Sunday wasn’t Kevin Foster’s day on the mound or at the plate.
Foster started the final game of the first half of the season for the Cubs and pitched well, giving up just one run on four hits in six-plus innings. But he came away without a decision when the bullpen gave up five runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Before the game, though, Foster was thinking about hitting almost as much as pitching.
“I need a couple of knocks to get my average back over .300,” said Foster, who came into the game leading Cubs pitchers with a .286 average (8 for 28).
He went 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored to finish the first half at .267, still best among Cubs pitcher with at least five at-bats and nearly good enough to put him among the top 20 hitting seasons for Cubs pitchers. No. 20 is Bob Rush, who hit .277 in 1954.
The best hitting performance by a Cubs pitcher was in 1927 by Percy Jones, who batted .350 (14 for 40). No Cubs pitcher in the last 30 years has batted .300.
Promise kept: In spring training, outfielder Sammy Sosa talked about drawing more bases on balls this season. He’s still no Joe Morgan, but Sosa does have 23 walks, including six in the last three games. That’s one more than leadoff hitter Brian McRae. Sosa is on a pace to finish with 48 walks; last year, he drew just 25. His career high is 38 in 1993.
Promise unfulfilled: Sosa is among the league leaders with 54 runs batted in and is halfway to his second 30-30 season with 15 steals and 15 homers. But his defense has been troubling. He made an error Sunday and has seven already. That’s two more playing the outfield than Shawon Dunston has at shortstop.