GAME 6
Marlins 8
Cubs 3
CHICAGO – Only a Cubs fan could interfere with his team’s chances of a World Series appearance.
With a 3-0 lead last night and five outs remaining from their first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1945, the Cubs and their long-suffering fans were involved in a disastrous collision that set into motion a bizarre and unlikely sequence of events.
A fan wearing a Cubs cap and headphones sitting in box seats down the left-field line interfered with left fielder Moises Alou on a foul ball that Luis Castillo hit with one out in the eighth.
Call him the anti-Maier. Alou couldn’t make the catch, and the result was an eight-run, eighth-inning rally by the relentless Marlins that resulted in an 8-3 Florida victory before a suicidal 39,577 at venerable Wrigley Field.
“At the start of the inning, it was looking kind of bleak for us,” admitted Mike Mordecai, who capped the inning with a three-run double.
Whether you call it a curse or a hex, the 58-year World Series drought appears to be one more loss away from becoming 59, unless Kerry Wood can come up huge in Game 7 tonight.
“It has nothing to do with the curse; it has to do with their bats,” Cubs manager Dusty Baker said deep within the morgue formerly known as Wrigley. “History has nothing to do with this game, nothing.”
Tell Cubs fans that. After a fan grabbed the ball before Alou could, the Cub leftfielder slammed his glove on his thigh, glared and then screamed at the fan, who initially seemed impervious to the disastrous and cataclysmic effect his greediness for a souvenir would have. Obviously, it was more valuable to him than a National League pennant.
“Hopefully, he doesn’t have to regret it for the rest of his life,” said Alou, who cooled down and said he felt “terrible” for the fan.
“Maybe we can take the load off the guy tomorrow by winning the game,” he said.
Once the rally got going, other fans began chucking beers at him and he appeared teary-eyed.
“You cost us the World Series!” one fan screamed at him.
The interfering fan left the stadium before the ninth inning began with a phalanx of security guards, who were probably hoping to mute a celebration a few minutes earlier.
“God always said, ‘Don’t judge,’ ” Cub first baseman Randall Simon said. “We’re gonna come back tomorrow and we’re gonna beat them. We’re going to the World Series.”
Baker didn’t have the same sympathy for the fan as his players, saying he can’t comprehend why home fans go after balls that would potentially harm their team.
“No, I’ve never understood that and I probably never will,” Baker said. “You have to give your player every chance to catch the ball.”
In New York, fans like Jeffrey Maier help the cause. Here, where being a lovable loser is a source of pride, the locals hinder the home nine.
Asked about being cursed, Alou answered, “I don’t believe in that garbage. We’re gonna come back tomorrow and we’re gonna win the game.”
Cub starter Mark Prior was cruising along until the eighth, when he tired. Pudge Rodriguez followed a walk to Castillo with an RBI single. Then the normally sure-handed shortstop Alex Gonzalez made an error trying to backhand an in-between hop on Miguel Cabrera’s grounder to load the bases.
Derrek Lee tied the game on a two-run line double to left, and by then it was clear all the bad mojo of fate, hexes and curses had come into play.
A sacrifice fly to right by Jeff Conine scored the go-ahead run, and Mordecai came through with the clinching hit.
“He’s our lucky charm,” Lee said of Mordecai, apparently forgetting about the Cub fan.
EIGHT IN THE EIGHTH
Mike Mordecai flied out to left.Juan Pierre doubled to left.
Luis Castillo walked after fan interferes with Moises Alou on a foul pop to left, Pierre to third on wild pitch.
Ivan Rodriguez singled to left, Pierre scored, Castillo to second.
Miguel Cabrera safe at first on shortstop Alex Gonzalez’s fielding error, Castillo to third, Rodriguez to second.
Derek Lee doubled to left, Castillo and Rodriguez scored, Cabrera to third.
Kyle Farnsworth relieved Mark Prior.
Mike Lowell intentionally walked.
Jeff Conine hit sacrifice fly to right, Cabrera scored, Lee to third, Lowell to second.
Todd Hollandsworth hit for Chad Fox.
Todd Hollandsworth intentionally walked.
Mordecai doubled to deep left center, Lee, Lowell and Hollandsworth scored.
Mike Remlinger relieved Kyle Farnsworth.
Pierre singled to right, Mordecai scored.
Castillo popped out to second.
8 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 1 error, 1 runner left on base
Marlins 8, Cubs 3