Cubs let early lead slip away in loss to Indians

Underwood started the contest (Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports)

by Ken Allison - Columnist - Sat Mar 23 12:01:03 GMT-04:00 2019

After the winning the early game against Texas yesterday afternoon, the Cubs (16-11-2) traveled to Goodyear Ballpark to face the Indians in the second game. The Cubs sent right-hander, Duane Underwood Jr. to the mound, to square-off against Cleveland’s right-handed ace, Corey Kluber.

T1: (CLE: RHP-Kluber) Cristhian Adames would start the night with a leadoff walk, followed by Addison Russell’s triple, which scored Adames. Ian Happ would temporarily stall the rally with his strikeout, but Mark Zagunis’ sac-fly would score Russell. Victor Caratini would fan to end the inning. Cubs lead 2-0.

B1: Duane Underwood, Jr would get a quick groundout, but then serve up a home run ball. A strikeout would be followed by a single, then a second strikeout to end the inning. Cubs lead 2-1.

T2: (CLE: RHP-Kluber) Johnny Field’s strikeout led off the inning, followed by Evan Marzilli’s single to center. Taylor Davis would fan, but Marzilli would steal second in the process. Jared Young’s groundout would end the inning. Cubs lead 2-1.

B2: A disastrous inning for Chicago: (In order) Underwood: Single; walk, game-tying double to end his night. LHP Mike Zagurski. Grounder to Happ was bobbled (error, run scored), RBI single, balk, a line drive to right, (misplayed by Zagunis, run scored), ground ball out, RBI groundout, walk, groundout. Indians lead 6-2.

T3: (CLE: RHP-Kluber) Cubs go down in order: Adames, Russell (flyouts), Happ (groundout).

B3: Righty, Dillon Maples took the mound and got two quick outs (strikeout, groundout), but a misplayed ball in left by Field would result in a triple. A groundout would end the inning. Cubs trail 6-2.

T4: (CLE: RHP-Kluber) After Zagunis flied out, Caratini would single to right, followed by Field who got beaned on the wrist. Marzilli’s pop-out, followed by Davis’ groundout would end the frame.

B4: Randy Rosario (LHP) would get a quick groundout, thanks to a great play by Adames, but Adames got antsy on the next play and misplayed a ball (error) that should have been Russell’s. Another nice play by Adames would result in a groundout, and the inning would end on a grounder to second. Cubs trail 6-2.

T5: (CLE: RHP-Kluber) Two quick outs: Young (strikeout), Adames (groundout), but Russell would single to right (lifted for pinch-runner, Nico Hoerner). Happ would strikeout again to end the inning. (Happ’s batting average now stands at .135).

B5: Rosario would get a flyout, issue a walk, and strikeout a man before being replaced by righty, Rowan Wick. A quick strikeout would end the frame. Cubs trail 6-2.

T6: (CLE: RHP-Kluber) After striking out Zagunis, Kluber was replaced by lefty, Brad Hand. Caratini would groundout, but Field would follow, crushing a solo homer to left. Marzilli walked, but Davis’ flyout would end the inning. Cubs trail 6-3.

B6: Wick would start with a flyout, but the next flyball would sail out of the park. After getting another flyout, Wick would give up a second homer in the inning. A strikeout would end the frame with the Indians now up 8-3.

T7: (CLE: LHP-Olson) Olson would retire Young (strikeout) and Adames (groundout), before being replaced by righty, Jon Edwards. Hoerner would fly out to end it.

B7: James Norwood (RHP) would earn a strikeout, then give up a single to the right. A lineout would then be followed by a single to left, but a pop-out would end the inning. Cubs trail 8-3.

T8: (CLE: RHP-Goody) Cubs go down in order on three groundouts (Jhonny Bethencourt, Connor Myers, Tyler Durna),

B8: Righty Dakota Mekkes would finish the night on the mound, retiring the first batter he faced on a flyout. He would then ring up a strikeout, before issuing a walk and an infield single (runner advance to second and third on throwing error- Bethencourt). Mekkes would get a strikeout to end the inning. Cubs trail 8-3.

Makkes with a strikeout to end the 8th pic.twitter.com/DT4NPPhEzd
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) March 23, 2019

T9: (CLE: RHP-Solter) Nelson Valezquez would single, but Cole Roederer would hit into a 4-6-3 double-play. Francisco Arcia reached on a fielding error (SS), but Tyler Payne’s groundout to short would end the game. Final Score: Cubs-3; Indians-8.

The Cubs will take on the Colorado Rockies tonight in Scottsdale, and will send Jon Lester (0-0, 9.53 ERA) to the mound. The Rockies have not yet determined their starter and televised: MLBN, MLB TV, and ATT Sportsnet-RM.