Pirates 10, Cubs 8 — Tying up the loose ends

One of the best parts of this job is that you go to the ballpark never knowing what you’re going to see on any given day. For that matter, every day is a chance for history to be made.

Taking the red line to Wrigley Field on Monday, I certainly didn’t foresee Freddy Sanchez going 6-for-6. Nor could I have envisioned the sight of Mr. T. and those throwback, half-stars, half-stripes, capri pants as he took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch. Seriously? Who can’t appreciate patriotic pants on Memorial Day? And for those of you who missed Mr. T’s rousing rendition of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ (shame on you!), I have you covered. It’s all archived right here. Worth watching twice….

Before calling it a night — a long night at that — thought it was worth tying up some loose ends.

As it relates to Matt Capps, we should know more on Tuesday about the severity of his injury. Capps was struck on the right elbow in Monday’s game and had to be taken for X-rays immediately after the game.

And just so it doesn’t get lost in everything that happened on Monday, here are a few notes on Sanchez’ career night:

• Sanchez became the second player to have six hits in a game this season. Texas’ Ian Kinsler did it on April 15. The last National League player to accomplish the feat was Cardinals’ Skip Schumaker on July 28, 2008.
• Sanchez had 11 career four-hit games before Monday night. Never had he recorded five in a game.
• Sanchez’s career night still wasn’t a franchise best. Rennie Stennett’s seven-hit game, which came at Wrigley Field on Sept. 16, 1975, remains the Pirates’ benchmark.
• No Pirates player, though, had recorded six hits in a game in 19 seasons. It was last done in April 1990 by Wally Backman.
• Sanchez is now one of eight Pirates in franchise history to have at least six hits in a game. The others are: Kiki Cuyler (6-for-6; 08/09/1924), Paul Waner (6-for-6; 08/26/1926), Johnny Hopp (6-for-6; 05/14/1950), Dick Groat (6-for-6; 05/13/1960), Stennett (7-for-7; 09/16/1975) and Backman (6-for-6; 04/27/1990)   
• Sanchez’ home run in the fourth was his fourth of the season. It came in his 42nd game of the season. Last year, it took Sanchez 69 games to get that fourth season homer.
• With his double in the first, Sanchez pushed his season total to 17. That’s the most among all NL players. Only Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria has more (20).
• After watching his average drop from .336 to .297 in the last 11 days, Sanchez’s 6-for-6 showing bumped it all the way back up to .320. Only two NL second baseman — Los Angeles’ Orlando Hudson and Arizona’s Felipe Lopez — currently have higher batting averages.

And to think that I had the urge to comment to someone before Monday’s game that there really hadn’t been much in the way of news with this club lately. All of a sudden too much to digest. That’s what makes this game — and this job — great. You just never know…. 

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Photo Credit: Paul Beaty/AP