Kevin Tapani did the speed-pitching, Mickey Morandini did the clutch-hitting and Jeff Blauser finally got his mojo working.
It all added up to a 2-0 Cubs victory over Arizona Tuesday night at Wrigley Field in a 2-hour 5-minute affair at Wrigley Field.
A two-out, two-run rally in the eighth provided Tapani with his 13th victory, with Morandini fouling off three two-strike pitches from Omar Daal before driving home the go-ahead run.
Tapani (13-7) threw eight shutout innings, allowing four hits while walking two and working with the speed and efficiency of a pit-crew member.
“That’s the way I like to work,” Tapani said. “Get it. Throw it over the plate. See who’s better. One way or the other, it’s going to be quick.”
Daal, who tossed a four-hit shutout against the Cubs in Arizona last Thursday night, held them to two hits in 7 2/3 innings. But Blauser, pinch-hitting for Tapani, drilled a two-out single to start the rally. Lance Johnson walked on four pitches and Morandini’s impressive at-bat resulted in a line single to right for the game’s first run.
“With two strikes on me, I still have a lot of confidence I can hit,” Morandini said.
Sammy Sosa, Kerry Wood, Tapani and Mark Grace have received most of the credit for the Cubs’ turnaround, but Morandini’s dream season hasn’t been lost in the shuffle. Jim Riggleman reminded Morandini of that before that game.
Glenallen Hill singled home another run before Morandini was thrown out trying to score. Rod Beck pitched the ninth, striking out three of the four men he faced for his 33rd save.
On the wall next to Blauser’s locker hangs an odd, homemade creation–a good luck charm sent to Kerry Wood from a Cubs fan.
“That’s `Manny Mojo’ ” Blauser explained. “The mojo was working tonight.”
