Baker and The Cubs are getting the job done (so far this year)...
Cubs add to their list of happy endings
BY MIKE KILEY
Staff Reporter
The Chicago Sun-Times
June 17, 2003
CINCINNATI--The Los An-geles Dodgers considered first baseman Eric Karros finished. And Joe Borowski was a reliever never once considered a finisher--except in a lopsided loss.
Together, they and the Cubs have turned such conventional thinking on its ear. This upstart and upwardly mobile group has the baseball world listening to a different kind of mantra--CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN--that is becoming more of a habit than ever in recent memory.
With Houston and St. Louis pressing at their backs, the Cubs solidified their hold on first place by beating the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 in the opener of a four-game series Monday. Moises Alou and Karros hit consecutive homers in the sixth to put the Cubs on top to stay.
CUBS 4
REDS 3
But the most staggering stat of the moment is this: The Cubs are 31-0 when entering the ninth in-ning with a lead.
''Who would have thought that, especially when Antonio [Alfon-seca] was hurt to enter the season?'' Borowski said. ''We didn't know what was going to happen. On most teams, when they go closer by committee, look what happens. All these teams have tried it, and nobody knows what their role is. Boston comes to mind right away. You're not mentally prepared down there when the phone rings [in the bullpen].
''But with us, everyone has accepted their role in the bullpen. When guys are unhappy, it causes friction, and that rubs off on other people who feel it. But everybody here has been great. There is no animosity at all.''
Borowski's 14th save was dramatic. After retiring the first two batters, Jose Guillen singled up the middle to bring National League home-run leader Adam Dunn to the plate. Considering the Reds have 17 victories in their last at-bat, including eight walkoffs, a crowd of 28,669 was cheering wildly to see that happen again.
Instead, Borowski smartly walked Dunn, then struck out Barry Larkin.
''If you make one mistake [to Dunn], he can run into it,'' Borowski said. ''It's no mistake he has 22 home runs. I'm not saying Larkin's not a clutch hitter, but I'd rather be facing a righty than a lefty like Dunn.''
It should not be overlooked that former closer Alfonseca, who is having a tough time getting back his job from the unstoppable Borowski, was as sensational in a perfect eighth as Kyle Farnsworth was in a perfect seventh to secure the victory for starter Matt Clement (5-6), who struck out nine and walked one.
''[Borowski] is riding it pretty good, but that eighth inning is as important--or more--than the ninth,'' manager Dusty Baker said in support of Alfonseca's continued progress of late. ''You lose more games in the eighth than the ninth. You have to commend Alfonseca. He is getting his act together daily. I'm glad we have both of them.''
Karros replaced Hee Seop Choi at first when Choi collided with Kerry Wood on June 7 and went down in a heap when he smacked his head on the third-base foul line. Karros' three-run homer that day lifted him into the hero's role, and he and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek--acquired in De-cember for catcher Todd Hundley and outfielder Chad Hermansen--are rewarding general manager Jim Hendry with one of the best trades of the winter.
Besides his homer, Karros saved the day in the ninth when he picked shortstop Alex Gonzalez's throw out of the dirt to retire leadoff man Jason LaRue.
''Eric picked a very tough ball,'' Baker said. ''I'm just glad we have him. Everybody we signed [in the offseason] has come up big.''
Karros gave some of the credit to Great American Ball Park, although he hit this ball with authority to center against loser Jimmy Anderson (1-3).
''This may be the most hitter-friendly park in the National League, if not all of baseball,'' he said. ''He got the ball out over the plate where I'm sure he didn't want it.''
Clement pointed to his strong working relationship with pitching coach Larry Rothschild as a key element in his improvement in recent games.
''It's nice to see all the work and thought with Larry paying off,'' Clement said.
Baker summed up the night and the season in one succinct sentence: ''We just continue to get it done,'' he said.
Sometimes you wonder why the Cubs are in first place. But there are 31 winning reasons entering the ninth with a lead that go a long way toward accounting for their team success.
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