Final
Catalanotto's pinch-hit single lifts Rangers past Cubs
Jun 21, 2007 - 10:27 PM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Frank Catalanotto's pinch-hit single drove in the winning run in the ninth inning as the Texas Rangers defeated the Chicago Cubs, 6-5, on Thursday afternoon.The Cubs had rallied from a 5-0 deficit before another pinch hitter, Kenny Lofton, led off the bottom of the ninth with a single against losing pitcher Bob Howry (3-4).
Adam Melhuse sacrificed Lofton to second base, then he stayed there by scrambling out of a rundown on Brad Wilkerson's grounder to Howry.
"Once I got caught, I wanted to make the pitcher make a throw," Lofton said. "You can't really think, you've just got to react."
"We didn't execute that little play," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "That's a play you have to make at that time. Then two balls off outfielder's gloves, and we go home and try again tomorrow."
Lofton's play set the stage for Catalanotto's fly ball down the right field line which eluded a diving Angel Pagan for the winning run.
"I'm comfortable whenever there are guys on base or a chance to win the game and be a hero," Catalanotto said.
Winning pitcher Eric Gagne (2-0) worked a scoreless ninth inning, allowing only a walk.
Derrek Lee's sixth-inning single had driven in the tying run after the Cubs scored four times in the fifth to drive Texas starter Vicente Padilla from the game.
Both of Chicago's scoring innings began with leadoff doubles by Mike Fontenot and Alfonso Soriano. Lee singled for a run batted in each time.
Texas took a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Victor Diaz hit a two-run home run and Melhuse followed with a solo shot.
Marlon Byrd's two-run single increased the Rangers' lead to 5-0 in the third. Before that, Ian Kinsler walked and Jerry Hairston hit a double that went over Pagan's head as he misjudged the ball.
Padilla pitched in and out of trouble over the first three innings, when the Cubs went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base.
After a 1-2-3 fourth inning, the toll of throwing 87 pitches caught up with Padilla, who allowed six consecutive hits without retiring a batter. Fontenot led off with a double, then the next five batters all singled.
"It's something I can't explain myself," Padilla said through an interpreter. "I came out of it before when I had the bases loaded and no one out."
With the Rangers leading 5-4, Willie Eyre relieved Padilla and kept the Cubs from scoring by inducing Felix Pie and Ryan Theriot to hit ground balls for a force out and a double play.
Eyre remained in the game to allow the tying run, then avoided further trouble by striking out Mark DeRosa and Rob Bowen with two runners on base.
In the seventh, Chicago also put two runners on base with two out against Eyre before reliever Ron Mahay retired Fontenot on a fly ball.
After Cubs starter Ted Lilly allowed Texas' five runs, he gave up just two singles over his final five innings. Lilly pitched seven innings, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out 10.
"It shows how important it is to keep the ball in the park," Lilly said. "We battled, definitely showed up. But I've got to do a better job of keeping the ball in the yard.
- ML
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CHICAGO CUBS 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 5 13 0
TEXAS 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 9 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: CHN - TED LILLY, BOBBY HOWRY (8TH) AND ROB BOWEN
TEX - VICENTE PADILLA, WILLIE EYRE (5TH), RON MAHAY
(7TH), AKINORI OTSUKA (8TH), ERIC GAGNE (9TH) AND ADAM MELHUSE
Jun 21 5:16 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY FRANK CATALANOTTO SCORED KENNY LOFTON.
FINAL SCORE: TEXAS 6, CHICAGO CUBS 5
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 5:16 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DERREK LEE SCORED ALFONSO SORIANO.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D LEE ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 5
TEXAS 5 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: D WARD (.300, 2-FOR-3)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 4:00 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ANGEL PAGAN SCORED MARK DEROSA.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, A PAGAN ON FIRST, R BOWEN ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 4
TEXAS 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: F PIE (.235, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 3:36 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ROB BOWEN SCORED DARYLE WARD.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, R BOWEN ON FIRST, M DEROSA ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 3
TEXAS 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: A PAGAN (.295, 1-FOR-2)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 3:34 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MARK DEROSA SCORED DERREK LEE.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M DEROSA ON FIRST, D WARD ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 2
TEXAS 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: R BOWEN (.268, 0-FOR-0, 2 BB)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 3:32 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DERREK LEE SCORED MIKE FONTENOT.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D LEE ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 1
TEXAS 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: D WARD (.282, 1-FOR-2)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 3:30 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MARLON BYRD SCORED IAN KINSLER AND JERRY HAIRSTON
JR.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M BYRD ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 0
TEXAS 5 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: V DIAZ (.261, 1-FOR-1, HR, 2 RBI)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 3:08 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY ADAM MELHUSE (1) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN THE
2ND OFF TED LILLY.
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 0, TEXAS 3
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: B WILKERSON (.225, 7 HR, 22 RBI)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 2:41 PM - ML
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY VICTOR DIAZ (9) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT IN
THE 2ND OFF TED LILLY SCORED MARLON BYRD.
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 0, TEXAS 2
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: A MELHUSE (.306, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
Cubs vs. RangersJun 21 2:40 PM
Related News
- A few more thoughts about the Cubs’ offseason inactivity thus far Dec 26
- Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 26
- Cub Tracks’ box set Dec 26
- BCB After Dark: Happy Holidays! Dec 26
- Merry Christmas from BCB! Dec 25
- Christmas Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 25
- Outside The Confines: Merry Christmas Dec 25
- Baseball history unpacked, December 25 Dec 25
- Garver to the M’s, per reports Dec 24
- ‘Twas the night before Cub Christmas, 2023 Dec 24
- Christmas Eve Rangers things Dec 24
- Cub Tracks has garlic in its soul Dec 24