Cubs 13, Giants 11 June 14, 2003, 10:00 AM Game Recap
Cubs 13, Giants 11
The Cubs came into their weekend match-up with the Giants looking to extend their winning streak to eight. With almost all their starting pitchers out for the weekend, the Cubs knew they would have a tough challenge ahead of them, especially with the Giants' crafty rightie, Stew Walker going in the morning game.
With the hopes of keeping the Giants in check, the Cubs sent George Prichard to the hill. Prichard was pitching well and the game was humming along at 3-2 until the fourth inning when Prichard encountered a bout of wildness and the Giants erupted for four runs. Prichard had to be removed after hitting his fourth batter of the game. The Cubs went to their pen and Alex Ward pitched an inning but the Giants were on a tear and scored three more in the fifth. With the score now 10-2, the Cubs brought on Matt Nelson in order to stop the bleeding.
Nelson came on strong and pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing just four hits and giving the Cubs bats a chance to come to life. Walker was cruising for the Giants through five though, until Eli Kollman hit a solo shot in the sixth that seemed to rattle him a bit. With the score 10-3, the Giants went to their bull-pen in the seventh and that was just what the Cubs needed as they feasted on the following pitcher, scoring 3 in the seventh and then tacking up a 7 spot in the eighth to take the lead, bringing the score to 13-10.
The Giants looked like they might rally in their half of the eighth but the Cubs and Nelson, despite having manager Andrew Wagner ejected for arguing a call in the field, managed to hold onto the lead and grab a W. Nelson got the win with a stellar performance on the mound, giving up just one un-earned run. Nelson also had a great day at the plate, going 2 for 4 with two doubles, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI. Eli Kollman also had a great day going 2 for 4 with a double and a home-run (the Cubs first of the year), a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI.
