The Morning After: Canucks Fend Off Blackhawks
By Marcus Gilmer in News on May 10, 2010 3:00PM
Canucks Down Blackhawks, Stay Alive
Just like the Blackhawks got off to a quick start in Game Four, the Canucks got a quick start to Game Five, scoring just 59 seconds in and grabbing a lead they'd never give back in beating the Blackhawks 4-1 and staying alive in the Western Conference Semifinal series. The Canucks scored once more in the first and again in the second period to take a 3-0 lead. The Blackhawks finally got on the board courtesy of a Jonathan Toews tip-in goal in the third. Vancouver's final goal was an empty-net goal in the game's waning seconds. Antti Niemi stopped 20 of 23 shots he faced while the Blackhawks out-shot the Canucks 30-24 but it was the Canucks who pulled down the win. Defenseman Brian Campbell said, "You can get a little bit of complacency, but we knew what was at stake and how important it was. That was the biggest thing for us. We just didn't move our feet. We didn't move the puck quick enough. We just were a step behind in all areas." The Blackhawks still maintain a 3-2 series lead, but the teams now head west to Vancouver for Game Six tomorrow night (8:30 p.m., CSN).
Another bleak day for Chicago baseball, after the jump.
Jays Rally Past Sox
The Sox found themselves on the losing end of a back-and-forth affair on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Blue Jays 9-7 as Toronto rallied in the ninth for the win. Down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second, the Sox batted around for three runs to take the lead, but then gave away the lead in the next inning when starter Gavin Floyd gave up four runs. The Sox cut into the Jays' lead with a run of their own in the bottom of the third and took the lead back in the seventh thanks to an Alex Rios solo homer and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch on Juan Pierre. The Sox seemingly added an insurance run in the eighth, taking a 7-5 lead into the ninth. But the Jays walloped closer Bobby Jenks who allowed four runs without recording an out for the blown save and loss. Said Jenks, now sporting a 6.75 ERA, "When I did get ahead, I just couldn't put them away. I just left the balls over the middle too many times. [The Jays] battled back. To let one like this get away, it's a little more painful than any other days." Benjy's up later with more on the repercussions of Jenks' struggles. The Sox get today off before heading over to Minneapolis to open up a series with the Twins tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., WCIU).
Cubs Fall To Reds
The Cubs continue to suffer setbacks in multiple ways. This time, the offense rallied the team for a late lead but it was a starter - not the bullpen - who ultimately gave the game away in their 5-3 loss to Cincinnati. Down 2-0 in the top of the seventh, a wild pitch scored a run for the Cubs and then rookie Tyler Colvin went deep on a two-run shot to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. But in the bottom of the seventh, starter Ryan Dempster gave up a three-run shot to the Reds, giving away the lead and the game. The homer came as Dempster was well past the 100 pitch count but Lou, citing Dempster's claim he was fine as well as a beat-up bullpen, stuck with Dempster, a decision sure to cause a lot of talk. Still, Dempster did his best to remain upbeat after the game: "I guarantee you, there's nobody more frustrated than I am right now. We'll find a way to bounce back. I know things aren't very pretty right now and we haven't played our best baseball. One thing we won't do is quit or give in." The Cubs hope returning to Wrigley tonight will give them the spark they need to get there as they face the similarly struggling Florida Marlins (7:05 p.m., CSN).