It was on this date in 1988 that SP78 Replay marked the return of Cubs third baseman Steve Ontiveros from the 15-day disabled list, with ‘Steve Ontiveros Day’ festivities held at a sold-out Wrigley Field. This evening, SP78 will celebrate the 35th anniversary of that game with a match-up between the Cubs and Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta.
Ontiveros, who spent eight years on the DL with a separated shoulder, will again make the start at third base for Chicago, as he did in 1988 when he went 2-for-4 with three RBI in a 5-2 Cubs win over the Dodgers. In 56 games this season, Ontiveros is batting .263 with four doubles, a triple, and 20 runs batted in.
The starting pitchers for tonight’s game will be Rick Reuschel for Chicago (12-10, 2.51 ERA) and Frank LaCorte for Atlanta (3-1, 3.44 ERA). It will be the twelfth and final meeting of the season between the two clubs, with the Braves holding the advantage 6-5.