The Chicago Cubs is likely to be questioning what might have been this week in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds.
Riding a three-game successful streak after taking the primary two video games of the four-game collection, the Cubs couldn’t maintain momentum the remainder of the week.
The Reds clobbered them 20-5 within the finale Thursday, piling up 20 hits for a collection cut up. A 59-minute rain delay solely extended the inevitable.
An eight-run third inning doomed the Cubs and ended Justin Steele’s outing. The sport obtained so out of hand that infielder Andrelton Simmons pitched for the primary time in his profession within the eighth — and he gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and a stroll.
Right fielder Seiya Suzuki exited the sport within the fourth with a sprained left ring finger. He suffered the harm the earlier inning when he jammed the finger sliding into second on a stolen base. Manager David Ross sounded optimistic Suzuki averted a critical harm after he checked out OK, which included a unfavorable X-ray.
The Cubs get an off day Friday to regroup earlier than heading to the South Side for a fast weekend collection in opposition to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox gained each video games at Wrigley Field in early May.
1. Bad blood nonetheless exists between the Cubs and Reds.
Javier Báez and Amir Garrett are now not round to proceed their feud, however heightened tensions between their former groups haven’t dissipated.
Cubs reliever Rowan Wick and Reds first baseman Joey Votto have taken over because the protagonists within the bad-blood drama between the edges. The brouhaha from late in Wednesday’s sport carried over into Thursday’s collection finale.
Willson Contreras, who homered within the fifth and admired his shot, was hit with the primary pitch of his seventh-inning at-bat. Manager David Ross then was ejected for the second straight sport and seventh time in his managerial profession. Ross wasn’t all for rehashing what prompted one other dialog with the umpire crew.
“I’ll keep that between the umpires,” Ross stated. “A lot of it just goes back to (Wednesday).”
Contreras then had phrases with Votto after Wick struck out the Reds slugger to finish the seventh. The Cubs’ bullpen began to run onto the sphere however made it solely midway earlier than returning to the pen because the state of affairs dissipated.
It’s unlikely this would be the finish of the animosity between the Cubs and Reds and, extra particularly, Wick and Votto. The groups nonetheless play 15 instances, together with six consecutive video games to finish the season.
2. More energy can be a giant enhance to Nico Hoerner’s offensive profile.
Hoerner’s contact-oriented strategy has been a welcomed a part of the Cubs lineup that too typically final season featured an excessive amount of swing-and-miss.
The Cubs’ common lineup this season options extra contact hitters — to the determent of the lengthy ball at instances. Hoerner figures to play a giant function for the Cubs going ahead. Adding energy to his offensive profile can be enormous for Hoerner and the crew.
There are some indicators of that taking place. Hoerner homered throughout the second inning Thursday in his first begin off the injured record.
“Two weeks is not too bad,” Hoerner stated this week of his IL stint. “I was able to be swinging pretty soon afterward. That wasn’t really a concern in the rehab side of it.”
The residence run marked his third of the season, which tied his profession excessive, doing so in 101 plate appearances. Hoerner’s profession excessive got here in 2019 (82 PAs). He hadn’t homered in 2020 or 2021, a stretch of 296 PAs.
Hoerner entered Thursday with the very best flyball price (20.5%) and extra-base hit price (7.0%) of his profession. Getting extra pop from Hoerner, mixed together with his contact price and defensive efficiency at shortstop, would take his all-around sport to the subsequent stage.
3. Top prospect Caleb Kilian’s Cubs debut must wait.
With two doubleheaders subsequent week, the Cubs will acquire a twenty seventh participant and wish two extra starters.
One participant who gained’t be introduced as much as assist: high pitching prospect Caleb Kilian. The right-hander is lined as much as begin Monday after beginning Wednesday for Triple-A Iowa. Kilian wasn’t sharp in that outing.
However, Ross stated earlier than Thursday’s collection finale that Kilian is just not being mentioned as an choice for both of the doubleheaders Monday and Saturday. In 9 begins with Triple-A Iowa, Kilian has posted a 2.06 ERA, 1.271 WHIP, 41 strikeouts and 15 walks in 39⅓ innings. It’s his first season pitching at that stage.
“It just looks like real big-league stuff,” Ross stated. “He’s having a great season and (his) stuff’s trending up. The velocities moving up. There’s just a lot of good things to like about him. … He’s having a great season, and I’m sure we’ll see him sooner rather than later.”
Kilian, acquired from the San Francisco Giants within the Kris Bryant commerce, have to be added to the 40-man roster within the offseason to be shielded from the Rule 5 draft. The Cubs will need to get a take a look at him someday this season. Bringing him up for a doubleheader spot begin would require placing him on the 40-man, and the Cubs seemingly need to keep flexibility there so long as potential.
The group is positioning to be main sellers on the commerce deadline once more, which might open spots for Kilian not just for the 40-man however within the rotation.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com