Chicago Sun-Times: Cubs watch every step

CUBS 4, Pirates 1

PITTSBURGH -- What did nervous general managers do before the Internet? They didn't live through the heaven and hell of instant gratification and instant aggravation that Cubs GM Jim Hendry enacted Sunday as he scanned a computer screen in the visiting clubhouse office at PNC Park, following the St. Louis-Houston game pitch by pitch, fright by fright, swear word by swear word.

After Mark Prior struck out 14 in a largely cruise-control 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hendry refused to let the team bus leave the park to catch a flight to Cincinnati before he and the rest of the team found out what the outcome would be at Busch Stadium.

Hendry was dejected when Craig Biggio doubled and Jeff Bagwell walked with one out. The Cardinals' 6-4 lead was in serious jeopardy, and as players walked by, he filled them in on the details, down to the latest pitch count. Then he told Shawn Estes to take his chair and change their luck, as if they were two buddies swapping seats at the blackjack table.

Estes said as he sat down: Jeff Kent's due for a double play."

Just seconds later, Estes yelled after he saw the computer screen flash, Ball in play." Hendry's cell phone rang; it was Cubs scouting director John Stockstill calling from Busch. Double play?" Hendry screamed. Yeah, double play! That's beautiful."

In the blink of an eye, the Cubs were a half-game behind the first- place Astros in the National League Central and 11/2 games behind the Florida Marlins in the wild-card race.

If Estes can be as dead-on when he makes an expected start Wednesday in Cincinnati as he was in predicting Kent's double-play grounder, the Cubs will be even happier. Take it from Prior. The Cubs need to improve after a sometimes shaggy-dog performance in splitting this four-game series with the Pirates.

Early in the season, you take a split," Prior said. Right now, I think we could have played better and we could have taken three out of four, if not four out of four. We've got to tighten up a little bit and play smart baseball. If we can do that and have a good week, who knows?

We have been playing well, and so is Houston. It's not a fact of us not playing up to our potential. We've played good baseball. [The Astros] just have been playing good baseball at the right time, too. That's what is making it fun and intense."

Both Prior and manager Dusty Baker downplayed the pitcher's emotional outburst in the dugout after Baker replaced him in the eighth with two out and the bases loaded. Tike Redman followed Abraham Nunez's double by squeezing a RBI single past diving shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Jack Wilson then walked, and Jason Kendall reached on an infield single that second baseman Mark Grudzielanek knocked down to save a run.

While Mike Remlinger took over on the mound, Prior steamed into the dugout and seemed to be imitating the Incredible Hulk by clinching his arms angrily, the way the comic-book monster does when welcoming a fight. Baker claimed not to have noticed, and Prior was purposely vague about the subject.

I was upset, but not at [the umpire]," he said. Game's over and we won and we've got to move on."

He is one of the best pitchers I have seen at his age [23] at pitching to the situation," Baker said about Prior. He has an idea what he wants to do every time."

Prior was asked if he harbored a gut feeling that all would work out in the next week to the Cubs' satisfaction.

Honestly, I don't know," he said. I don't even know what's happened today and where we stand, to be perfectly honest."

Just stick close to Hendry. He'll let you know.