The rock band Green Day threw out a ceremonial pitch before Tuesday’s game and the entire game reminded me of their song commemorated in today’s headline.
Here’s the band’s leader, Billie Joe Armstrong, posing with Pete Crow-Armstrong before the game.
For a game between a team fighting for its
postseason life and another trying to clinch home field, the Cubs’ 9-7 loss to the Mets Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field felt like it was played with all the intensity and skill of a Spring Training split-squad game.
Multiple errors, including one from the generally-reliable Dansby Swanson. Fourteen pitchers used. If the Cubs had won this game I suppose we could laugh it off, but…
The Cubs still control their own destiny, but they had better start exerting that control, like rightfreakingnow.
Sigh. You come here for a recap of each Cubs game, so here goes.
The Mets started out with a bang, with a leadoff home run from Francisco Lindor. The Cubs came right back and took the lead in the bottom of the first. Nico Hoerner led off with a single and stole second. He went to third on an infield out and Carson Kelly followed with a walk.
Carlos Santana — yes, Carlos Santana! — doubled in both runners [VIDEO].
The Cubs extended their lead in the second. Justin Turner led off with a walk and Matt Shaw singled. PCA laid down a bunt. He wasn’t trying to sacrifice (I don’t think) but the bunt moved the runners up a base.
Hoerner singled in Turner [VIDEO].
Ian Happ followed with a double that scored both Shaw and Hoerner [VIDEO].
Five runs in the first two innings! Here’s how rare that’s been, from BCB’s JohnW53:
Until Tuesday, the Cubs had not scored a total of at least five runs in the first two innings in 16 games. On Sept. 5, they tallied five in the first and none in the second on the way to an 11-5 win over the Nationals at home.
They had not scored at least five, while scoring in both the first and second, in 41 games. On Aug. 9, they produced two in the first and four in the second en route to winning, 9-1, at St. Louis.
Cade Horton breezed through the second and third, helped out by his defense. Here’s a nice sliding grab by Seiya Suzuki in the second [VIDEO].
And another one from PCA in the third [VIDEO].
Horton did not come out for the fourth inning, despite having thrown only 29 pitches. He was replaced by Michael Soroka. That brought out quite a bit of consternation on Cubs social media, as you can imagine. Here’s what happened:
Here’s Counsell on that:
And a few words from Horton:
So for those who are panicking, I think this was the right thing to do under the circumstances, and the next time we will see Horton will be in Game 1 vs. the Padres. Which, hopefully, will still be at Wrigley Field.
More on that later, now back to the game. The Cubs extended their lead to 6-1 in the fourth thanks to some sketchy Mets defense. PCA singled with one out and was forced at second by Hoerner, who took second on a bad throw. Another bad throw allowed Nico to score [VIDEO].
The Cubs have a five-run lead heading to the fifth. What could possibly…
Well, you know the answer to that and it started with some bad Cubs defense. With one out and a runner on first, Dansby Swanson waved at a ball that got by him. It went for a two-base error. A ground out by Lindor made it 6-2. Juan Soto walked and a single by Pete Alonso made it 6-3.
That brought in Taylor Rogers to face Brandon Nimmo. With two out, Rogers had one job — retire Nimmo to end the inning.
Instead, Nimmo hit Rogers’ second pitch out of the yard and the game was tied. Swanson’s error made all four runs in the inning unearned.
Rogers has been pretty bad since being acquired at the trade deadline. It appears Daniel Palencia will be activated from the injured list today. Rogers might be odd man out at this point.
The Mets took a 7-6 lead in the sixth, but the Cubs got that run back in the bottom of the inning. With two out, Hoerner singled, his third hit of the game. Happ walked and Suzuki singled in Nico to make it 7-7 [VIDEO].
Andrew Kittredge threw a 1-2-3 seventh on just eight pitches, and you know, maybe Counsell should have sent him out for the eighth too, because Caleb Thielbar served up a two-out, two-run homer to Francisco Alvarez to give the Mets a 9-7 lead. It was just the fourth home run Thielbar had allowed all year — he’s been one of the Cubs’ most effective relievers. The bullpen, unfortunately, was not good on this night, allowing eight runs, though four of those were unearned.
The Cubs still had two times up to try to come back, but Mets closer Edwin Diaz, asked to get a two-inning save, slammed the door, striking out five of the six Cubs he faced.
A few notes on this game from John:
The Cubs had not dropped five games in a row since May 22-27 of last year, when they lost twice at home to the Braves, twice at St. Louis and once at Milwaukee. In the next game against the Brewers, they let a 1-0 lead slip away in the bottom of the ninth but scored five runs in the 10th and held on to win, 6-3. Then they lost their next three, capping a 7-16 stretch in which they did not win back-to-back games.
…..
This was the fifth game of the season that the Cubs lost despite scoring seven runs. The first four all were by 8-7: April 6 at home vs. Padres, May 19 at Miami, June 19 at home vs. Brewers and June 24 at St. Louis. The last of those was 78 games ago.They are 29-0 when they have scored at least eight runs.
The Cubs still control their own destiny for home field next week. If they can go 4-1 in the five remaining games, they will host the Padres next week no matter what San Diego does.
But they’re going to need better pitching. Period.
One positive note from this fiasco: Hoerner’s three-hit night moved his BA to .302 as he chases Trea Turner, who won’t play again in the regular season and is leading the NL at .305.
The second game of this three-game series will be played Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field. Matthew Boyd will go for the Cubs and rookie right-hander Jonah Tong starts for the Mets. Note a different game time: 7:05 p.m. CT. That’s because ESPN asked for this game for a full national broadcast — no blackouts tonight.
Start winning, Cubs, please. And right now.
