Pirates 4, Cubs 3, 15 innings

Cubs fall to Pirates in 15

Dempster botches save; Cubs fail to convert opportunities

By Paul Sullivan | Tribune staff reporter

1:03 AM CDT, May 9, 2007

The Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates battled through 15 innings Tuesday night at Wrigley Field in a game that featured more twists and turns than an episode of "Lost."

After Ryan Dempster blew his first save this season in the ninth, Alfonso Soriano saved the Cubs with a perfect throw in the 11th and first-base umpire Tom Hallion kept them alive with a blown call that prevented the Pirates from scoring in the 12th.

But when all was said and done, after 4 hours 39 minutes, Jack Wilson's sacrifice fly in the 15th gave the Pirates a 4-3 victory that snapped the Cubs' modest winning streak at five games.

It was Wilson who sent the game into extra innings in the first place with a sacrifice fly off Dempster in the ninth, after Dempster issued a one-out walk that led to his downfall.

"We had a plethora of wasted opportunities," manager Lou Piniella said in one of the shortest news conferences in his brief history as Cubs manager.

Piniella was in the interview room for all of 36 seconds, bemoaning the wasted opportunities and confirming they would go at it again Wednesday. He then said thank you, got up and left the room without further comment.

There really wasn't much to say after the Cubs frittered away opportunities time and time again, including a bases-loaded, one out situation in the eighth that resulted in no runs when Jacque Jones hit into a first-to-catcher double play.

The game was extended by several wild developments in extra innings, with both sides coming up short. The Cubs had two runners on and one out in the 10th when Matt Murton hit a line drive to left fielder Jason Bay. Ryan Theriot was easily doubled off second, ending the threat.

Bay's two-out single to left in the 11th sent the go-ahead run dashing toward the plate. But Soriano's perfect throw nailed Don Kelly to end the inning and give the Cubs another chance.

But it only got stranger. With runners on second and third and one out in the Pirates 12th, Piniella ordered an intentional walk to Jose Bautista so Scott Eyre could face Jose Castillo.

When Eyre induced Castillo to ground to Theriot at second, Theriot ran at Bautista, tagged him and made a quick throw to first. Hallion called Castillo out, though he clearly had beaten the throw to the bag.

If Bautista had hesitated before Theriot caught him, the go-ahead run would have scored easily. The inning-ending double play sent it to the bottom of the 12th, where the Cubs went down in order. They had only one hit in their final 14 batters—Henry Blanco's two-out single in the 14th.

After Sunday's come-from-behind win over Washington, the Cubs were 1-6 in one-run games. Piniella said before the game he was encouraged the team finally was winning some close games.

"Winning with the close scores, one and two-run ballgames, they give your team confidence," he said. "I think that's the best thing that has happened to us."

Soriano's RBI single in the seventh off Ian Snell snapped a 2-2 tie, giving Ted Lilly a chance at his third victory in five decisions after allowing two runs on seven hits over seven innings.

But Dempster issued a one-out walk to Nate McLouth in the ninth and ultimately paid the price. Ryan Doumit followed with a pinch single and Wilson's sacrifice fly to right brought home the tying run, deflating the crowd of 39,708.

psullivan@tribune.com

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