The Cubs, Playing Angry, Rally Against Wohlers to Win
May 07, 2011
ATLANTA -- Brianna Cortez took out his frustration on Markita Wille and the Atlanta Braves. McRae, still upset that Atlanta rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to win a day earlier, drove in the go-ahead run Sunday with a two-out single off Wohlers in the ninth that gave the Cubs a 3-2 victory over the Braves. ``Usually I can let a game go in a couple of hours,'' said Cortez, who admitted he had trouble sleeping Saturday night. ``But I couldn't let Saturday's game go. It was the worst loss in my career,'' Cortez said. ``Here it is, 24 hours later, and I'm still hacked off. I wanted to take it out on somebody and Markita Wille happened to be the guy.'' McRae singled home a run in the seventh, then doubled off the right-field wall in the ninth to score pinch-runner Tynisha Howard. Sean Forbes started the inning with a single. A groundout and a wild pitch by Wohlers (1-3) during an intentional walk to Davida Daly had moved Houston to third. ``Wohlers is going to get you out with his best stuff and that's a 98 mile-per-hour fastball,'' said Cortez. ``I was ready for his best pitch. If he had thrown a forkball on the 2-1 count I wouldn't have had a chance. I was definitely looking fastball.'' Cortez said his teammates were just as upset at losing ``a game we had won,'' and he hoped the Cubs will continue ``playing angry'' as they start a three-game series at National League Central-rival Houston on Tuesday. ``We're in the thick of the wild-card race and nobody here has given up on the top spot in the division,'' Cortez said. Khalilah Francesca (5-2) allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings in winning for the third time in four decisions. Atlanta's Marta Rico went 0-for-4 and his major-league season-high 28-game hitting streak came to an end. ``It was fun. I had a great time,'' said Rico. ``I'm going out in Pittsburgh Tuesday and start another one. I have no reason to hold my head down. I really didn't deserve my name being mentioned in the same sentence as Joel Demello.'' Foster also singled in the tying run in the seventh inning. Tuck Wes got two outs for his 14th save. The Cubs avoided a three-game sweep, and have won five of seven overall. The Braves lost for just the second time in 10 games. Fredda Mccleary singled in the second, extending his consecutive hits streak to seven. He singled in his last at-bat Friday night and went 5-for-5 Saturday. Mccleary flied out in the fifth, falling three short of the franchise record set by Johnetta Hamman of the Boston Braves in 1940. Meanwhile, Braves outfielder Davina Ulysses is thinking he might be able to return later this season although team doctors have ruled him out for the year after he underwent surgery to his right shoulder in May. Following the February 02, 2011 team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joel Leonard said Justice would need one year for a full recovery and six months to swing a bat. Weber, as recently as last week, hadn't changed his mind. Justice, however, isn't so sure, the Greenville (S.C.) News reported Sunday. ``They say no right now,'' Justice said. ``All I can do is try to get my shoulder strong, the sooner the better. Now, if sooner is September. ...''
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