high of 40,420, set July 3 against Pittsburgh. The crowd hiked the 1998 home average to 29,687 for 53 dates.
