The Win Goes Z Cubs Way - Cubs 2 Brewers 1

post from ChicagoCubsOnline.com on 03 July 2009 08:21:14 PM. © ChicagoCubsOnline.com

Game Seventy-Seven - Cubs 2 Brewers 1 - 10 innings
WP - Kevin Gregg (3-2) LP - Mark DiFelice (4-1) Save - None

What a ballgame and the Cubs might have gotten a gift on the final call by homeplate umpire Bill Welke.

Ryan Theriot started the tenth with a one-out single off Craig Counsell's glove into right field. On a 1-2 pitch to Derrek Lee, Mark DiFelice uncorked a wild pitch that advanced Theriot to second. Lee flied out to right and his productive out advanced Theriot to third with two outs. Ken Macha then intentionally walked Milton Bradley that put runners on first and third with two outs.

Lou Piniella went to his bench for Geovany Soto. The Brewers decided not to hold Bradley on at first and Bradley took second on the first pitch of Soto's at bat. DiFelice then pitched around Soto before issuing an intentional walk to load the bases.

Jake Fox stepped to the plate with the game on the line. Fox was overly aggressive on DiFelice's first pitch and swung right over the top of the ball. Fox then changed his approach, settled down and looked at three straight out of the strike zone. After getting ahead in the count 3-1, Fox fouled off the next four pitches from DiFelice before looking at the ninth pitch of the at bat. Fox walked and Theriot jogged in from third ... Cubs Win!

The Cubs offense struggled all afternoon against Jeff Suppan. They managed only one run on four hits in seven innings. Carlos Zambrano drove in the Cubs' lone run against Suppan, a single to center in the fifth. The Cubs did not make him work. Suppan walked two batters and hit two others but threw only 90 pitches (48 for strikes) in seven innings. The Cubs finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

In his return to the top spot in Lou Piniella's lineup, Alfonso Soriano was a weak 0-for-5 and left three on base.

Carlos Zambrano pitched his way in and out of jams all afternoon. While Zambrano did not have his best stuff, he was effective and allowed one run in seven innings of work. The only run Zambrano surrendered was on a bases loaded walk to Corey Hart in the fourth. The Brewers, like the Cubs, were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

Aaron Heilman pitched a tremendous eighth inning. Heilman retired all three batters he faced on 16 pitches. Kevin Gregg picked up his third win of the year after his third two-inning outing of the season.

Gregg did an excellent job of pitching around Milton Bradley's mistake in the ninth. Jason Kendall hit a routine fly to right with two outs in the ninth. Bradley lost the ball in the sun and it appeared to hit off his head. Kendall hustled to second with the go ahead run. Gregg then hit Craig Counsell and put runners on first and second ahead of Ryan Braun.

Kevin Gregg jammed Braun on a 2-2 pitch and one of the best sluggers in the game popped out to Ryan Theriot to end the inning. Gregg sat the Brewers down in order in the tenth.

The Cubs improved to a game over .500 on the season with another dramatic walk-off win at Wrigley ... the Cubs sixth victory in a row at home.