SCHILLING 1-HITS CUBS
Chicago Collapse Continues with 4th Straight 'L'
PHOENIX, Aug. 22 (AP) - Curt Schilling fired a complete game one-hit
shutout and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-0, at Bank One
Ballpark. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Cubs who are deeply
embedded in a death spiral downward. The club has lost 28 of its last 37
games, a span that dates to July 10 and has seen the Cubs fall from a three-game
first place lead to third place, 13 1/2 games back and effectively buried in the
National League's Central Division.
The Diamondbacks drew first blood, pushing a run across in the bottom of the
first inning against Chicago starter Carlos Zambrano. Robby Hammock
doubled to left-center with one out and, after Luiz Gonzalez grounded to third,
Raul Mondesi belted a two-bagger to right-center, scoring Hammock.
Zambrano then held Arizona at bay until the seventh inning.
Schilling, meanwhile, was completely overwhelming the Cubs, carrying a perfect
game into the seventh inning after retiring the first 19 batters he faced, nine
of them on strikes. But with one out in the top of the seventh, Tony
Womack swung at the first pitch and tapped a ball between the mound and first
base. Schilling and first baseman Shea Hillenbrand both went for the ball
but neither was able to make the play and Womack reached on an infield
hit. That was the only Chicago batter to reach base in the entire game as
Schilling retired the final eight hitters in order.
The Diamondbacks essentially broke the game open off Zambrano in the bottom of
the inning. With one out, Hammock and Gonzalez lined back-to-back singles
driving Zambrano from the game in favor of Kyle Farnsworth. Mondesi
followed with his second double of the contest, this one just inside the right
field line, scoring Hammock and chasing Gonzalez to third. Alex Cintron
followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Gonzalez, and when left fielder
Moises Alou uncorked a wild throw trying to nab Mondesi advancing to third,
Mondesi scored the third run of the inning, accounting for the final tally.
Schilling becomes the first National League pitcher to toss a complete game
one-hitter this season (two NL pitchers--Carl Pavano of Marlins and Kerry Wood
of the Cubs--have tossed no-hitters) and the sixth major league hurler to carry
a perfect game into the seventh inning this season. Schilling finished the
game with 10 strikeouts, the seventh time this season he's accomplished that
feat. Only one major league pitcher--Wood (15)--has been more prolific
reaching double digits this year.
8/22/2003, ChC03-Ari03, Bank One Ballpark 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Cubs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 2003 Diamondbacks 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 x 4 10 0 9 0 Cubs AB R H BI AVG Diamondbacks AB R H BI AVG Lofton cf 4 0 0 0 .272 Kata 3b 5 0 0 0 .232 Womack 2b 3 0 1 0 .244 Hammock rf 4 2 2 0 .278 Alou lf 3 0 0 0 .259 Finley cf 0 0 0 0 .246 Sosa,S rf 3 0 0 0 .249 Gonzalez,L lf 3 1 2 0 .285 Simon 1b 3 0 0 0 .235 Mondesi cf 4 1 2 2 .273 Ramirez,A 3b 3 0 0 0 .264 Cintron ss 3 0 0 1 .272 Martinez,R ss 3 0 0 0 .296 Spivey 2b 3 0 1 0 .280 Borowski p 0 0 0 0 .000 Hillenbrand 1b 4 0 3 0 .299 Bako c 3 0 0 0 .188 Barajas c 2 0 0 0 .209 Zambrano,C p 2 0 0 0 .265 Schilling p 4 0 0 0 .073 Farnsworth p 0 0 0 0 .000 32 4 10 3 Gonzalez,AS ss 1 0 0 0 .247 28 0 1 0 Cubs INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Zambrano,C L 8-12 6.1 8 3 3 4 8 127 71 4.03 Farnsworth 0.2 2 1 1 0 0 15 9 3.77 Borowski 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 12 9 3.71 8.0 10 4 4 4 10 154 89 Diamondbacks INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Schilling W 11-6 9.0 1 0 0 0 10 114 82 2.75 9.0 1 0 0 0 10 114 82 ChC: Gonzalez,AS inserted at ss in the 8th Ari: Finley inserted at cf in the 9th Mondesi moved to rf in the 9th E-Alou, Martinez,R. 2B-Hammock(5), Mondesi 2(31), Spivey(15). RBI-Mondesi 2(69), Cintron(48). CS-Hammock. K-Lofton, Alou, Sosa,S 2, Ramirez,A 2, Martinez,R 2, Bako, Zambrano,C, Kata 3, Mondesi, Cintron 2, Schilling 4. BB-Gonzalez,L, Spivey, Barajas 2. SF-Cintron. BALK-Zambrano,C. GWRBI: Mondesi Temperature: 70, Wind: none. Attendance: 44,170 Game Time: 2:35