Honestly, I am running out of superlatives to describe what the Chicago Cubs have done over the last three weeks.
For quite some time, Tuesday’s game against the Reds at Wrigley Field looked like one of those “tip the cap to the other guy” games. Andrew Abbott was dealing and the Cubs couldn’t really do anything with him into the sixth inning.
Meanwhile, Jameson Taillon also had a pretty good outing into the sixth — with the exception of two pitches, hit for home runs by JJ Bleday (first inning) and
Nathaniel Lowe (sixth).
Then Michael Busch took over, tying the game with an eighth-inning homer and winning it with a bouncy single up the middle in the 10th. The Cubs won 3-2, their seventh straight win overall and 13th in a row at Wrigley Field.
Taillon has had some issues with homers this year — that’s 11 in 40.1 innings, yikes — and Bleday’s homer allowed the Reds to nurse a 1-0 lead through the fifth.
The Cubs had no one past first base in the first three innings. Matt Shaw led off the third with a single, then made an ill-considered dash for second [VIDEO].
You can’t really see it on that clip but Shaw hesistated, just a bit, rounding first. He was called safe on the field but the call was overturned on review.
Also, a curiosity about the Cubs’ first two times at bat (Bluesky link):
The Cubs got a couple runners on in the fourth, but nothing doing. In the sixth, after Lowe’s homer made it 2-0 Reds, Seiya Suzuki drew a two-out walk. A single by Dansby Swanson and walk by Busch loaded the bases. Craig Counsell sent Moisés Ballesteros up to bat for Shaw after Terry Francona replaced the left-handed Abbott with right-hander Connor Phillips. Ballesteros hit a comebacker that turned into a force play at the plate to end the inning. At that point the Cubs were 0-for-6 with RISP and I was worried it was going to be another one like that, with too many missed opportunities. Fortunately, the Cubs had other ideas.
Taillon, I thought, threw pretty well despite the two solo homers. He struck out five [VIDEO].
Here’s more on Taillon’s outing [VIDEO].
The home runs were both hit on offspeed stuff, the first on a changeup, the second on a cutter. Both were left up and out over the plate.
Javier Assad relieved Taillon and retired all four batters he faced.
The Cubs finally got on the board against Phillips in the seventh. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with one out and went to second on a walk by Nico Hoerner.
Alex Bregman singled in PCA [VIDEO].
Jacob Webb entered the game to throw the eighth. He’d have had a 1-2-3 inning if not for Busch booting a ground ball, but Webb recovered to strike out Sal Stewart to end the inning. After a rough start to his season, Webb has allowed just one run over his last five outings covering six innings, with eight strikeouts. He’s working his way back into Counsell’s circle of trust.
Busch more than made up for that error with this game-tying homer on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth [VIDEO].
An interesting note about Busch’s homer (Bluesky link):
Michael Conforto was the next hitter, batting for Nicky Lopez, who had gone in at third base after Ballesteros batted for Shaw. No heroics for Conforto on this night, but… (Bluesky link)
Perhaps Conforto hasn’t played enough yet this year to feel comfortable with challenges, but that one was, as Jim Deshaies likes to say, egregious. The at-bat could have been prolonged.
Daniel Palencia came in for the ninth, his first appearance since being activated from the injured list on Sunday. He allowed a two-out single to Tyler Stephenson and then Ian Happ ended the inning with this nice sliding catch [VIDEO].
While Palencia didn’t strike out anyone, he hit 102 several times on the Wrigley pitch speed meter, so at this point he appears 100 percent healthy.
The bottom of the ninth began with a scary moment. Reds closer Emilio Pagán threw ball one to Nico Hoerner and then collapsed, grabbing his hamstring [VIDEO].
You just hate to see injuries like that. I wish nothing but the best for Pagán.
José Franco relieved Pagán and had trouble throwing strikes, eventually walking Nico and one out later, walking Happ. But Suzuki popped up and Swanson flied to right, sending the game to extras.
Ryan Rolison, another pitcher moving quickly into Counsell’s circle of trust, threw the 10th. He struck out the first two Reds he faced, then walked Dane Myers, who had replaced Bleday. Then Rolison got Elly De La Cruz to ground out to end the inning. Except for one rough inning over the weekend against the Diamondbacks, Rolison’s thrown well this year. Perhaps Jed Hoyer has found another useful reliever on the scrap heap.
The bottom of the 10th lasted two pitches. Reds reliever Sam Moll threw ball one to Busch. And then… [VIDEO].
De La Cruz is usually a very good fielder. But Busch’s ball just ate him up, he waved at it going by, and Swanson scored the winning run.
Here’s a cool looking field view of Busch’s walk-off hit [VIDEO].
Here are some postgame comments from Busch [VIDEO].
Busch is correct — the Cubs are playing well in all aspects of the game right now, and there are new and different heroes every day. Everyone on the 26-man roster is contributing. It’s amazing to see.
Here are Counsell’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].
Interesting note about the walk-off hit: With Bregman moving from DH to third base after Conforto batted for Lopez, the pitcher wound up in the batting order. That spot was on deck when Busch’s single won the game. Carson Kelly, the last position player on the bench, was ready to bat for Rolison, but obviously wasn’t needed. Had the game gone past the 10th, the Cubs might have had to send a pitcher up to bat. Glad that didn’t have to happen.
Last notes on the walk-off win from BCB’s JohnW53:
According to my research, that was the Cubs’ 799th walk-off win at Wrigley Field, their home since 1916.
It was their 904th of the Modern Era, which began in 1901, and their 1,002nd since 1876, first season of the National League.
The last time the Cubs had walk-off wins on consecutive days was exactly five years ago: May 4-5, 2021, vs. the Dodgers.
The first day, David Bote broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth inning with a one-out single that scored a runner from third. The next day, Anthony Rizzo broke a 5-5 tie in the 11th with a two-out single that scored a runner from second. A runner also was on first.
The Cubs have done it on back-to-back days 56 times since 1901.
They also did it in both games of five doubleheaders, the last of those in 1968.
The Cubs, now on a 17-3 run, lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over the Cardinals, who were rained out Tuesday, and the Reds now trail by four games. The Brewers and Pirates stand five games back in the division.
The Cubs will go for the series win, eight in a row, and 14 straight home wins Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs and Brady Singer goes for Cincinnati. Game time is again 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
