Beltran, Cardinals rally for 5-4 win over Cubs
BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com May 8, 2013 11:11PM
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Daniel Descalso, top, turns the double play after forcing Chicago Cubs' Cody Ransom at second base during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 8 2013, in Chicago. The Cubs' David DeJesus was out at first. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
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The Cubs named their new closer in the morning and then couldn’t make their seventh-inning lead hold up to get him a save chance in the ninth, as they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Wednesday at Wrigley Field, splitting a two-game series.
Carlos Villanueva handed a 4-3 lead to the bullpen with two out in the seventh, but James Russell was greeted with a two-out double by Matt Carpenter (who wound up on third after an error in right), followed by a run-scoring single by Carlos Beltran to tie the game.
Michael Bowden came on in the eighth and allowed the game winner with one out, when Yadier Molina singled, stole second and then scored on Jon Jay’s single.
By the time newly minted closer Kevin Gregg pitched a scoreless ninth it was too late.
“We just can’t seem to shut anybody down in that sixth, seventh inning,” said manager Dale Sveum, whose club dropped to 5-8 in one-run games. “Can’t make a pitch when we have to.”
Russell officially hadn’t allowed a run in 17 appearances until Wednesday (though three of his 13 inherited runners had scored).
The last-place Cubs take a day off Thursday before opening a three-game series in Washington on Friday.
