Chicago Cubs’ Geovany Soto’s grand slam in 13th inning crush Giants 5-2: MLB Update
Geovany Soto launched a game-winning homer in the thirteenth inning, as the Chicago Cubs overpowered the defending World Series Champions, San Francisco Giants by 5-2 in the rubber fixture, at the Wrigley Field in Chicago, on Thursday night, June 30 to take
the three-game series by 2-1.
The Giants were enjoying a 1-0 lead right from the top of the second inning, but the Cubs’ Aramis Ramirez launched a 374-feet long one-run game-tier homer in bottom of the ninth inning to force the game into an extra inning. Once the game moved into the
extra innings, pitchers from both sides utilised their full strength to take the game into their respective sides.
This contest took the game into the thirteenth inning, where the Giants' Pablo Sandoval hammered a 393-feet long one-run homer off the Cubs’ closer, John Grabow, to advance his team into a 2-1 leading position. In the bottom, the Cubs at first were in little
trouble, when Koyie Hill grounded out and Reed Johnson struck out by the Giants’ closer, Ramon Ramirez, but Jeff Baker raised the hope with his double to the deep centre-field and Darwin Barney converted it to confirmation with his line drive single.
Once the game tied at 2-all, the Giants’ closer, Ramirez, immediately lost his momentum and gave an intentional walk to Starlin Castro, but it proved a wrong decision, as Geovany Soto hammered devastating three-run grand slam to take the Cubs into 5-2 win.
The Cubs’ starter, Carlos Zambrano, pitched just one inning and left the field due to soreness in his lower back after allowing a leadoff single in the second inning. Marcos Mateo carried the game from second inning and kept pitching until the end of the
sixth. He made six strikeouts without allowing any run. Then reliever, Jeff Samardzija, Sean Marshall and James Russell each tossed scoreless one inning.
Carlos Marmol took the responsibility after the game which entered into the extra innings and tossed two scoreless innings. John Grabow too remained scoreless in his first inning, but gave a run in the second inning and still managed to win his game.
The Giants’ ace, Matt Cain, tossed exceptionally well for his seven innings, allowed just four no-score hits, one walk and struck out six batters. Sergio Romo carried his momentum to eighth inning, but closer, Brian Wilson, allowed a game tier in the ninth
inning. Santiago Casilla allowed two hits in the tenth inning before his manager, Bruce Bochy, replaced him with Javier Lopez.
Lopez and Jeff Affeldt held the at game 2-all in their short one inning spell, but Ramon Ramirez ruined all the foundations, allowing an RBI single and a three-run homer in the thirteenth inning.
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