Monday, July 02, 2001
Cubs holding their ground because of pitching
By Joe Kay
AP Sports Writer
Not hitting much, but not losing much ground, either. The Chicago Cubs are holding their own as they try to work their way out of a slump. A 2-1 victory Sunday over the Reds left them with a split of their four-game series and a 4 1/2-game lead in the NL Central.
“Right now, we like where we're at,” said congested closer Tom Gordon, who fought through a bad cold to pitch the ninth. “But we have the attitude that we want to be up by 5 1/2 or six or seven.”
Given the way their offense is going, they're fortunate it's not closer. The Cubs can thank their pitching for that.
Jon Lieber (10-4) beat the Reds for the third time this season, holding them to one run in 5 2-3 innings on a hot, muggy Sunday afternoon. Three relievers held the Reds without a hit the rest of the way.
Slumping Joe Girardi had three hits, including an RBI single in the fifth off Chris Reitsma (4-7). He later came around on Miguel Cairo's double, and that was it for the Cubs' struggling offense.
The Cubs have averaged only 2.6 runs over the past 10 games, scoring two or fewer six times. It's a tribute to their pitching that they've gone 4-6 and lost only a game and a half in the standings.
Their staff has given up the fewest runs in the National League and has learned how to make do with little support.
“When we don't score a lot of runs, we end up in games like today's, 2-1 or 3-2,” manager Don Baylor said.
Lieber's one-hit, 3-0 win at Wrigley Field on May 24 ended the Reds' NL-record streak of 208 consecutive games without a shutout. He gave up only five hits and an unearned run in 7 1-3 innings of a 3-1 win on May 30.
This time, he needed more help. Lieber worked deeper in the counts and had thrown 93 pitches when Baylor removed him with two outs in the sixth.
“It was SO hot out there today,” Baylor said. “He had exerted himself to the limit for me.”
Lieber gave up six hits — two of them infield singles — during his shortest start of the season. He chose to stay on the bench between innings instead of heading for the air conditioned clubhouse to escape the heat.
“As the game went on, I felt I got a little accustomed to it,” Lieber said. “I can understand Don getting me out of there. I didn't argue with it.”
Gordon has trouble breathing as he got final three outs for his 14th save in 17 chances.
“Today was a bad day for me. I'm starting to get a bad cold,” Gordon said. “I was winded out there.”
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Cubs holding their ground because of pitching