Recap: Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles
Sports Network | October 03, 2008
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Russell Martin's three-run double highlighted a five-run second inning when the Cubs committed a pair of errors, and Manny Ramirez homered for a second straight night, carrying the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 10-3 win and a commanding lead in their National League Division Series.
Ramirez drove in two runs and Rafael Furcal went 3-for-6 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored for the Dodgers, who won 7-2 Wednesday night and can sweep the best-of-five series with a victory Saturday in Los Angeles.
Chad Billingsley (1-0), making his first career playoff start, had seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 effective innings, as he was charged with five hits and a run.
It was another case of postseason futility for the Cubs, who committed four errors on the way to their eighth consecutive playoff loss since their infamous collapse during the 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins.
Possibly left without another home game in this postseason, the Wrigley Field faithful voiced their displeasure with the Cubs in the middle innings, and the team is now one loss away from being eliminated, 100 years since their last World Series championship.
Carlos Zambrano (0-1) was touched for six hits and seven runs, but just three of those were earned, in 6 1/3 innings. He also had seven strikeouts against two walks.
On the other side, the Dodgers are one victory away from their first postseason series triumph since 1988 when they beat Oakland. They came into this series with just one win in their previous 13 playoff games.
Andre Ethier and James Loney singled to start the second inning, putting runners at the corners. Matt Kemp struck out, but second baseman Mark DeRosa then made a critical error, botching a potential double-play grounder. Blake DeWitt was safe on the play, driving in Ethier. On the next play, first baseman Derrek Lee fumbled Casey Blake's chopper, leaving the bases loaded.
Billingsley fanned, but Furcal bunted for a base hit for an RBI. DeRosa charged to get the ball, but his throw was late to first base. Martin then smacked a line double to left-center, prompting groans from the home crowd.
Ramirez tattooed an 0-1 offering over the wall in center field to start the fifth inning, and Kemp's RBI double off Neal Cotts down the right field line in the seventh plated Ramirez for a 7-0 cushion.
Back-to-back doubles from DeRosa and Edmonds in the bottom of the inning got the Cubs on the scoreboard, but they wasted a first-and-third opportunity when Kosuke Fukudome grounded into a force play to end the frame.
The Dodgers padded their lead to 9-1 in the eighth. Furcal singled in Casey Blake, and later Edmonds failed to make a diving catch in center field on a ball hit by Ramirez. That knocked in Furcal.
Pinch-hitter Juan Pierre reached base on a throwing error by shortstop Ryan Theriot in the ninth, and then scored on a Blake base hit.
DeRosa, who had a two-run homer Wednesday, stroked a two-run double with nobody out in the ninth inning. Jonathan Broxton finished up, retiring three straight batters after walking pinch-hitter Felix Pie.
Rich Harden is the slated starting pitcher for Chicago on Saturday, while Hiroki Kuroda will toe the rubber for the Dodgers...Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano continued his postseason struggles, going 1-for-4. He's 37-for-169 (.219) lifetime in the playoffs...Billingsley has just one loss in his last 14 appearances...Ramirez has 26 postseason homers, extending a major league record, and 16 of those have come on the road...The four errors tied a division series record.
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