GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NL: CHICAGO CUBS at CINCINNATI

NL: CHICAGO CUBS at CINCINNATI

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CHICAGO CUBS (4) AT CINCINNATI (0) - HOW THEY SCORED
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CHICAGO CUBS 1ST: R Theriot flied out to right. M Fontenot flied out to
left. M Murton homered to right. G Soto hit a ground rule double to deep
right center. F Pie struck out swinging. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
CHICAGO CUBS 1, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 2ND: B Coats in center field. R Cedeno homered to left.
H Blanco struck out swinging. S Fuld struck out swinging. R Hill struck
out swinging. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 2, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 3RD: R Theriot bunt grounded out to pitcher. M Fontenot
singled to left. M Murton grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher, M
Fontenot out at second. G Soto doubled to left, M Murton scored. F Pie
singled to right, G Soto scored. R Cedeno struck out swinging. (2 Runs,
3 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.</div>

 

NL: CHICAGO CUBS at CINCINNATI

<div class="pre">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHICAGO CUBS (4) AT CINCINNATI (0) - HOW THEY SCORED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHICAGO CUBS 1ST: R Theriot flied out to right. M Fontenot flied out to
left. M Murton homered to right. G Soto hit a ground rule double to deep
right center. F Pie struck out swinging. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
CHICAGO CUBS 1, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 2ND: B Coats in center field. R Cedeno homered to left.
H Blanco struck out swinging. S Fuld struck out swinging. R Hill struck
out swinging. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 2, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 3RD: R Theriot bunt grounded out to pitcher. M Fontenot
singled to left. M Murton grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher,
M Fontenot out at second. G Soto doubled to left, M Murton scored. F Pie
singled to right, G Soto scored. R Cedeno struck out swinging. (2 Runs,
3 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.</div>

 

NL: CHICAGO CUBS at CINCINNATI

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CHICAGO CUBS (4) AT CINCINNATI (0) - EVENT LOG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chicago Cubs Starting Lineups -- R Theriot SS, M Fontenot 2B, M Murton LF,
G Soto C, F Pie CF, R Cedeno 3B, H Blanco 1B, S Fuld RF, R Hill LHP.

Cincinnati Starting Lineups -- N Hopper CF, J Keppinger SS, J Votto LF,
B Phillips 2B, E Encarnacion 3B, J Cantu 1B, D Ross C, J Ellison RF, A Harang RHP.

Umpires -- Tim Welke (HP), Jim Reynolds (1B), Gary Cederstrom (2B),
Lance Barksdale (3B).

Gametime Weather: 79 degrees, Partly Cloudy, wind left to right at 8 mph.


CHICAGO CUBS 1ST: R Theriot flied out to right. M Fontenot flied out to
left. M Murton homered to right. G Soto hit a ground rule double to deep
right center. F Pie struck out swinging. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
CHICAGO CUBS 1, CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 1ST: B Coats hit for N Hopper. B Coats struck out swinging.
J Keppinger lined out to third. J Votto flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits,
0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 1, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 2ND: B Coats in center field. R Cedeno homered to left.
H Blanco struck out swinging. S Fuld struck out swinging. R Hill struck
out swinging. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 2, CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 2ND: B Phillips flied out to left. E Encarnacion grounded
out to third. J Cantu struck out looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
CHICAGO CUBS 2, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 3RD: R Theriot bunt grounded out to pitcher. M Fontenot
singled to left. M Murton grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher,
M Fontenot out at second. G Soto doubled to left, M Murton scored. F Pie
singled to right, G Soto scored. R Cedeno struck out swinging. (2 Runs,
3 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 3RD: D Ross fouled out to first. J Ellison struck out looking.
A Harang flied out to right. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4,
CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 4TH: H Blanco struck out swinging. S Fuld grounded out to
second. R Hill struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4,
CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 4TH: B Coats fouled out to third. J Keppinger fouled out to
first. J Votto flied out to left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4,
CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 5TH: R Theriot grounded out to second. M Fontenot flied out
to center. M Murton doubled to deep left. G Soto struck out looking. (0 Runs,
1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 5TH: B Phillips grounded out to second. E Encarnacion walked.
J Cantu grounded out to shortstop, E Encarnacion to second. D Ross lined out
to left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 6TH: F Pie reached on infield single to second. R Cedeno
struck out swinging, F Pie stole second, F Pie to third on throwing error
by catcher D Ross. H Blanco struck out swinging. S Fuld struck out looking.
(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 1 Error) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 6TH: J Ellison struck out looking. A Harang fouled out to
first. B Coats doubled to center. J Keppinger popped out to second. (0 Runs,
1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 7TH: J Kendall hit for R Hill. J Kendall fouled out to first.
R Theriot grounded out to second. M Fontenot grounded out to pitcher. (0 Runs,
0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 7TH: S Marshall relieved R Hill. J Votto grounded out to first.
B Phillips struck out swinging. E Encarnacion flied out to center. (0 Runs,
0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 8TH: M Murton popped out to shortstop. G Soto singled to left
center. F Pie struck out swinging, G Soto to second on wild pitch by A Harang.
R Cedeno struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4,
CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 8TH: J Cantu struck out swinging. D Ross walked. J Ellison
flied out to left. M Bellhorn hit for A Harang. M Bellhorn struck out
swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.

