Saturday, September 06, 2008
Sports NewsMayfield's Mutterings: Support Railer football

Bruce's grand slam leads Reds over Cubs 10-2

Send a link to a friend

[September 06, 2008]  CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jay Bruce hit his first career grand slam and Joey Votto added a two-run homer Friday night, an all-rookie power display that sent the Cincinnati Reds to a 10-2 victory on a day when nothing went right for the first-place Chicago Cubs.

Manager Lou Piniella got lost on his way to the ballpark. Starter Ted Lilly lasted a season-low two innings. And the Cubs' losing streak reached a season-high six games against a team already eliminated from the race.

Lilly (13-9) gave up five runs, including Votto's 18th homer, before his quick exit. The left-hander has started four times against the Reds this season and lost all four. Bruce hit his 16th homer off Jon Lieber for a 9-0 lead in the fourth inning, silencing the thousands of blue-shirted Cubs fans in the stands.

Right-hander Bronson Arroyo (14-10) won his fourth straight start, allowing one run in 6 1-3 innings of a game that kicked off the Cubs' longest road trip of the season.

So much for returning to the scene of one of their best moments.

The Cubs clinched the NL Central title at Great American Ball Park last season, when they won 85 games and got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. They've had the World Series - something they haven't won in 100 years - in the back of their minds all season long.

Misc

Until the past week, they've played like they could very well get there. They've already won 85 games - most in the NL - and have been in first place since May 11.

September has been disastrous. Ace Carlos Zambrano got an injection in his sore pitching shoulder on Thursday and will miss at least one start. Right-hander Rich Harden also will miss a start because of a bothersome arm.

The Cubs can't even get to the ballpark without losing their way.

Piniella and first base coach Matt Sinatro left Chicago at 8 a.m. for a five-hour drive to Cincinnati. With Sinatro driving and Piniella napping, they missed a turnoff and wound up in northeast Ohio - the wrong end of the state.

[to top of second column]

Auto Sales

They stopped at a gas station, bought a map and backtracked along two-lane roads, arriving at the ballpark only two hours before the first pitch. Travel time: 8 hours.

The Cubs' chances of winning went by in a blink. After Bruce's homer made it 9-0, Piniella removed his cap and shook his head a few times in disbelief. By the sixth inning, he was freely substituting for his starters, already looking ahead to the next game.

Notes:@ Harden threw Friday without problem. He'll skip his scheduled start Sunday, but likely will start Wednesday in St. Louis if there is no setback. ... Zambrano hopes to play catch on Sunday and start a game next weekend in Houston. ... Lilly has given up a career-high 31 homers. ... The start of the game was delayed 17 minutes by rain, which fell intermittently during the early innings. ... Bruce and Votto have the most homers by any rookie duo in the NL. ... It was only the second time since the Reds traded Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn that they scored 10 runs in a game.

[Associated Press; By JOE KAY]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Library

Bowling

< Sports index

Back to top


 

News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries

Community | Perspectives | Law & Courts | Leisure Time | Spiritual Life | Health & Fitness | Teen Scene
Calendar | Letters to the Editor