Game #12: Astros 3, Cubs 2 (10 innings)
Against all odds—okay, maybe against most odds—the Cubs managed to lose a home series to the Houston Astros, who were winless as of this past Thursday and came into Wrigley Field with the lowest team batting average in the National League.
After Ryan Dempster had held the visitors to just one run over 7 2/3 innings, retiring 13 men in a row at one point, Lou Piniella turned the game over to Carlos Marmol, who would surrender the tying run on a Geoff Blum double in the 9th inning, and then Sean Marshall, who yielded a 10th-inning leadoff double to Jason Michaels and ultimately a sacrifice fly to Pedro Feliz, which accounted for the final margin.
It was the Cub offense, however, which left the biggest fingerprints on the defeat. Marlon Byrd accounted for both Cub runs with a two-out, two-run single in the third inning. Otherwise, Cub hitters could only generate five singles, a double, and no more runs against Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez and three relievers.
After the game, Lou Piniella announced that Byrd would assume the leadoff spot against lefties and Jeff Baker would be hitting second; Ryan Theriot is being moved down to the eighth spot in the lineup. Said Lou, “We’re going to change this lineup around and see if we can spur this offense on a little bit.”
