The Atlanta Brave loaded the bases on walks against Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol in the top of the ninth inning
setting up a base-clearing triple by Rick Ankiel. When it was all said and done, Marmol blew the save and the much deserved win for starter Ryan Dempster and the Cubs lost 5-3 at Wrigley Field.
This was the MLB leading 22nd time the Braves have pulled off a win during their last at bat.
It was a bit of a strange day all around.
When ex-Cub and newest Brave Derrek Lee arrived at the ballpark this morning, he took his car to the player’s lot. After attempting to park, he was told he couldn’t park there because he was no longer with the Cubs. Lee looked around a bit confused until he was told it was just a joke.
Then Lee had to make his way to the visitor’s locker room. The last time he was in that locker room was when he was with the Florida Marlins, the year they won the World Series.
Lee admitted to reporters that it was a bit strange walking past the home clubhouse, seeing all the people he normally saw and going into the visitor’s dugout. But he also said that the visitor’s dugout held many good memories for him when the Marlins clinched the title at Wrigley to go to the World Series.
Concerning the other dugout, it must have been strange for Dempster to face Lee for the first time in his career. Lee and Dempster played together for the Marlins and then the Cubs, spending almost the past 11 years in the same uniforms as teammates. The duo came up through the Marlins system together and after being teammates in Florida through the first half of the 2002 season, both joined the Cubs in 2004.
It was a strange day for the fans, as well. As Lee approached the plate for his first at bat as a Braves player, he was greeted with a Standing Ovation by the Cubbie faithful who showed Lee how much they appreciated what he had done in Chicago.
Lee responded by waving his helmet to acknowledge the crowd, then it was back to baseball business. He flew out to left on Dempster’s first pitch to him.
Attendance was announced at more than 39,000 and after the Cubs took a lead into the ninth inning and Marmol blew the game, the fans started booing and walking out. It was just another day at the ballpark.
Used with permission of the author.
Miriam Romain is a Chicago-based sportswriter and national columnist covering the Chicago Cubs for Examiner.com. The Windy City native is also the Associate Editor for SBNation Chicago and has been published in the Maple Street Press Cubs annuals. In her free time, Romain is working on a book titled “Summers At Wrigley With My Dad.”
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