That`s twice now that Greg Maddux has played a leading role in a marathon game at Wrigley Field.
Maddux was the starting pitcher in Tuesday`s 17-inning loss to the Expos, giving up just four hits in eight innings.
That game was the longest at Wrigley since the Cubs lost to the Houston Astros in an 18-inning game that was spread over two days, Sept. 2-3, 1986. Maddux made his major-league debut in that game, giving up the game-winning home run in the top of the 18th.
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Dozens and dozens: The magic number Tuesday was somewhere between 110 and 120. That`s how many baseballs the Cubs went through. In a normal nine-inning game, a team usually uses about five dozen new baseballs. By the time Rey Sanchez made the last out Tuesday, the Cubs had gone through nine boxes of a dozen baseballs each and home plate umpire Charlie Williams had dipped deep into the 10th box.
Preview Alou: Before Tuesday`s game, Montreal manager Felipe Alou was asked if he had stayed up to see if the division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Braves in 16 innings in Altanta. He said no. He went to sleep knowing the Pirates would pull it out.
”If you`re still tied in the 15th at home,” Alou said, ”you aren`t going to win.”
On the hill: Right-hander Shawn Boskie is scheduled to throw off the mound Wednesday for the first time in three weeks. Boskie, the fifth starter, has been on the disabled list since July 27 with tenderness in the muscle that runs down his neck and under the collar bone. He has been tossing the ball lightly for the past week without pain. Trainer John Fierro said Boskie could be ready to return to the rotation as early as 10 days from now, but manager Jim Lefebvre said he thinks it will take a while longer. ”He needs to build his arm back up again,” said Lefebvre. ”It might take a while.”
Wooly Bully: If Boskie does take a while to come back, Lefebvre said he might ask rookie reliever Jim Bullinger to step into the rotation for a start or two. ”I`d like to see him get a start,” said Lefebvre. ”We`re talking about it.”
Bullinger, a former shortstop, was a starting pitcher the last three seasons in the minor leagues. He was 22-23 with eight complete games and 281 strikeouts in 326 innings. Bullinger worked four scoreless innings Tuesday, allowing just two hits and two intentional walks.