Cubs Finally Participate in a Scoring Contest

If you do not already know the results of Tuesday night’s Cubs game, you may want to stop reading here and just watch on loop a replay of Bryan Bickell’s overtime winner in the Blackhawks series opening win last night. If you are aware of how the Cubs game went down yesterday, odds are there is nothing I can tell you to make you feel better about the final score.

After what seemed like every game being decided by four runs or less, the Cubs were involved in a match up that resulted in 20 total runs scored combined. Unfortunately for Cubs fans, the home team was on the losing end of a 13-7 score line that was more fitting of a Chargers Bears football game.

May 20, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of a British Airways 777 jet as it flies over the main scoreboard during the first inning between the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Free agent signing Edwin Jackson has not gotten off to an ideal start as a Cub and he had his worst outing by far yet on Tuesday evening. The veteran right hander could not even survive past five innings, getting pulled after giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits in just 4 2/3 innings of work. Ironically enough, it was not even the wind blowing out that did in Jackson, who only allowed one home run and two runs off that long ball out of his eight given up.

The Cubs could have folded their tents after being down 8-0 through five, but the offense chose to get the team right back in the ballgame. In the bottom half of the fifth alone, the North Siders registered four extra base hits, highlighted by a pair of two run homers. Luis Valbuena hit his fifth of the season to get the Cubs on the board and Starlin Castro collected his third home run to bring the home team within four runs.

Unfortunately the Cubs pitching could not keep the Padres at eight, allowing five more runs over the next three innings. Hector Rondon was roughed up the most, allowing four earned runs in two innings of work. His appearance was by far his worst as a Cub, Spring Training games included.

David DeJesus and Cody Ransom joined the home run derby with jacks late in the game, but their efforts were far from enough on Tuesday night. The North Siders ended the month of April with a 10-16 record. They will look to get the month of May started on the right foot by shooting for a win on Wednesday night. The Cubs will need to do so against their former pitching prospect Andrew Cashner, who as we all know was dealt to the Padres for first baseman Anthony Rizzo.