Error opens door to Pirates’ 6-5 win

The Bucs tied the game on an error and won it on Jason Bay’s single in the 11th.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The fly ball was in Alfonso Soriano’s sights from the time it left Nate McLouth’s bat with two outs in the ninth inning, the apparent last play of another close Cubs-Pirates game.

Suddenly, the ball disappeared into bright sunshine, and a routine play became anything but that. With it vanished a Cubs lead and, for the second time in less than 24 hours, a game that looked to be won.

Jason Bay beat Chicago with an extra-inning single for the second day in the row, delivering a two-out line drive down the left field line in the 11th for a 6-5 Pittsburgh victory on Sunday after the Pirates tied it on Soriano’s dropped fly ball.

Bay hadn’t driven in a run with a single this season until doing so in the 14th inning of the Pirates’ 5-4 win Saturday night, also the first time in his career his run-scoring hit ended a game.

The Cubs, 9-3 against the Pirates this season, appeared to have the game won when McLouth lofted a fly ball close to the warning track in left with Chicago up 5-4. But the ball glanced off the heel of Soriano’s glove and fell to the grass, scoring pinch-runner Brian Bixler with the tying run.

McLouth was credited with a double, his third hit.

“That gave us an extra gasp of air, and we took advantage of it,” Pirates manager John Russell said.

Maybe Soriano can take comfort in this: His drop was reminiscent of a fumbled fly ball by Pirates center fielder Matty Alou on what would have been a game-ending play in a key September 1970 game in Wrigley Field. The Pirates recovered to win the NL East.

“It’s very tough when you don’t see the ball,” Soriano said. “It hit in my glove but I didn’t see the ball. I see very clearly when it got off the bat, but when the ball’s coming down it’s getting in the sun, so I lose it.”

Even worse for the Cubs, they lost the game, too.

“That’s going to happen in the game sometimes. We’re not perfect,” said Carlos Marmol, who also lost a save because of the drop.

Bay, the Pirates’ left fielder, was sympathetic.

“We were saying on the bench we hope it doesn’t go extra innings because that’s the only time of the day the sun is going to be a factor, and sure enough in the ninth it was,” Bay said. “When it was hit, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy play.”