The Cubs and White Sox were tied 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning, when left fielder Ryan LaMarre's big boner led to a three-run rally that was essentially the difference maker during Saturday night's 8-3 win for the Cubs.
Daniel Murphy jumped on the first pitch he saw from Lucas Giolito and hit a ball to left field, with David Bote and Kyle Schwarber on base. It was as routine as it gets, but LaMarre misjudged the ball and whiffed on his catch attempt.
Schwarber was able to easily score from second base, while Bote cruised to third and Murphy made his way to second base with an RBI-double, giving the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
And some White Sox fans still think Schwarber is the worst left fielder in the city. Ha!
Ben Zobrist was next and singled to center field, driving in Bote and Murphy. That's all the Cubs needed, as the bullpen pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Jon Lester, who threw five innings of three-run ball. Lester picked up his 17th win of the season, but more importantly the Cubs gained a game in the division standings.
With the 8-3 win over the White Sox and a 3-0 loss by the Brewers, the Cubs once again jumped to a 2.5-game lead in the NL Central. The magic number to clinch the division is down to six games.
The Cubs also became the first team in the National League to reach 90 wins this season. And one last note, the Cubs have won at least 90 games in a row for the fourth straight season.
This is the most successful run in franchise history since 1904-12, when the Cubs won at least 90 games every season during that nine-year period. Oh and by the way, with the 8-3 win, the Cubs remain the Crosstown Cup champions, which we all know is the only thing that really matters.
No matter what though, Cubs and White Sox fans can come together for one thing.
Loading comments...