Matt Clement never has missed a start in his six seasons with San Diego, Florida and the Cubs, but an injury to his right shoulder and upper back suddenly makes him a question mark, just in time for the stretch run.
Clement was removed in the third inning of Tuesday night’s 12-inning 7-6 loss Montreal because of stiffness and discomfort in his right trapezius muscle, leaving the Cubs with yet another obstacle to overcome in an injury-plagued season.
The Expos scored twice in the 12th on Brian Schneider’s one-out single to center and a sacrifice fly by Jamey Carrol off losing pitcher Todd Wellmeyer. Corey Patterson’s second homer of the game in the bottom of the inning wasn’t enough for the Cubs.
By evening’s end the Cubs were a half-game ahead of the Giants and the red-hot Astros in the National League wild-card race.
The Expos are dead last in the major leagues in runs scored and 13th in the National League in walks, as offensively challenged a team as anyone the Cubs will face during the final month. But they managed to scratch out three runs in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead thanks to two infield hits and a couple of bases-loaded walks by Mike Remlinger, who subsequently was booed off the field.
Remlinger was let off the hook when the Cubs scored two in the seventh on Patterson’s first solo homer and an RBI groundout by Aramis Ramirez, setting up a series of missed opportunities by both sides.
After the Cubs stranded two runners in the eighth, LaTroy Hawkins gave up a leadoff double in the ninth before getting out of the jam. Nomar Garciaparra led off the ninth with a single off T.J. Tucker and advanced on Moises Alou’s groundout, putting the winning run in scoring position. But Montreal manager Frank Robinson ordered an intentional walk to Ramirez. Derrek Lee promptly flied out and Mark Grudzielanek took a called third strike, forcing extra innings.
Neifi Perez reached on a pinch-hit, infield single off Chad Cordero with one out in the 10th inning, and advanced on a two-out single over third by Jose Macias. Garciaparra walked on a 3-2 pitch, leaving it up to Alou. But Alou flied out to left and Montreal survived.
Clement was long gone by the time things really heated up. He was removed with two outs in the third inning after giving up a solo home run to Termmel Sledge, putting the Cubs in a 2-0 hole. In his last outing, Aug. 29 against Houston, Clement lasted only 4 1/3 innings because of the same injury.
After Glendon Rusch replaced Clement, the Cubs came back with three in the third off Expos starter Sun-Woo Kim, taking advantage of a defensive lapse. They loaded the bases on two infield hits by Alou and Lee and a two-out single by Michael Barrett that couldn’t score the slow-footed Alou.
Pinch-hitter Jason Dubois hit a grounder between first and second, but first baseman Brad Wilkerson couldn’t handle a poor throw by second baseman Maicer Izturis. Two runs scored on an error charged to Wilkerson, and Barrett scored on a wild pitch by Kim to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
But Remlinger replaced rookie Jon Leicester with two on and one out in the seventh and immediately gave up a single to Wilkerson, loading the bases. Endy Chavez singled to bring home the tying run, and Remlinger walked Sledge on five pitches to force in the go-ahead run. With a full count and the crowd of 38,321 on its feet, Remlinger walked Juan Rivera to bring in another run, prompting his removal.
