Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (Simulated Game 63): Cubs 6, Orioles 5 – Another Walk-Off Win for Cubs
It looked like they were going to get stuck with an extra-inning loss, but the Chicago Cubs (42-21) came through in the bottom of the 11th to earn yet another walk-off victory. The Baltimore Orioles (17-45) took a one-run lead in the top half of the inning but that wouldn’t stop David Bote from hitting a game-winning homer, via MLB The Show 20.
Tyler Chatwood started for the Cubs and pitched through some trouble, throwing five innings and surrendering just two earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four. His counterpart, however, wouldn’t fare as well. Left-hander Ty Blach only went four innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits.
The Cubs got to Blach in the 3rd, when second baseman Nico Hoerner led off with his fourth home run of the season. Chatwood knocked a one-out single to center field ahead of Kris Bryant, who drilled a deep two-run homer to left field to put the Cubs ahead 3-0.
Austin Hays got Chatwood for a home run to center in the 4th, cutting the Cubs lead to 3-1, and José Iglesias drove in another run to make it 3-2. Bryant later made it 4-2 by driving in Heyward with a single, but Renato Núñez tied the game against Dan Winkler in the 7th when he followed a Trey Mancini double with a two-run homer.
The game remained tied all the way until the top of the 11th, when David Ross went to Kyle Ryan. The lefty served up a one-out double to Pedro Severino, then Iglesias followed with another RBI single to break the tie and put Baltimore ahead.
Left-hander Tanner Scott went to the mound for the Orioles in the bottom half, but Ian Happ knocked a soft single to left with one out and then stole second base easily on Scott’s first pitch to Bote. Scott hadn’t even bothered to look over at Happ at first, which allowed him to get a major jump. Bote worked a 3-2 count before sending the fans home happy with a walk-off homer into the bleachers in right-center.
Notes: The Cubs went 8-1 on their nine-game homestand, with four of those victories of the walk-off variety. Chicago will go to Cincinnati for a four-game set beginning Thursday and then three in Philadelphia before a two-day break next Thursday and Friday … After the game, the Cubs announced that Winkler was being sent back to Triple-A and right-hander Ryan Tepera (10 IP, 15 K, 4 BB, 0.00 ERA with Iowa) would be taking his place.
Key Players:
Bryant – 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Bote – 1-for-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI
Hoerner – 1-for-4, HR, RBI
Mancini – 4-for-5, 2B, 3B, R
Núñez – 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Hays – 2-for-5, HR, RBI
Winning Pitcher – Jeffress (8-1)
Losing Pitcher – Scott (0-1)
Save – None
Home Runs – Bryant (22), Bote (8), Hoerner (4), Hays (6), Núñez (4)