Exciting game at the Friendly Confines today. The game was close until Johnny Ray reached down and pulled out his Babe Ruth impression. Todays starters were Rick Rhoden and Rick Sutcliffe.
The Pirates started the scoring early when Mike Brown hit a 1 out Triple in the 2nd, Tony Pena would strikeout then Joe Orsulak would double him home. Sam Khalifa would Single to score Orsulak. At the end of the 2nd the Pirates were up 2-0.
The Cubs would even the score when the scored 2 in the 5th. Rick Sutcliffe would help his own cause by ripping a bases loaded Double into the rightfield corner. The Cubs would get the bases loaded again but Rick Rhoden was able to get Ryne Sandberg to hit into the old 6-4-3 to end the threat.
The Pirates would break the game open in the 7th tagging Sutcliffe for 4 runs. The big highlight was Johnny Ray's 3-run homer that would knock Sutcliffe from the game.
George Frazier would replace Sutcliffe and would get into some trouble himself in the 8th. After walks to Sam Khalifa and Rhoden, Marvell Wynne would Single to load the bases. Jim Frey had enough and brought in his closer Lee Smith to pitch to Johnny Ray. Ray was not imtimidated by the Smith fastball and blasted a Grand Slam, putting the Cubs up 10-2. The Cubs would get 2 in their half of the 8th, with 2 on Leon Durham would Single home Ryne Sandberg and Matthews would hold at third. Keith Moreland would then bounce out to Ray scoring Matthews.
Neither team would do anything in the 9th and Cub fans were shocked as they left ballpark. But the talk outside the Stadium was all about Johnny Ray crushing 2 homers and his 7 RBI.
Pirates win 10-4
Johnny Ray was 2-4, 2 Homers (a Grand Slam) and 7 RBI.
WP Rick Rhoden 1-0
LP Rick Sutcliffe 0-1
| Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs |
| Apr 9, 1985 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Pittsburgh () | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 0 |
| Chicago () | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| W: Rick Rhoden 1-0 L: Rick Sutcliffe 0-1 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates |
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | AVG |
| Wynne cf | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .250 |
| Ray 2b | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | .500 |
| Madlock 3b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 |
| Thompson 1b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .250 |
| Brown rf | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .400 |
| Pena c | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 |
| Orsulak cf | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .400 |
| Khalifa ss | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Rhoden p | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Kemp ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| TOTALS | 39 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 10 | |
BATTING
2B: Orsulak (2)
3B: Brown (1)
HR: Ray (2) |
BASERUNNING
SB: None
CS: None |
FIELDING
E: None
PB: None |
| Pittsburgh Pirates |
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Rhoden | 8 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4.50 |
| Guante | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| TOTALS | 9 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4.00 |
PITCHING
WP: None |
| Chicago Cubs |
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | AVG |
| Dernier cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 |
| Sandberg 2b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
| Matthews lf | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Durham 1b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Moreland rf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Cey 3b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Davis c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
| Dunston ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Sutcliffe p | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .333 |
| Lopes ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| TOTALS | 33 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 5 | |
BATTING
2B: Matthews (1), Davis (1), Sutcliffe
3B: None
HR: None |
BASERUNNING
SB: None
CS: None |
FIELDING
E: None
PB: None |
| Chicago Cubs |
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Sutcliffe | 6.2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 8.11 |
| Frazier | 0.2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 40.91 |
| Smith | 1.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5.42 |
| TOTALS | 9 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10.00 |
PITCHING
WP: None |