Cards fume over tying hit in loss; Mike Matheny calls for expanded replay
Instead, his pitcher was ejected, and the Cubs tacked on two more runs in the inning and beat St. Louis 5-3 on Tuesday to sweep the Cardinals in a doubleheader for the first time in 23 years.
“I saw it hit 2 feet foul right in the dirt, and it’s really hard to see whereabouts it hit foul again,” Maness said. “I’m really no physics major, but I don’t know how it hits foul and then curves back — but it could — I’m not saying it didn’t.”
The Cubs won the opener 7-4 behind a strong start by Jake Arrieta, then came back late in the nightcap. It gave Chicago its first doubleheader sweep against the Cardinals since June 8, 1992, at St. Louis — and its first at Wrigley Field since Oct. 5, 1991.
Chicago scored three in the seventh to grab a 4-2 lead. Maness (3-1) was ejected after giving up the tying single, and replacement Kevin Siegrist threw away a grounder, allowing two more runs, as the Cubs beat the National League Central leaders for just the fourth time in 12 games.
Down 2-1, Chicago had runners on first and second with one out in the seventh when Russell hit an RBI single just inside the first-base line.
As first-base umpire Pat Hoberg called a fair ball, first baseman Mark Reynolds threw his arms up. Maness ran over and was tossed.
Matheny saw “two players over there screaming and yelling that it’s a blatant miss” and went out to argue. He said he understood it wasn’t a challengeable play but believes it should be.
“We have enough technology to show us. Why not take a look?” Matheny said. “We’re taking a look at everything else.”
Asked about Russell’s hit, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said unconvincingly: “It was a fair ball.”
Siegrist came in, fielded Dexter Fowler‘s comebacker and threw the ball into center field, trying for a forceout at second. That allowed Jonathan Herrera to score from third, and Anthony Rizzo had a sacrifice fly that made it 4-2.
Chicago got another run in the eighth when Jorge Soler doubled and Starlin Castro drove him in with a sacrifice fly.
Pinch hitter Tony Cruz hit an RBI single for St. Louis in the ninth.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.