Here comes Drew Quintana to the plate!
”
Safe!
”
yelled the plate ump as he waved his arms signifying just
that.
Here comes Drew Quintana to the plate!
“Safe!” yelled the plate ump as he waved his arms signifying just that.
So ended Thursday night’s 2-hour, 40-minute, eight-inning affair at Vets Park between the Cubs and the Marlins of the San Benito County Babe Ruth League.
The Cubs’ Quintana scored on a wild pitch as Marlins pitcher Jimmy Souza covered home and took the throw from catcher James MacFarlane. Souza short-hopped MacFarlane’s throw and made a quick tag on the sliding Quintana.
“I was on my knees,” said Souza. “I tagged him out.”
“I slid around the tag,” claimed Quintana.
The finality of it is in the score: Cubs 4, Marlins 3.
The win pushed the Cubs to 9-1 and a half place in front of the 8-1 Rockies. The Marlins are in a logjam in the middle of the pack at 5-5. There are 16 games in the regular season with the top six teams of the nine-team league qualifying for the playoffs.
“This was tough to lose,” said Marlins head coach Joey Escamilla Sr. “We could have had this game. We need to get our batting going. We haven’t hit these past three games.”
The Marlins were limited to three hits by the combined pitching of Anthony Mendoza and Quintana, who picked up the win. Mendoza looked like he had no-hit stuff early in the game, but after he walked Matt Murphy with two out in the third, Mendoza was visibly in pain as he moved his throwing arm about. Mendoza called it a day on the mound, but moved over to first base where he played the rest of the game.
Quintana, who had no warm-ups, walked Michael Garcia. After Murphy and Garcia were wild pitched up a base, Souza shot one through the box for a 2-0 Marlins advantage.
The Cubs rebounded in the bottom of the third against Garcia. With one out, Dennis Herman ignited the rally with a single to center. With two out, Herman stole second, one of nine stolen bases combined for the two teams. Quintana, who had three hits, singled in the speedy Herman. After Quintana pilfered second and was wild pitched to third, Kenny Blake drew a walk. Mendoz skied a double to left-center to put the Cubs up 3-2.
Souza’s infield single in the top of the fifth tallied Murphy to tie the score 3-3. Herman had fielded Souza’s grounder in the hole nicely enough, but his throw was a bit off as Souza slid head first and was awarded the bag for his efforts.
Souza pitched well in relief of Garcia, giving up just a single to Blake in the fifth and a double to Quintana in that fateful eighth.
Two unique defensive plays would make the highlight reel. In the bottom of the fifth, Mendoza popped the ball fairly high and to the left of third base in foul territory. Marlins assistant Naz Martinez yelled to his son, Michael, who happened to be playing third base at the time, “You’d better catch that!”
Michael Martinez, always one to mind his father, circled around as the ball blew some in the wind before he dove backwards and tumbled down to the turf with the ball in his possession.
In the top of the sixth, Josh Huaracha walked. Joey Escamilla then popped up behind third as Blake, who was playing third at the time, gathered in the pop fly for the out. Meanwhile, Huaracha had reached second base and was slow coming back. Nevermind that Blake was slow in realizing Huaracha’s plight. Blake finally let go with a throw to first to nip a retreating Huaracha, who was out by an eyelash, if that, to complete the double play.
All teams take a break this weekend for Memorial Day. Play resumes Tuesday when the Royals meet the Expos. The last game of the regular season is June 14.
Current standings:
Cubs 9-1
Rockies 8-1
A’s 6-4
White Sox 5-4
Marlins 5-5
Yankees 4-5
Expos 2-7
Giants 2-7
Royals 1-8
Marlins00201000-330
Cubs00300001-461
Garcia, Souza (5) and Huaracha, Macfarlane (4); Mendoza, Quintana (3) and Marquez, Blake (7). WP-Quintana. LP-Souza. 2B – Mendoza, Quintana (C). 3 hits – Quintana (C). 2 hits – Souza (M). 3 RBI – Souza (M). 2 RBI – Mendoza (C).
