The Cubs entered their first playoff game losing 6 of their last 7 games, scoring no more than 4 runs in any of those losses.
To be fair, we never fielded a full team in any of those games. Last night vs the Cardinals, at New Scotland, it was all hands on deck.
Even Jon Martin, who drove 5-1/2 hours from his vacation in Maine, made the game.
The result: the Cubs pounded out 24 hits and 20 runs, in just 6 innings, en route to a 20-8 win over the Cards.
The first 5 hitters were 18 for 23!!! Everyone in the batting order had at least one hit.

It was a good thing because the Cards can hit the ball as well, and they scored 6 runs, in the first 3 innings, recording 11 hits of their own, in their 6 innings at the plate.
After 2 innings, the the Cubs held a slim lead at 6-5. After the Cards tied the score at 6, in the top of the 3rd, the Cubs answered with 7 runs, in their half, to blow the game open.
The big blow in the inning was a 3 run double by Ron Lochner.

The Cards looked like they would storm right back, in the top of the 4th, when Bert Myers led off with a home run to left, and Don Shultis followed with a sharp single.
Mike Girard came on in relief, and put the fire out, retiring the next 3 batters in order, to preserve the lead at 13-7.

The Cubs pushed the lead to 16-7, with 3 runs in the bottom half, and again Lochner was right in the middle of it with a 2-RBI double. Ron ended the night
with 4 hits in 5 trips to the plate, scoring 2 runs, stealing a base, and driving in 7 runs. Whoever has Ron in their fantasy line up was really happy last night!

The Cards would only manage two hits and one run (on a Jim Bonaparte RBI double) the rest of the way, and the Cubs would add 4 more, to make the final score 20 - 8.

Scott Ross, Paul Miles, Mike Girard, and Andy Hoyle all had 3 hits each, for the Cubs. Dave Mitchell and Jon Martin added two hits each.

Tim Vickerson, Jeff Friedman, Bert Myers, and Don Shultis, and Frank Staltani all had two hits each for the Cards.

The Cubs advance into the winners bracket, and will take on the top-seeded Whiz Kids on Wednesday night, at New Scotland.
Here's hoping the bats stay hot for the next two weeks, for a deep run in the playoffs.


-- Edited by mgirard11 on Tuesday 6th of August 2019 08:35:41 AM