Chuck McElroy figures the gig is up. He probably has seen his last fastball.
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McElroy was the winning pitcher in Sunday`s 5-4 victory over the Pirates and almost chipped in with the winning run when he doubled off the right-field wall in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game.
The Cubs squandered that scoring opportunity, but eventually won it in the 10th and McElroy walked off the mound leading the team in three categories: hitting, slugging and relief wins.
McElroy has three hits-a single, a double and a triple-in three at-bats for a 1.000 batting average and a 2.000 slugging percentage. He also became the only pitcher besides starters Greg Maddux and Shawn Boskie to win a game. ”If I had some power like Hector (Villanueva) or Hawk (Andre Dawson), that ball would have been out of here,” said McElroy. ”I think I`ve seen my last fastball.”
– McElroy bruised his shin sliding into the bag with his double, then said he felt a twinge in his throwing arm in the 10th inning. Neither injury was serious, he said.
– The come-from-behind win stopped the steady slide in the standings for the Cubs. Now if the thermometer would do the same. The Cubs started a week-long homestand last Monday with a game that began in balmy 66-degree weather. And that was a night game. The average temperature for the other six games-all afternoon starts-was 44 degrees.
– The Cubs don`t mess around when they call up a player from the minors. Hours after he got a phone call in Iowa telling him to come to Chicago, shortstop Rey Sanchez was in the starting lineup at Wrigley. It was his ninth major-league start. At the end of last season, when rosters were expanded, Sanchez appeared in 13 games for the Cubs, starting seven at shortstop and one at second base. He was flawless on defense, fielding all 36 balls hit to him. He was perfect in the field again Sunday, but 0 for 3 at the plate.
– Jerome Walton and Heath Slocumb will be the guests of honor at a $50-a-plate dinner June 2 for their work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Proceeds will benefit the foundation. Call 312-236-4491 for information.