Well, they have finally won a game! Randy Wells pitched a nice game, getting ground balls and double plays when he needed them. I've always liked Wells. He may not have dynamite stuff, but he knows how to pitch and he gives the team a chance to win more often than not. The bullpen was solid, although I don't understand some of Piniella's moves, in particular, why he replaced Caridad with Grabow in the eighth. He dodged a bullet with that one, but only by forcing Marmol into a four-out 25-pitch save.
Not much hitting there, but I was glad to see Colvin get a shot and he rewarded the fans with a home run in his first AB. Byrd added another and that turned out to be all they needed. Baker and Hill were other additions to the lineup. Baker didn't exactly distinguish himself at the plate, but then no one seriously expects him to do so. Theriot had another bad day at the plate. He can hit, but I wonder if he isn't putting too much pressure on himself in the leadoff spot. I've always thought of him as a perfect #8 hitter and I wager over the long haul his splits there would at least equal his performance in the one or two holes.
I would be remiss, given the large number of Fukudome haters in Cubdom and the sports media, were I not to mention that Fukudome's outfield play, especially the plays in the late innings where he held Braves hitters to singles on potential doubles, had as much to do with winning the game as the fine pitching and timely hitting displayed tonight.
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