1971 Cubs at Expos

Monday July 26. Milt Pappas and Steve Renko were engaged in a pitching duel through the first four innings. Only John Bateman's rbi groundout in the bottom of the fourth put a run on the board. But the bottom of the fourth also saw a one hour rain delay which sapped both pitchers. Pappas left for a pinch hitter in the fifth, and perhaps Renko should not have come out in he fifth as he gave up two runs. Juan Pizarro (1-2) made a rare relief appearance occasioned by the rain and held the Expos in check until the 8th when Ron Hunt doubled home the tying run. A two out single by Glenn Beckert followed by back to back doubles by Billy Williams and Jim Hickman gave the Cubs a two run lead. Phil "The Vulture" Regan retired the Expos 1-2-3 to earn his fith save. Howie Reed (4-5) took the loss. Incongruously, Pizarro was charged with a blown save although Pappas could not have been the winning pitcher as he only went four innings. Cubs 4 Expos 2

Tuesday July 27. Bob Bailey and Bateman both drove home runs in the first to put the Expos in front. The Cubs came back with one in the second. Hunt drove home Bobby Wine in the fourth to push the margin back to 2. In the 8th, Williams doubled home a run and Ron Santo singled him home to tie the game. Howie Reed came in and closed out the inning with runners on first and third. In the ninth, Reed gave up a leadoff triple to Johnny Callison and then walked J.C. Martin. As Joe Pepitone, who pinchhitting the previous inning walked and scored a run and then stayed in to play first base, approached the batter's box, Reed was still complaining to the home umpire. Reed apparently used a no-no word and was booted from the game. Mike Marshall came in and promptly served up a three run homer to Pepitone (10). Phil Regan (5-5) got the win. Reed (5-6) again took the loss. Cubs 6 Expos 3

Wednesday July 28. Fergie Jenkins, pitching in his native land, simply did not have it in the early innings. The Expos battered him for 6 run and 11 hits in four innings while the Cubs managed two runs of their own. In the fifth, though Jim Hickman (17) hit a three run homer to bring the Cubs within one. That seemed to light a fire under Jenkins as he did not allow another Expo runner. Although the Cubs would put at least one runner on in each of the last three innings, they could not force a run across the plate. Jenkins fell to 15-7. Carl Morton got the win for the Expos Claude Raymond picked up his 5th save. Expos 6 Cubs 5
--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--