University Southern California Trojans
Prior Solid in Second Start as Cubs Lose
May 28, 2002 | Baseball
May 28, 2002
PITTSBURGH (AP) - In a game that quickly changed from a pitchers' duel to a late-inning home run derby, the Pittsburgh Pirates won it on a hit by their least-used player.
Backup catcher Keith Osik's first pinch hit of the season drove in the winning run off Cubs closer Antonio Alfonseca in the 10th and the Pirates overcame another strong start by prospect Mark Prior to beat Chicago 3-2 Monday night.
"I'd rather hit in those situations, because a lot of my at-bats come when the game's been decided," said Osik, the last remaining position player on the Pirates' bench. "I was trying to be patient and put a good swing on the ball, because he's tough to hit against."
The Pirates squandered one-runs leads in the eighth and ninth innings, only to win it after Jack Wilson walked with two outs and Brian Giles singled him to third.
Osik, batting .158 and 0-for-6 as a pinch-hitter, then singled sharply into left on a 3-2 pitch by Alfonseca (0-1) as the Pirates won for only the second time in seven games and the Cubs lost for the second time in seven. They couldn't hold a 5-1 lead in losing 7-5 Sunday to Houston.
The Pirates led 1-0 entering the eighth and 2-1 going into the ninth, but the Cubs tied it each time on leadoff homers -- by Corey Patterson in the eighth off Mike Fetters and Bobby Hill off Mike Williams (1-0) in the ninth.
"It was a roller coaster there for a few innings, but at least we got off it last," Williams said.
Until Monday, the Pirates were 15-for-15 in save opportunities, all by Williams.
Hill's second homer prevented Cubs reliever Juan Cruz's record from going to 1-8. Cruz was in line for the loss after allowing Chad Hermansen's go-ahead homer in the eighth, a leadoff drive estimated at 444 feet that was his fourth since he was activated from the disabled list May 11.
Hermansen, the center fielder, also took a possible extra-base hit away from Chris Stynes in the third by extending his glove to make the catch just before running into the wall.
Prior, the No. 2 pick in last year's draft and one of the majors' most ballyhooed pitching prospects in years, was more effective than he was in beating the Pirates 7-4 in his debut Wednesday, but lacked the run support.
"I felt a lot more comfortable than I did Wednesday, just being around the team for a few days," he said.
Reaching as high as 99 mph on the radar gun, he struck out seven -- three fewer than his debut -- but yielded only three hits in six innings and went to his overpowering fastball when he needed big outs.
"I felt like I threw it well," Prior said. "I was moving my fastball in and out, and I felt like I had command of it. Unfortunately, we didn't get the outcome we needed."
The Pirates scratched out their only run against Prior in the second when Rob Mackowiak was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Craig Wilson's opposite-field single to right with two outs. That 1-0 lead held up until Patterson homered.
"We had many opportunities to score and give him a chance to win," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "It was there, many, many times."
But as good as Prior was, Pirates left-hander Dave Williams (3-5) -- in danger of being demoted to the minors with one more poor start -- was better, shutting out the Cubs on three hits over 5 2-3 innings.
Dave Williams, roughed up for 19 earned runs in 20 2-3 innings over five straight winless starts, left with two on and two outs in the sixth. Sean Lowe got Moises Alou to pop up, then was bailed out of his own two-on, one-out jam by Scott Sauerbeck in the seventh.
"I didn't put any extra pressure on myself," Dave Williams said. "But you're aware that if you can't do it, obviously they'll get somebody else."
After Patterson homered, the Cubs appeared ready to go ahead when Fetters walked Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff doubled, putting runners on second and third with none out. But Alou again couldn't get the run home, bouncing out to the mound, before Alex Gonzalez lined out and Joe Girardi bounced out.
"We should have hit better than we did, but to see the way we came back late in the game was good," Alou said.
