Nomar Garciaparra was all smiles before Wednesday night’s game at Busch Stadium, seemingly relaxed and happy despite a rough start to his 2005 season.
But Garciaparra’s season hit a low point in the Cubs’ 3-1 victory over St. Louis when he collapsed with a groin injury while exiting the batter’s box in the third inning.
The shortstop was carried off the field and could miss a month or more while he’s on the mend, pending the outcome of an MRI on Thursday.
“We were watching the ball and looked to see how close it would be at first base and he was down on the ground,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Everybody was just sick about it.”
“It’s pretty painful,” Garciaparra said. “I’ve strained my groin before, but I’ve never gone through anything like this.”
The loss of Garciaparra overshadowed a strong outing by starter Carlos Zambrano, who rebounded from a subpar start Saturday at Pittsburgh, where he served up three home runs. The right-hander was back to his old self against the Cardinals, allowing one run on five hits in 8 2/3 innings while throwing 118 pitches.
Zambrano was removed with two outs in the ninth after trainer Mark O’Neal visited the mound. LaTroy Hawkins entered and gave up a warning-track flyout to John Mabry to end it.
Derrek Lee went 3-for-4 to increase his average to .411, and Zambrano helped his own cause with a run-scoring triple in second, a line shot that got past left fielder Mabry and rolled toward the wall. Like a runaway train with no brakes, Zambrano ran so hard he overshot the bag at third, refusing to make his usual headfirst slide.
The Cubs took advantage of Mabry’s poor play in left to grab the lead in the first inning, the third straight game they’ve gotten on the board in the first.
Neifi Perez reached on Mabry’s error and was wiped out on a force. But Aramis Ramirez walked, and Jeromy Burnitz’s two-out single off Jeff Suppan brought home the first run.
Zambrano’s triple made it 2-0 in the second, and Ramirez’s run-scoring double in the fifth gave Zambrano some room to maneuver.
The Cardinals got Zambrano so upset last year he was suspended for five games for throwing at Jim Edmonds on July 19. Seemingly on a mission to make amends for that day, Zambrano allowed only one hit through the first five innings, a harmless single by David Eckstein in the third.
Albert Pujols snapped Zambrano’s shutout with a two-out home run to left in the sixth, but Zambrano wasn’t about to let this one get away. After giving up a single to Edmonds, he retired nine straight before Scott Rolen doubled with two outs in the ninth.
Zambrano sprinted to the mound to start the ninth inning, exhibiting the same burst of energy he had starting the first. He nearly had the Cubs’ first complete game of the season, but Rolen’s double knocked him out with one out to go.
A boisterous crowd of 44,855 showed up despite early-evening showers that delayed the game by about an hour and a half.
“It always means more when you play the Cardinals when you’re the Cubs,” Baker said. “It’s the same as when Boston is playing New York. You see the energy and the excitement that’s out here. It does mean a lot. I’m not going to lie about that. You’ve got to come with your `A’ game.”
The Cubs were happy with the victory but concerned over the status of Garciaparra. Though Garciaparra was struggling through one of the worst slumps of his career and hitting only .163, the loss was difficult for the Cubs to swallow–especially after losing starting second baseman Todd Walker with a knee injury April 10. Until further notice, the new double-play combination will be Perez at short and Jerry Hairston at second.
