SB Nation Chicago - Very Small Crowd Sees Cubs Even Season Record At 2-2https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2011-04-04T18:08:45-05:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18539662011-04-04T18:08:45-05:002011-04-04T18:08:45-05:00Cubs Outlast Diamondbacks On Cold, Windy Afternoon, 4-1
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<p><span>Randy Wells</span> threw six strong innings, allowing just a leadoff homer to <span>Willie Bloomquist</span>, and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> ran through almost their entire bullpen before holding off the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> 4-1 on a 47-degree day with the wind whipping out to right field at 15-20 <span class="caps">MPH</span>.</p>
<p>Wells walked four, but struck out six and was never in much trouble after the first inning. Meanwhile, the Cubs came back with <span>Alfonso Soriano</span>’s second homer in as many days to tie the game, went ahead on a sacrifice fly by <span>Carlos Pena</span> in the fourth, and scored a pair of insurance runs in the eighth, before <span>Carlos Marmol</span> got the D’backs in the ninth for his second save of the season.</p>
<p>Announced attendance of 26,282 included many thousands of no-shows; it appeared that no more than about 10,000 were in the house, and many of those left early.</p>
<p>Late in the game Pena suffered a sprained thumb while making a play at first base; <span>Reed Johnson</span> batted for him and Pena is reported as day-to-day. The Cubs take on the D’backs again tomorrow at 1:20 with <span>Andrew Cashner</span> making his first major league start. TV coverage will again be on <span class="caps">CSN</span> Chicago.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-cubs/2011/4/4/2091019/cubs-outlast-diamondbacks-on-cold-windy-afternoon-4-1Al Yellon2011-04-04T08:36:30-05:002011-04-04T08:36:30-05:00Chicago Cubs Vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: Watch Today's Attendance
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">White Sox</a> have the day off, so today's SB Nation Chicago baseball post focuses solely on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>, who host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> this afternoon at Wrigley Field.</p>
<p>On <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200204090.shtml" target="_blank">April 9, 2002,</a> just about nine years ago, the Cubs hosted the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> on a Tuesday afternoon where the weather was just about what it's going to be like today (45 degrees at game time, overcast, with the wind blowing in, according to the linked boxscore). The Cubs won 2-0, an unremarkable game in an unremarkable season.</p>
<p>The reason it's worth mentioning is that the paid attendance announced that day was 18,151. That's the last time the Cubs had a paid crowd of under 20,000. Today may be the first time since that date that the Cubs have an announced crowd that small, and with the weather forecast being iffy, it will likely be far fewer than that in the ballpark. The Cubs have to start winning, or attendance the rest of the season is going to continue to spiral downward.</p>
<p>The Cubs' <span>Randy Wells</span> faces the Diamondbacks' <span>Joe Saunders</span> in the season debut for both pitchers. The game starts at 1:20 and will be televised on CSN Chicago.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2011/4/4/2332721/chicago-cubs-vs-arizona-diamondbacks-watch-todays-attendanceAl Yellon