PRIOR FANS 15 REDS, LOSES GAME
Griffey Belts Game-Winning Pinch 3-Run Blast
CINCINNATI, June 19 (AP) - Chicago Cubs starter Mark Prior struck out 15
Cincinnati Reds batters in seven inning of work but still came out on the short
end of a 5-4 decision at Great American Ballpark. It was only the third
time this year that a major league pitcher has fanned at least 15 hitters in a
single game. Kerry Wood, Prior's teammate, struck out 16 San Diego Padres
in seven innings of a 12-0 victory at Wrigley Field on April 23. Curt
Schilling of the Arizona Diamondbacks holds the high mark for the season by
fanning 17 Milwaukee Brewers in a complete game 3-2 win on April 12 at Bank One
Ballpark.
Prior struck out 12 batters over the game's first five innings, but was
frequently in trouble. Ultimately, it was the long ball that did him in.
The Cubs drew first blood with a run in the top of the first with an unearned
run. Mark Grudzielanek reached second base to start the inning on left
fielder Adam Dunn's two-base miscue, advanced to third on Alex Gonzalez's single
and scored on Corey Patterson's ground out to second.
The Reds bounced back with two in the bottom half of the opening frame despite
Prior striking out the side. Jose Guillen singled with one out and scored
two batters later on Austin Kearns' 16th home run of the season.
The Cubs tied the game in the third when Grudzielanek doubled with one out and
scored on Patterson's two-bagger. Shortly after Moises Alou popped to
short to end the top of the third, the rains came down in earnest and play was
suspended for nearly an hour and a half. Reds starter Paul Wilson was
removed from the game but Prior was able to return and put on quite a
show.
Chicago regained the lead with a single run in the fifth inning. Facing
reliever Scott Sullivan, Gonzalez singled through the middle and moved to third
on Patterson's hustle double to right-center field. Sammy Sosa was clipped
by a Sullivan pitch, loading the bases for Alou. Sullivan was replaced by
Felix Heredia but Alou was able to lift a fly to center that was deep enough for
Gonzalez to tag from third and score the third run of the game for the Cubs.
Prior was still nursing a 3-2 advantage into the sixth. He walked Dunn to
start the inning, but retired Jason LaRue on a line drive to left field.
Ray Olmedo followed with a single to right-center, advancing Dunn all the way to
third. With the pitcher's spot due up, Reds manager Bob Boone called on
Ken Griffey, Jr. to pinch hit and Griffey worked the count full before lining
the payoff pitch into the right field seats, just inside the foul pole.
The three-run shot--the third time a Reds pinch hitter has homered this
season--gave Cincinnati a 5-3 lead.
The Cubs cut the deficit to one run in the seventh. Grudzielanek opened
with a single, and took third on Gonzalez's double to right off reliever Gabe
White. But Patterson lined to third baseman Aaron Boone, who doubled the
startled Grudzielanek off third base for a game-changing double play.
Chris Reitsma relieved White and promptly served up an RBI single to Sosa, but
struck out Alou to end the inning with the Reds clinging to a 5-4 lead.
The Cubs threatened one more time, off Reds closer Scott Williamson in the
ninth. Grudzielanek lined his third hit of the day, a single, with one
out. Gonzalez struck out but Patterson dropped a base hit down the right
field line, chasing Grudzielanek to third. Sosa walked on a 3-2 pitch to
fill the bases but Alou struck out for the second time to end the game.
Cubs manager Dusty Baker extended Prior to 145 pitches, the highest single-game
total for a pitcher in a game thus far this season, but at the end of the day
had nothing to show for it but the Cubs' seventh loss in the club's last 10
games. The latest loss, coupled with the Cardinals' victory at Milwaukee,
drops the Cubs to second place, a game behind St. Louis.
6/19/2003, ChC03-Cin03, Great American Ball Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Cubs 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 4 13 1 10 0 2003 Reds 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 x 5 8 2 7 1 Cubs AB R H BI AVG Reds AB R H BI AVG Grudzielanek 2b 5 2 3 0 .363 Larkin ss 4 0 1 0 .239 Gonzalez,AS ss 5 2 3 0 .287 Guillen,J rf 4 1 1 0 .351 Patterson,C cf 5 0 3 2 .336 Casey 1b 3 0 0 0 .307 Sosa,S rf 3 0 2 1 .229 Kearns cf 4 1 3 2 .254 Alou lf 4 0 1 1 .263 Boone,A 3b 4 0 1 0 .248 Karros 1b 3 0 0 0 .210 Dunn lf 2 1 0 0 .243 Hill,B ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Mercker p 0 0 0 0 .000 Farnsworth p 0 0 0 0 .000 Williamson p 0 0 0 0 .000 Martinez,R 3b 4 0 0 0 .360 LaRue c 4 0 0 0 .225 Miller,D c 3 0 1 0 .245 Olmedo 2b 4 1 1 0 .390 Harris,L ph 1 0 0 0 .189 Wilson,Pa p 1 0 0 0 .143 Prior p 3 0 0 0 .257 Sullivan p 1 0 0 0 .000 Bako c 1 0 0 0 .240 Heredia p 0 0 0 0 .000 38 4 13 4 Griffey ph 1 1 1 3 .204 White,G p 0 0 0 0 .000 Reitsma p 0 0 0 0 .000 Taylor,R cf 1 0 0 0 .254 33 5 8 5 Cubs INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Prior L 10-5 7.0 8 5 5 3 15 145 87 3.23 Farnsworth 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 10 8 3.19 8.0 8 5 5 3 16 155 95 Reds INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Wilson,Pa 3.0 5 2 1 0 2 41 30 6.38 Sullivan 1.1 3 1 1 0 2 33 25 4.50 Heredia W 2-5 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 21 16 4.91 White,G H 6 0.2 2 1 1 0 0 7 5 5.29 Reitsma H 6 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 17 13 4.00 Mercker H 5 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 4.26 Williamson S 10 0.2 2 0 0 1 2 15 11 4.05 9.0 13 4 3 1 7 137 103 ChC: Hill,B batted for Karros in the 8th Harris,L batted for Miller,D in the 8th Harris,L moved to 1b in the 8th Bako inserted at c in the 8th Cin: Griffey batted for Heredia in the 6th Guillen,J moved to lf in the 8th Kearns moved to rf in the 8th Taylor,R inserted at cf in the 8th E-Karros, Larkin, Dunn. 2B-Grudzielanek(20), Gonzalez,AS(20), Patterson,C 2(22). HR-Kearns(16), Griffey(9). RBI-Patterson,C 2(58), Sosa,S(31), Alou(46), Kearns 2(45), Griffey 3(28). K-Gonzalez,AS, Sosa,S, Alou 2, Martinez,R, Miller,D, Prior, Guillen,J 2, Casey 2, Kearns, Boone,A 3, Dunn 2, LaRue 2, Olmedo, Wilson,Pa, Sullivan, Taylor,R. BB-Sosa,S, Casey, Dunn 2. SF-Alou. HBP-Sosa,S. HB-Sullivan. GWRBI: Griffey Paul Wilson was removed after a rain delay Temperature: 70, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: left to right at 17 MPH, Rain Delays: 89 minutes. Attendance: 31,171 Game Time: 3:06