Last Sunday, Alex Bregman was hit in the face by a foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch in Cincinnati. He suffered facial fractures and missed three games.
Bregman came back Friday as the DH and Sunday, just a bit over exactly one week since that accident, he hit two home runs and also singled, doubled and walked. His 4-for-4 afternoon led the Cubs to a 4-2 Game 162 win over the Red Sox, a game played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Bregman didn’t waste any time Sunday, either. Pete
Crow-Armstrong led off the game with a single and then departed for pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor.
On the very next pitch, Bregman left the yard [VIDEO].
That was great to see. Bregman seemed totally locked in from the moment he stepped into the batter’s box. And that ball was crushed! [VIDEO].
And that ball went a long way! [VIDEO]
Shōta Imanaga started for the Cubs and threw just the first inning, allowing a home run to Adley Rutschman. That was the 35th homer off Imanaga this year, second-most in MLB this year to Aaron Nola’s 37. Imanaga threw only 12 pitches in this game, which theoretically leaves him available to pitch in the Wild Card Series, maybe Thursday or perhaps even Wednesday. Apart from the homer, Imanaga struck out the other three hitters he faced.
Braxton Garrett, who the Cubs acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline for minor leaguers Jonathon Long and Jace Beck and who’d been at Triple-A Iowa since, was recalled for this game and went into the game as the “bulk guy” and threw very well. Garrett threw five innings and allowed four hits and a run, though he did issue three walks. He threw 70 pitches and will be in the mix for a starting rotation spot next year.
While all this was going on, Bregman went deep again in the third [VIDEO].
Bregman drove in all four Cubs runs in this game and finishes with 93 RBI on the season. It’s so good to see him productive after that freak injury. Even if he is limited to DH duty for the Wild Card Series, as noted on the Marquee broadcast, he’s been the Cubs’ second-best hitter (behind PCA) all year and they are going to need that hitting. I noticed that Bregman was wearing a double-flap helmet on the basepaths, though as you can see, not when he hit the home runs.
BCB’s JohnW53 has this fact about Bregman’s two-homer afternoon:
Today’s game was Alex Bregman’s fifth of the season with multiple home runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong has seven such games; Dansby Swanson, three; and Michael Conforto, one, for a total of 16.
The Cubs had a team-record 20 such games last year. They had 19 in 2019, 18 in 1998 and 2004, and 17 in 1930 and 1958. They also had 16 in 2021.
Going into today, the Astros had 16 this year, second to the Rockies’ 18. The Padres had 15.
The Cubs flashed some glove while Garrett was in the game. Here’s a nice stop by Matt Shaw in the fifth [VIDEO].
Jacob Webb succeeded Garrett in the seventh inning and retired all three hitters he faced on just 10 pitches. I don’t think I have to tell you how important it would be if Webb could recover the form that got him 24 straight scoreless appearances before the big meltdown he had at the end of August in Seattle and Arizona.
Colin Rea entered to throw the eighth inning and also retired the Red Sox in order, on just six pitches.
The Cubs then put the game away with a three-run ninth. Miguel Amaya led off with a single and went to third on a single by Taylor. That brought up Bregman, and he came through yet again with this RBI double [VIDEO].
Fact about Bregman’s game from John:
Bregman is just the sixth Cub to hit multiple homers and also have at least one double, one single and one walk. He is the first to do so on the road.
Pete Crow-Armstrong did it in on Aug. 17 in the Cubs’ 10-inning, 7-5 win at home over the White Sox, with his second homer walking it off.
The four others:
Hank Sauer: May 2, 1954, in an 18-10, eight-inning loss to the Pirates
Ryne Sandberg: Aug. 10, 1989, in a 16-13 loss to the Phillies
Corey Patterson: Sept. 7, 2004, in a 7-6, 12-inning loss to the Expos
Chris Coghlan: Sept. 20, 2014, in an 8-7 win over the DodgersAll had two homers, one double, one single and one walk.
Taylor stopped at third on Bregman’s double, but he then scored on this sac fly by Gabriel Arias [VIDEO].
As mentioned on the Marquee broadcast, Arias is a very good bench player. He can play all infield positions and his bat plays well enough, a really useful guy to have around. That made it 5-2. Ian Happ then struck out, but Michael Conforto doubled, scoring Bregman to give the Cubs a four-run lead.
Rea remained in the game in the ninth to finish up, and he recorded his second save. Here’s the final out [VIDEO].
In other postseason-related news, the Phillies won Sunday and so they take the final wild card spot and will face the Braves in Atlanta in another Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday. The Rangers lost to the Twins, which clinched the A.L. West title for the Astros (who are leading the A’s late and likely will finish 81-81). Houston will host the White Sox in a Wild Card Series starting Tuesday.
One more game note from John:
The Cubs’ six runs made their final total 850, their fourth most in the Modern Era, which began in 1901. They scored 998 in 1930, 982 in 1929 and 855 in 2008. They played 156 games in the first two seasons and 161 in the last.
And for whatever it’s worth, the win gave the Cubs an 89-73 record to the Red Sox’ 87-75. That means that if, somehow, those two clubs meet in the World Series, the Cubs would have home field. The Cubs have the better record over four of the six American League postseason teams; only the Rays and Yankees are better.
So the Cubs will now head to San Diego to begin their own Wild Card Series against the Padres Tuesday evening. I’ll have lots to say about that over the next couple of days here, of course. Michael King has been announced as the Padres starter, but no Cubs starter has yet been named. It could be Matthew Boyd, who’d be going on normal rest, as he last pitched on Thursday against the Marlins at Wrigley Field.
Game time Tuesday is late, so get rested up! 9 p.m. CT, with the game on NBC Sports Network (cable) and streaming on Peacock.
Go Cubs!
