Not many managers would pull their ace with a one-run lead in the sixth inning. The Cubs’ Don Baylor did.
Baylor also stuck with slumping catcher Joe Girardi. Another manager might have yielded to the temptation to put one of his few relatively hot hitters, newcomer Robert Machado, into a downsized lineup.
Those two moves paid off with a 2-1 Cubs victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday before 28,033 at Cinergy Field. After Lieber allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings, the bullpen trio of Jeff Fassero, Kyle Farnsworth and Tom Gordon gave Baylor 3 1/3 hitless innings and a split of the four-game series.
“It was a well-pitched game on both sides,” Baylor said. “We don’t score a lot of runs, but when we do not we end up in ballgames like today–2-1, 3-2.”
Teams that make big plays win close games. The Cubs committed three errors in this one, but none led to runs. With two outs and the tying run on first in the ninth, shortstop Ricky Gutierrez sprawled behind second base to rob Dmitri Young and strand Ken Griffey Jr. in the on-deck circle.
“I was just trying to make that play any way I could,” said Gutierrez, who dove to glove the ball and flipped to Augie Ojeda for the force at second. “You have to tip our pitchers. The bullpen did a great job. We scored just enough to get out of here with a split.”
The first-place Cubs climbed to 14 games over .500 at 47-33. They lead Houston by 4 1/2 games in the National League Central. Suffice it to say they should enjoy Monday’s day off in New York, which is the Cubs’ first since June 11.
Baylor can feel especially good. He stuck with Girardi to catch Lieber even though Girardi’s batting average had fallen below .200 Saturday, when his slump extended to 7-for-47. He turned in his first three-hit game since Aug. 23, including a single that contributed to a two-run fifth inning, to raise his average from .197 to .215.
Girardi singled to center to score Todd Dunwoody, who had doubled. He scored the go-ahead run on a two-out double to left-center by Miguel Cairo.
Baylor went to the bullpen with two outs and a man on first base in the sixth inning even though Lieber (10-4) had allowed only an infield single the last time through the order.
“I can understand Don wanting to get me out of there,” said Lieber, who gave up six hits and an intentional walk.
Baylor said afterward that Lieber seemed fatigued from the humid weather, but there was more to the move. It allowed the left-handed Fassero to face three left-handed hitters with power–Michael Tucker, Griffey and Sean Casey.
“I had a one-run lead and the matchups in the bullpen the right way,” Baylor said. “Fassero passed it off to Farnsworth, who passed it off to Gordon. That’s kind of the way you draw it up in a 2-1 ballgame.”
