On another beautiful Sunday morining at New Scotland Town Park, the Cubs pulled off their most dramatic comeback yet, in a season rife with come from behind wins. Saturday morning's comeback was the Cubs 8th comeback in their 12 wins and was their fourth consecutive come from behind win. This time the Cubs had to fight back from down 5 runs as late as the bottom of the sixth inning, and won in walk-off fashion, when Phil Gadomski capped a 3-run rally in the bottom of the 7th inning, with a line drive RBI single.
The Rays capitalized on two walks and an error, in the top of the second inning, and a RBI-single by Dan Maguire and a RBI HBP by Rich Cooney to take a 3-1 lead. They would add two more in the 3rd, with the help of two more walks and another Cub error, to push the lead to 5-1. The lead could have been much bigger, but both the 2nd and 3rd innings ended with sparkling 4-6-3 double plays.
The Cubs used a 2-run home run by Mike Girard, in the bottom of the 4th inning, to close the score to 5-3, but the Rays followed that up with a 3-run rally, in the top of the 5th inning off Girard, who came on in the 5th to relieve. Again, the Rays rally was aided by 3 walks and an error. Dan Maguire had the only Rays hit in the inning -- a 2 RBI single.
With the deficit at 8-3, entering the bottom of the 6th, the Cubs used a walk and two Rays errors to load the bases with nobody out. Ron Lochner was hit by a pitch, to close the gap to 8-4. Tom Maney followed with a 2-RBI single to close to 8-6, but the next 3 Cubs batters were unable to plate any more runs, and the Rays were able to head to the 7th inning ahead 8-6.
The Cubs would start the winning rally with consecutive singles by Shawn Maney, Steve Lounello, Girard, and Andy Hoyle. The seventh run scored on a wild pick-off attempt and the tying run scored on Girard's bloop single to right. After a failed sacrafice bunt attempt and a walk, to load the bases with one out, Gadomski smashed a line drive to right, to start the Cubbies celebration!
Mike Girard and Tom Maney led the Cubs offense with 3 RBI's each, while Dan Maguire led the way for the Rays, with 3 singles and 3 RBI's. Steve Lounello added 2 singles and 2 walks for the Cubs, who improved to 12-1-1 with the victory. Brian Schofield added two singles and Mark Dabney and Jan Friedman walked 3 times each for the Rays.