The Cubs catcher had a couple of career pitching outings.
Before Miguel Montero became a Cubs postseason legend with his NLCS grand slam against the Dodgers and key hit in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, he pitched one inning for the Cubs.
In 2016. In that great season. Yes, the Cubs needed a position player in a blowout.
The game happened during the Cubs’ almost inexplicable 5-15 run in late June and early July. That 103-win team looked like the worst team in baseball for three weeks.
And this game might have been the worst of all of them, against the Mets July 3 at Citi Field. It was the last of a four-game series, and the Cubs had lost the other three by a combined score of 18-8.
On this Sunday in New York, Jon Lester got pounded for nine hits and eight runs and didn’t make it out of the second inning. Three Mets (Curtis Granderson, Wilmer Flores and future Cub Rene Rivera) homered off Lester. It was the most runs allowed by Lester in any of his 171 starts with the Cubs.
Spencer Patton and Joel Peralta relieved Lester and both allowed another homer. It was one of only five games Peralta pitched for the Cubs; he was designated for assignment three days later.
And so it was that Montero was summoned by Joe Maddon to pitch in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on first and two out and the Cubs trailing 13-1.
He hit Rivera, the first batter he faced. As you can see, it was not intentional [VIDEO].
Montero got out of the inning with a ground ball, then gave up four hits and a run in the eighth. The Cubs lost the game 14-3.
Montero was called on to pitch again the following year, also against a New York team, this time the Yankees at Wrigley Field. A team could not put a position player in to pitch in a situation like this today, as a team has to be down by at least eight runs to do this. The Cubs trailed by only five, 11-6, when Montero, who had pinch-hit for Rob Zastryzny in the bottom of the eighth (and drove in two runs with a single!), remained in the game to throw the top of the ninth.
He issued a couple of walks and threw a wild pitch, but the Yankees did not score. The Cubs went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth and lost 11-6.
Montero’s departure from the Cubs later that year was somewhat acrimonious, but he’s been welcomed back to Wrigley Field since he retired and will be one of 17 World Series champion 2016 Cubs to appear at the Cubs Convention next month:
Category: General Sports
