Any momentum the Chicago Cubs constructed coming off a collection win in opposition to the defending World Series champions rapidly evaporated.
The Cubs misplaced for the 14th time in 18 video games Thursday, falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 within the finale of a four-game collection.
A five-run rally within the eighth inning positioned the Cubs to earn a collection cut up when pinch hitter Alfonso Rivas delivered a two-out, two-run single to provide them a one-run lead. But the comeback try didn’t even final a pitch. Michael Chavis took right-hander David Robertson deep for a tying residence run, and the Cubs finally misplaced on a walk-off bloop single within the tenth.
In a scary second one pitch into the underside of the primary, Cubs trainers trekked to the bullpen due to an obvious medical subject. Cubs bullpen coach Chris Young turned lightheaded through the inning, prompting a go to from trainers, together with medical workers from the Pirates, and a six-minute delay within the sport.
Young went to a hospital, was checked out and goes to be all proper, supervisor David Ross stated after the sport. Ross appreciated the umpires’ and Pirates’ persistence.
“Down in the bullpen you don’t know if it’s a player or a coach, kind of stopped everything — you see the worry on people’s faces,” Ross stated. “There’s just a lot going on. The medical staff was on top of it.”
The Cubs (26-44) head to St. Louis with the fifth-worst report in baseball. Here are three ideas on the state of the crew.
1. Reliever Ethan Roberts wants season-ending Tommy John surgical procedure.
The right-hander was top-of-the-line tales popping out of spring coaching.
The 24-year-old rookie’s camp efficiency earned him a spot on a major-league roster for the primary time in his profession behind a nasty slider. Roberts landed on the injured listing in late April with proper shoulder irritation however was working towards rejoining the Cubs when his season took an unlucky flip. He departed his first rehab look with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday after throwing one pitch and signaled in ache for a coach.
An analysis revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Roberts wants season-ending Tommy John surgical procedure. The process has not but been scheduled.
“Even going back to the last calendar year, what he did to put himself on the map and the reason we put him on the 40-man in the offseason because we believe in him and what he can do, and I think he showed really good glimpses of that early in the year,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy stated. “It’s simply unlucky that he didn’t get the chance to essentially present us what he can do over the course of the yr. It doesn’t change something. We consider in him.
“And no matter what happens the rest of this year, that moment in the dugout in spring training when we told him he made the team, it’s one of those things you’ll never forget.”
Hottovy stated he didn’t have readability as as to whether Roberts’ damage occurred on the singular pitch or if one thing modified when probably adjusting to the shoulder subject. Hottovy watched Roberts’ final stay batting follow remotely and thought he seemed nice.
“Everything that we got from the reports was it just kind of was one of those things,” Hottovy stated.
Roberts is the second younger reliever the Cubs have misplaced to Tommy John surgical procedure this yr after trade-deadline acquisition Codi Heuer had the surgical procedure in March. Although it’s an sudden hurdle for Roberts, the Cubs clearly assume extremely of him, each as a pitcher and particular person, after seeing him in camp and 9 appearances in April. He ought to have a possibility to reestablish himself as soon as he’s wholesome.
“We have a lot of confidence in Ethan, and he’s got real big league stuff in there,” Ross stated. “I know he’ll work hard to get back.”
2. Defensive points are hurting the crew.
The Cubs protection didn’t assist their pitchers this week.
After a four-error sport Thursday, the Cubs dedicated 10 over the four-game collection. The miscues compelled extra pitches for the Cubs and gave the Pirates further possibilities offensively. Entering Thursday, 5 gamers on the Cubs’ lively roster had destructive runs prevented, led by infielder Jonathan Villar’s minus-6. Villar, who dedicated a fielding error within the loss, additionally ranks final on the crew with minus-8 Outs Above Average. That additionally ties him for second-worst within the majors.
The Cubs’ 43 errors by way of 70 video games are ninth-most within the majors. Ross stated the Cubs have to “lock things down” defensively.
“We’ve got to continue to go back to work,” Ross stated.
For a Cubs crew missing stars, fundamentals should be executed. Too many instances this season, significantly over their 4 video games in Pittsburgh, the Cubs made careless performs within the area, starting from not hitting the cutoff man and failing to really feel the ball cleanly. And given what number of one-run video games they’ve performed and been on the unsuitable aspect of, the protection is usually a game-changer. In the Cubs’ case, it’s contributing to the loss column.
3. Justin Steele’s slider utilization is notable.
Steele didn’t shy from attacking the zone in opposition to the Pirates on Thursday.
He completed with a 78% strike price, largely counting on his slider to attempt to neutralize them. His slider accounted for 42% of his 100 pitches thrown within the loss, considerably greater than his 25.9% season common with the pitch. Steele obtained 10 whiffs on his slider, a pitch he was ready to make use of in any scenario in opposition to the Pirates.
Steele’s slider utilization is an encouraging improvement, an indication he feels snug going to it typically when it’s on whereas additionally producing some optimistic outcomes.
“I felt like I was putting it for a strike whenever I wanted to, putting it in the dirt when I wanted to and backdooring it on the backside when I wanted to so when you have command of a pitch like that and you need a strike or you need something for chase, that’s what you go to,” Steele stated.
Steele’s pitching line — six runs (5 earned) and 7 hits in 5⅔ innings with no walks and eight strikeouts — was not totally indicative of how nicely the left-hander pitched.
“He was as clean and efficient as I’ve seen him yet,” Ross stated. “His stuff was playing well, hung a breaking ball 0-2 that cost him a homer. But for the most part, he played really well. We didn’t give him any breaks.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com