Missed opportunities
NATIONALS 5, CUBS 3 | Johnson's defensive gem wasted as Cubs leave 10 runners on base
WASHINGTON -- When Reed Johnson got to the ballpark Friday, it struck him that he hadn't shown his new team anything special in the field yet this season.
Then came the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals, and something else struck him: the wall.
(AP)
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Nationals 5, Cubs 3
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The Cubs center fielder made one of the best catches in recent memory to save a possible triple by Felipe Lopez in a 2-2 game -- laying out at the end of a long run to the warning track in left-center field, diving and making the catch at full extension a split-second before he continued into the padded base of the wall, head and neck first.
''Best play I've ever seen in person. Maybe the best play ever,'' Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot said.
Said Johnson: ''I didn't realize the wall was that close.''
He was fine except for a nasty-looking raw spot on his right elbow from the warning track. But the play sort of sums up the last couple of days on this two-city road trip.
They're catching everything but a break. And winding up with little more than road rash for their efforts.
One night after a middle reliever gave up the game-winners in Colorado because manager Lou Piniella needed to rest a heavily used bullpen, the Cubs missed repeated chances to score against the worst team in the league and wound up losing on a walk-off home run by a guy who had never hit a homer in the majors.
That was catcher Wil Nieves, who entered the game as part of a double-switch and hit a two-run shot off Bob Howry with one out in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Cubs 5-3 in the opener of a three-game series at Nationals Park.
And just like that, the red-hot Cubs aren't anymore, with just five runs to show for the last two games -- their first set of back-to-back losses in two weeks.
Said Reed, who otherwise might have been a hero on this night: ''You think about that play [in the fifth], but what I think about most was we had the bases loaded with none out. That's the at-bat I'll be thinking about all night.''
Actually, the Cubs loaded the bases in the eighth with one out, and pinch-hitter Matt Murton drew a walk to push home the tying run, making it 3-3.
But pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot struck out, bringing Reed to the plate with two outs. He already had reached twice in the game and scored the Cubs' first two runs. But when he grounded to short, the Cubs' last threat was over.
''Couple games in a row where we had opportunities and we didn't take advantage,'' Piniella said.
In this one, the Cubs reached base 15 times on hits, walks and a hit batter, but left 10 men on base by going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
The good news in that is that the top hitting lineup in the National League entering the night is still putting a lot of runners on base. The bad news: Just three runs.
''Those guys played a good game,'' Theriot said. ''There's really not a finger to point. They just beat us.''
Theriot failed to steal bases twice -- including an attempt to nab third base in the third inning with Derrek Lee at the plate and a run already in. When Lee walked and Aramis Ramirez followed with a single, that looked huge. The Cubs didn't score again in the inning.
''I had no problem with that,'' Piniella said. ''He had a good pitch to run on.''
Theriot, last year's team stolen-base leader, had the green light, and he saw from second base that lefty Odalis Perez was gripping the ball to throw a changeup. But catcher Johnny Estrada got the ball off quickly enough to get him.
The pitchers accepted the blame on this night -- deserved or not.
''I felt I could have done a better job and given us a better chance to win,'' said starter Ryan Dempster, who got through seven solid innings, allowing only two earned runs.