Game #14
Sunday April 22
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs
Cubs Clip Bucs Behind Reuschel’s Arm, Bowa’s Bat
Chicago Tribune – April 22, 1984
By Paul Sullivan, Tribune Staff Writer
Wrigley Field — On a cold, rainy Saturday at the Friendly Confines, Rick Reuschel warmed up the Cubs faithful with a vintage performance that led the North Siders to a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 34-year-old right-hander went seven strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out four, earning his first win of the season and reminding everyone why he’s still a dependable force in the rotation.
The Cubs (6-8) scratched together their first runs in the fifth inning when veteran shortstop Larry Bowa slapped one of his three singles through the right side, scoring Keith Moreland to break a scoreless tie. A sacrifice fly from Ron Cey plated another, and in the eighth, Gary Woods added insurance with a clutch two-out RBI single.
“I just tried to stay ahead in the count and let the defense work,” Reuschel said after the game. “With Bowa playing like that behind me, it makes the job a lot easier.”
Bowa, who finished the day a perfect 3-for-3, sparked a Cubs lineup that struggled early but capitalized on key opportunities late. Meanwhile, the Pirates (8-6) failed to solve Reuschel, stranding runners and managing just a lone tally on a seventh-inning pinch-hit RBI single by Lee Lacy.
Pirates starter Larry McWilliams took the loss, falling to 0-3 on the year despite a solid effort through seven innings. “Every loss hurts,” Pirates skipper Chuck Tanner said. “But this was a tough one. We just couldn’t string anything together.”
Tim Stoddard and Lee Smith closed it out for Chicago, with Smith striking out two in the ninth to lock down his second save. The Cubs will look to take the series Sunday, hoping momentum from this win sparks a climb out of the early-season doldrums.