CHICAGO • The pitch that had a lasting, jarring impact on the Cardinals was also one that helped lefty Mike Montgomery find his place as a Cub.
He just wasn’t sure how to apologize for it.
On Aug. 11, at Wrigley Field, Montgomery was still relatively new to the Cubs and making his fifth appearance since a trade. His assignment was to hold fast to a tie game in the 10th inning, and with his seventh pitch he fired a 94-mph up and in on Matt Holliday. The pitch connected with Holliday’s right thumb, fracturing it and effectively ending Holliday’s season.