The Cubs already set franchise records this year by going winless in a season series against one club, San Diego, and by serving up eight home runs in a game to two clubs, Atlanta and Detroit.
But facing the team Cubs fans most love to hate in a nationally televised game at Wrigley Field, the Cubs managed to outdo themselves with an inning for the ages.
For the first time in the 130-year history of the franchise, the Cubs gave up two grand slams in one inning Sunday in a stupefying 13-7 loss to the New York Mets.
Former Thornwood High star Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran smacked opposite-field grand slams off Sean Marshall and Roberto Novoa, respectively, sparking the Mets to an 11-run sixth inning that turned a 5-2 deficit into a 13-5 lead.
“It was a total nightmare,” manager Dusty Baker said, “because we gave them too many outs.”
In that same inning, the Mets’ David Wright added a two-run homer off Novoa to add insult to injury, and Baker received the loudest booing of his career in Chicago when he finally removed Novoa.
The Cubs are 15-27 at Wrigley and have lost 14 of their last 17 home games.
The Cubs knocked former Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez out in the second inning, pounding him for five runs on seven hits, including Marshall’s first career home run. But Marshall watched it all unravel in the sixth, when Todd Walker suffered a complete meltdown, committing two errors, followed closely by Marshall and Novoa.
“They always say this game will humble you at some point in time,” Walker said. “I was embarrassed to be out there today.”
– – –
The big score
A few details from the Mets’ 11-run sixth inning,
– Before Sunday, the Mets had hit two grand slams all season.
– The Mets sent 16 batters to the plate.
– Cubs second baseman Todd Walker committed two errors.
– Eight of the 11 runs scored were unearned.
– Cubs pitchers combined to throw 70 pitches.
– Seven teams in history have hit two grand slams in one inning, the last being St. Louis in 1999.
– The Mets’ previous high for an inning was 10 runs against Atlanta in 2000.
