Spitball67
04-03-2006, 07:03 PM
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
CINCINNATI -- Matt Murton belted a three-run homer, Todd Walker had three hits and three RBIs and Derrek Lee hit an RBI double and a sacrifice fly to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 16-7 victory Monday over the Cincinnati Reds in the regular-season opener on Monday.
On a chilly, overcast day, the Cubs found themselves in a Reds state -- and that has only a little to do with President George W. Bush's presence at Great American Ball Park.
Carlos Zambrano didn't last long enough for the win for the second Opening Day in a row. The Cubs right-hander got into a jam in the first and gave up a sacrifice fly to Adam Dunn. Scott Hatteberg smacked a three-run homer in the third to close to 5-4 and Dunn then tied the game with a leadoff homer in the fifth. That was one of the few times the crowd of 42,591 cheered Dunn.
Zambrano departed after giving up seven hits and five walks while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings. Will Ohman (1-0) picked up the win, pitching one-third of an inning. It was a timely appearance as the Cubs rallied for a seven-run sixth.
Could Juan Pierre hit? He batted .222 this spring. Could Murton provide some power? The Cubs answered those questions in the first when they hit for the cycle.
Pierre, wearing a Cubs blue camouflage shirt under his uniform, needed three pitches to get things going. He tripled off Reds starter Aaron Harang, lining a ball along the right-field line, and then scored on Walker's double. Lee walked and Aramis Ramirez singled to load the bases. Dunn dropped Jacque Jones' fly ball, allowing Walker to score. Michael Barrett lined into a double play, but Murton followed that with an opposite-field home run to put the Cubs ahead, 5-0.
What about Murton's defense? The young left fielder made a leaping catch of Austin Kearns' fly ball at the wall to end the Reds' first and leave the bases loaded, much to the delight of Zambrano, who danced off the field, pumping his arms excitedly.
Can they score without big boppers? Angel Pagan, inserted in right in a double-switch in the fifth, hit an RBI single with the bases loaded that Dunn misplayed in the sixth. After Pierre knocked in a run with a bunt single, Walker hit a two-run single. Dunn's misadventures in left continued as he misplayed Lee's double.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
CINCINNATI -- Matt Murton belted a three-run homer, Todd Walker had three hits and three RBIs and Derrek Lee hit an RBI double and a sacrifice fly to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 16-7 victory Monday over the Cincinnati Reds in the regular-season opener on Monday.
On a chilly, overcast day, the Cubs found themselves in a Reds state -- and that has only a little to do with President George W. Bush's presence at Great American Ball Park.
Carlos Zambrano didn't last long enough for the win for the second Opening Day in a row. The Cubs right-hander got into a jam in the first and gave up a sacrifice fly to Adam Dunn. Scott Hatteberg smacked a three-run homer in the third to close to 5-4 and Dunn then tied the game with a leadoff homer in the fifth. That was one of the few times the crowd of 42,591 cheered Dunn.
Zambrano departed after giving up seven hits and five walks while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings. Will Ohman (1-0) picked up the win, pitching one-third of an inning. It was a timely appearance as the Cubs rallied for a seven-run sixth.
Could Juan Pierre hit? He batted .222 this spring. Could Murton provide some power? The Cubs answered those questions in the first when they hit for the cycle.
Pierre, wearing a Cubs blue camouflage shirt under his uniform, needed three pitches to get things going. He tripled off Reds starter Aaron Harang, lining a ball along the right-field line, and then scored on Walker's double. Lee walked and Aramis Ramirez singled to load the bases. Dunn dropped Jacque Jones' fly ball, allowing Walker to score. Michael Barrett lined into a double play, but Murton followed that with an opposite-field home run to put the Cubs ahead, 5-0.
What about Murton's defense? The young left fielder made a leaping catch of Austin Kearns' fly ball at the wall to end the Reds' first and leave the bases loaded, much to the delight of Zambrano, who danced off the field, pumping his arms excitedly.
Can they score without big boppers? Angel Pagan, inserted in right in a double-switch in the fifth, hit an RBI single with the bases loaded that Dunn misplayed in the sixth. After Pierre knocked in a run with a bunt single, Walker hit a two-run single. Dunn's misadventures in left continued as he misplayed Lee's double.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.