Game #11
Wednesday April 18
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
Woods Socks It to Cardinals as Cubs Cruise to 6-1 Win at Wrigley
By Dan Cahill, Tribune Sports Staff
CHICAGO — With the wind brushing out to right field on a brisk 42-degree afternoon at Wrigley, Gary Woods brought the heat of his own, belting two home runs—including a decisive three-run blast in the eighth—to power the Cubs past the rival St. Louis Cardinals, 6-1, on Wednesday.
Woods, who entered the game hitting .571, only added fuel to his sizzling start with a 4-for-4 showing at the plate. His solo homer in the second got the Cubs on the board, and his eighth-inning shot off weary Cardinals starter Dave LaPoint put the game out of reach.
"Gary was seeing beach balls today," Cubs manager Jim Frey said postgame. "Whenever we hold the other team to one run, I like our chances. But when Woods does that? Well, then we just sit back and enjoy the ride."
The Cardinals struck early, thanks to a solo homer off the bat of Tommy Herr in the first inning—his first of the season—tagging Cubs starter Scott Sanderson. But that would be the only blemish on an otherwise solid performance from the right-hander, who scattered seven hits across seven innings for his first win of the year.
"Just tried to keep the ball down and let the defense work," said Sanderson, who struck out five and didn’t allow a walk until the sixth inning.
Chicago responded in the bottom of the second with Woods’s solo shot, and then grabbed the lead for good in the fourth. Ron Cey’s RBI single plated Bill Buckner, who finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, and Woods followed with another base hit to make it 3-1.
From there, the Cubs’ bullpen sealed the deal. Rookie Rich Meridith worked a clean eighth and Lee Smith closed it out in the ninth, needing just 11 pitches to retire the side in order.
LaPoint (1-3), meanwhile, was left out to dry by his offense. Despite going 7.1 innings and striking out eight, the St. Louis bats fell silent after the first, stranding eight runners and going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
"Any time you leave that many guys out there, you’re asking for trouble," said Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog. "We made Sanderson work early, but we didn’t capitalize."
Offensively, the Cardinals managed seven hits but only one that mattered—Herr’s first-inning homer. Lonnie Smith, Ozzie Smith, and Willie McGee were all held hitless, with the heart of the order going a combined 0-for-9.
Cubs fans, braving the chilly April air at Wrigley, had plenty to cheer about. The North Siders racked up 12 hits, turned a double play, and committed just one error in what Kokosioulis called the "most complete game" of their young season.
Game Notes:
Player of the Game: Gary Woods (4-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 10 total bases)
Attendance: 25,434
Time of Game: 2 hours, 43 minutes
Weather: Clear skies, 42°F, wind blowing out to right at 9 mph
The Cubs improve to 4-7, while the Cardinals fall to 5-7.