CHICAGO CUBS 9TH: D Weathers relieved A Harang. H Blanco singled to left.
S Fuld walked, H Blanco to second. C Monroe hit for S Marshall. C Monroe
struck out swinging. R Theriot grounded into double play, shortstop to second
to first, S Fuld out at second.(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4,
CINCINNATI 0.

CINCINNATI 9TH: S Eyre relieved S Marshall. B Coats struck out looking.
J Keppinger hit by pitch. J Votto flied out to left. B Phillips flied out
to right. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0.</div>

 

Hill dominant as Cubs shut out Reds

<h3>CHICAGO CUBS 4, CINCINNATI 0</h3>By Gary Schatz
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


CINCINNATI (Ticker) - With no pressure on him, Rich Hill went ona Saturday afternoon cruise.


Hill yielded one hit through six superb innings as the ChicagoCubs posted a 4-0 shutout over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Matt Murton and Ronny Cedeno each hit solo homers and rookieGeovany Soto added an RBI double for Chicago, which was still incelebratory mode after clinching the National League Centraltitle Friday night.


A 6-0 victory over Cincinnati on Friday night gave the Cubstheir second NL Central crown (2003) in the last five years.

Chicago, which rested regulars Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee andAramis Ramirez, will begin postseason play on the road to anopponent to be determined later.


Hill was brilliant, yielding only a fifth-inning walk to EdwinEncarnacion after retiring the first 13 batters. Thelefthander's no-hit bid was broken up by a two-out double byrookie Buck Coats in sixth inning. He was lifted for SeanMarshall before the seventh inning after throwing 54 of his 78pitches for strikes.


It was the third straight win for the 27-year-old Hill, whoalmost didn't start the game.


Because the Cubs clinched the division, manager Lou Piniellaannounced that Sean Gallagher would get the start Saturday inplace of Hill. However, an hour before the game, Piniellareversed his decision, deciding that Hill needed some workbefore the playoffs.


Hill got all the runs he needed when Chicago scored in thefirst.


With two outs in the top of the frame, Murton hit the firstpitch he saw from Aaron Harang over the right field wall to makeit 1-0. It was the eighth homer of the season for Murton, whowas playing left field in place of Soriano.


The Cubs added to their lead over the next two innings.

In the second, Cedeno led off by belting an 0-1 pitch over theleft field wall to increase the lead to two. It was Cedeno'sfourth homer.


One frame later, with Murton on first and two outs, Soto doubledinto the left-center field gap before scoring himself onebatter later on a single to right by Felix Pie.


Harang (16-6) allowed four runs and nine hits in eight inningsof work. The righthander, who struck out a season-high 12batters, was trying to earn a career-high 17 wins.