Bad Wrigley Field Memory

May 30th, 2008

Remember that day? (Boxscore)

Aaron Cook takes the mound against Ted Lilly and the Chicago Cubs.

Rockies score four in the first behind a Helton 3-run HR and a Chris Iannetta RBI double. Three more in the third thanks to an Iannetta 2-run and an Omar Quintanilla RBI single.

Take a 9-1 leads into the 6th. It seems like a lock they will climb to 13 games under .500.

And then Cook loses it... quickly.

Bottom 6th: Fukudome hits a 2-run HR. Jim Edmonds follows that up with a solo HR. Suddenly it's 9-4.

Bottom 7th: Henry freaking Blanco hits a 2-run HR off Cook. Finally after Micah Hoffpauir singles (what the hell ever happened to him -- he could hit), Clint Hurdle figures out Cook is gassed. In comes bad 2008 Manny Corpas.

Fukudome singles. Edmonds with a 2-run double this time. 4 RBI for him on that day. And finally, the coup de grace, Mark DeRosa 2-run HR gives the Cubs a 10-9 lead.

Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood would come in to close that game out for the Cubbies. Scott Eyre, who faced and retired only one batter, was awarded the victory.

I was so mad that day. I knew the Rockies were bad that year and had already completely accepted that fact. I also knew the Cubs were really good, but to have a 9-1 lead and blow it to those guys was painful. And believe me, I heard about it.

Very bad memory. I'm sure it's one you've long forgotten, but it all came flooding back when I was studying the pitching matchup.

One interesting sidenote: I can see why the Cubs became so interested in Jeff Baker. That's the day he went 4-for-4 with 4 doubles.

And another interesting sidenote: The game was played in 2 hours, 30 minutes. Could you imagine a Yankees/Red Sox 10-9 game ending that quickly? No chance in hell. Try five hours.