Chi. Cubs 2, Kansas City 1
When: 2:20 PM ET, Sunday, May 31, 2015
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Temperature:
47°
Umpires:
Home -
Bruce Dreckman, 1B -
Alfonso Marquez, 2B -
Dan Bellino, 3B -
Tom Hallion
Attendance:
37766
By The Sports Xchange
CHICAGO — David Ross was just looking for an opening as he batted in the bottom of the 11th inning with one out and bases full of Cubs.
He didn't figure on finding the smallest hole imaginable.
A bloop shot to left by the Cubs catcher dropped and scored Kris Bryant from third base with the winning run in Chicago's 2-1 walk-off victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.
"Luckily I drove that ball in the gap right at the end there," said a smiling Ross, who had the fifth game-ending hit of his career.
Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar sprinted into short left to try to catch the rapidly sinking shot, but it fell in for a hit as Escobar appeared to slip, allowing Bryant to score.
Left fielder Alex Gordon also arrived a step too late to make a play.
"The ball landed between us; it was a good placed ball," Gordon said. "I tried to grab it at the last second and try to throw home. We were both reaching for it, (but) winds were all over the place.
"It was a tough play."
Cubs left-hander Zac Rosscup (2-1) pitched one-third of an inning for the victory, while Royals right-hander Ryan Madson (0-1) worked one full inning and took the loss.
The walk-off win was the major league leading sixth of the season for Chicago.
Kansas City, which entered the weekend in first place in the American League Central, slipped half-game behind Minnesota.
The Cubs split the abbreviated inter-league series after Saturday's middle game was rained out. The game will be made up Sept. 28.
"Conditions were tough, (and) you knew offense was going to come at a premium,"Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Both starting pitchers threw the ball really well, and both bullpens did a nice job."
Royals right-handed starter Yordano Ventura and Cubs left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada allowed just two runs between them but neither figured in the final decision.
Wada worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed just two hits, struck out four and walked a pair in his third start of the season before departing for left-hander Travis Wood.
Wada walked center fielder Lorenzo Cain before leaving and was charged with one earned run when Cain later scored on Gordon's base hit to center for the 500th RBI of his career.
Ventura threw six shutout innings before allowing an RBI base hit to left fielder Chris Coghlan. The hit scored pinch runner Jonathan Herrera from second to force a 1-1 tie, but Coghlan was tagged at second for an inning-ending out when trying to stretch the single.
Ventura allowed one run on four hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked one.
The Cubs threatened in the ninth as first baseman Anthony Rizzo tripled to the right field corner off right-handed reliever Wade Davis with one out.
Davis then intentionally walked Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, threw out catcher David Ross after a sacrifice bunt in front of the plate and struck out right fielder Jorge Soler on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.
First baseman Kendrys Morales walked with two out in the Royals 11th, and Gordon pushed him to third with a base hit. But Rosscup, the eighth Chicago pitcher of the day, struck out catcher Salvador Perez to close the inning.
The Cubs are now 5-2 in extra inning games and have played 21 one-run games.
"We're playing close games so we know we're good," Ross said. "I think these guys believe in themselves night-in and night-out."
After a Saturday rainout, conditions were dry but cool Sunday. Game time temperatures were 47 degrees with a 21 mile-per-hour wind from the north.
NOTES: The Cubs and Royals saluted their 1915 Federal League counterparts -- the Chicago Whales and the Kansas City Packers -- by donning throwback uniforms honoring those franchises. ... Wrigley Field was temporarily dubbed Weegham Park, the original name for the park.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
| Kansas City |
|
Chi. Cubs |
|
Yordano Ventura
|
Player |
Tsuyoshi Wada |
|
No Decision |
W/L |
No Decision |
|
7.0 |
IP |
5.2 |
|
6 |
Strikeouts |
4 |
|
4 |
Hits |
2 |
|
1.29 |
ERA |
1.59 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| Kansas City
|
4 |
0 |
5 |
.108 |
11 |
11 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
| Chi. Cubs
|
7 |
0 |
10 |
.194 |
10 |
10 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
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