The potential to keep away from dropping streaks fueled the Chicago Cubs of their surge from a sub-.500 workforce to a postseason contender.
They hadn’t misplaced greater than two straight video games because the begin of July, once they dropped three in a row.
But their 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday earlier than 40,391 at Wrigley Field ended that two-month stretch of consistency, and the third straight loss to their closest wild-card pursuer left them a recreation forward of the Diamondbacks for the second spot.
“We went through obviously some struggles and challenges early in the year, but this is a resilient bunch,” shortstop Dansby Swanson mentioned. “We’ve confirmed time and time once more we’ll bounce again. These video games have been aggressive. It’s not like we’re laying down.
“I felt like we’ve put a lot of effort in. It just hasn’t happened for us. We’ve got so many great players at some point it will (even out). Sometimes you’ve got to get the bad luck out to get the good luck in. That may be tomorrow.”
The Cubs stood 4 video games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who beat the New York Yankees on Saturday, whereas the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds have been on the Diamondbacks’ heels for the third wild-card spot.
“As a whole, I didn’t feel like we were just going to roll to the end of the season without any bumps in the road, right?” supervisor David Ross mentioned. “I don’t think we’re playing bad baseball. We’re just not getting the key hit when we need it. That comes and go sometimes, especially when you’re facing good pitching.”
The Cubs went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring place towards Merrill Kelly and 4 relievers, stranding 10 baserunners. Ryan Thompson bought Yan Gomes to fly out to finish the sixth with the bases loaded, and Gomes was thrown out at second within the ninth on a ball completely performed off the wall by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who additionally made a leaping catch off Ian Happ within the tenth.
In their three losses to the Diamondbacks, the Cubs have scored 4 runs in 28 innings, losing dominant outings the final two days from starters Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele.
A wild pitch on a slider from rookie Daniel Palencia introduced house the go-ahead run within the tenth Saturday, and the Diamondbacks added a run on an RBI single from Tommy Pham. The Cubs scored within the backside of the tenth on Cody Bellinger’s RBI single, however Swanson fouled out on a popup to the catcher to finish it.
Kyle Hendricks faces Brandon Pfaadt in Sunday’s finale earlier than the Cubs start a giant six-day journey to Colorado and Arizona.
Steele threw one other gem to remain in competition for the National League Cy Young Award, permitting one run on six hits over seven innings, with six strikeouts and no walks. But the Cubs offense mustered just one run behind him, a 3rd inning infield popup by Bellinger that was misplaced within the solar, permitting Nico Hoerner to scamper round from first to make it 1-0.
Steele retired the ultimate 9 hitters he confronted however was eliminated in a 1-1 tie after throwing 95 pitches. Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay threw scoreless innings earlier than Ross referred to as on Palencia over Mark Leiter Jr. or Brad Boxberger, a former nearer. Ross mentioned earlier than the sport Boxberger wouldn’t be utilized in high-leverage conditions after coming back from an extended stint on the IL.
Palencia got here in with eight straight scoreless appearances, however his inexperience might need been an element.
“These moments are good for young guys,” mentioned Ross, who added Palencia wanted to “lock in” in a giant second.
“Sometimes going through that and some struggles makes you better on the other side.”
But this isn’t the time of 12 months for studying classes. José Cuas, in his second season, was tagged with the loss Friday after placing the primary two males on within the eighth inning.
The Cubs bullpen has been one of many causes for the magical run since late June, however pitching in a pennant race isn’t one thing they’re accustomed to. When each pitch issues in a decent recreation, expertise issues.
Dealing with the altering situations of Wrigley is also new to some Cubs. Much of their offensive struggles early within the season could possibly be traced to an incapacity to attain on days with the wind blowing in.
In Chicago, the climate can change on a dime. They’re 20-20 with the wind blowing in and 14-8 with it blowing out.
“One day you look at the San Fran series, and it felt like everything was blowing out,” Swanson mentioned. “Then the next series everything is blowing across. It really challenges an offense just to be well-rounded. We’ll find a way to put some things together.”
A roller-coaster season in April, May and June has been on an upward trek since July. Now can be an inopportune time to slip backward.
But that’s the problem the Cubs face. The gamers know what lies forward, as does Ross.
There aren’t any excuses in the event that they don’t make it to October.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com