The Chicago Cubs had been greeted by a big contingent of followers Monday of their first journey to the ballpark previously referred to as Miller Park.
There’s nothing uncommon about that, in fact.
Wrigley North has been a vacation spot for Cubs followers for the reason that Milwaukee Brewers first opened the park in 2001, giving the staff a house away from dwelling towards their division rival.
“They’re everywhere and they love them some Cubbies,” shortstop Dansby Swanson mentioned.
It was a Chicago-centric crowd once more Monday that watched the Cubs soar out to a six-run lead, solely to observe it soften away in a devastating 8-6 loss earlier than a crowd of 43,209.
“We just didn’t execute well the last half of the game,” Swanson mentioned. “We clearly put ourselves in good place to win and weren’t ready sufficient so as to add on or have the ability to put collectively outs.
“Definitely not enjoyable, but it should be a good experience for us.”
The Cubs (38-45) have misplaced three straight and 7 of their final eight since successful the opening sport of the London Series, falling seven video games out of first place behind the Brewers, who led the National League Central with the Cincinnati Reds at first of the day.
“We’re better than this and we need to play better,” reliever Michael Fulmer mentioned.
The Cubs additionally may need misplaced third baseman Nick Madrigal for some time after he took himself out within the fourth inning with proper hamstring tightness after tweaking it pursuing a foul pop up.
Manager David Ross mentioned Patrick Wisdom may very well be able to return from his rehab stint at Triple-A Iowa. And with the All- Star break approaching, there isn’t any have to rush Madrigal again.
Cubs-Brewers video games up north have at all times appeared to be a turning level for one — or each — groups.
Every time a brand new Cubs participant experiences their first journey to Milwaukee, they’re considerably stunned by what number of followers made the journey up I-94. After his first outing with the Cubs in 2018, pitcher Cole Hamels argued it couldn’t actually be known as a rivalry.
“I know the rivalries I’ve had in the past, you can definitely feel it,” Hamels mentioned. “When you have majority Cubs fans in the stands, I don’t know if that’s a rivalry yet. They’re not going to like me for the comment, but you can look at the ticket sales.”
Ross, who has been saying for the final three years that no collection is extra necessary than another, conceded beforehand this one is large.
“I do think we’ve kind of earmarked this series, as (one where) we’ve got a chance to catch a team in front of us,” he mentioned. “You at all times form of try this in your division.
“Again, we don’t try to (make) one more important than the other, but it’d be nice. We didn’t get off to that good start after London and hadn’t played winning baseball or been able to pull out some wins at home. We need to hopefully make up some ground on the road going into the All-Star break.”
It regarded like they had been able to just do that. The Cubs burst out to a 6-0 lead by the third inning, however starter Drew Smyly gave three runs again within the backside of the third and was eliminated with two outs within the fourth.
Smyly mentioned he “was a little erratic,” however apart from giving up a pair further base hits within the third felt he “pitched pretty good.”
Smyly hasn’t lasted greater than 4 innings in his final two begins and has a 6.49 ERA in his final seven begins since May 28.
Julian Merryweather loaded the bases within the sixth earlier than Ross known as on lefty Anthony Kay to face pinch-hitter Jesse Winker. Brewers supervisor Craig Counsell yanked Winker for right-handed hitting Jahmai Jones, whose three-run double to middle tied the sport.
Ross mentioned he needed to save lots of Mark Leiter Jr. for the final two innings.
“Take my chances with Jones,” he mentioned. “He burned us.”
Leiter ultimately gave up the go-ahead RBI single to Willy Adames within the eighth, and the Brewers added an insurance coverage run within the inning.
“Nine free passes, a six-run lead early on,” Ross mentioned. “It just can’t happen. We’ve got to throw strikes, challenge guys, make them earn it.”
Madrigal mentioned he took himself out of the sport as a result of he’d felt calf tightness currently and needed to “be smart about it.” Designated hitter Christopher Morel moved to 3rd and Fulmer was inserted into Madrigal’s spot, the primary time a Cubs pitcher batted since David Robertson on June 22, 2022.
Like Robertson, Fulmer struck out.
The new, balanced schedule that MLB carried out this 12 months means Cubs followers have solely two highway journeys to Milwaukee: the four-game collection that runs by way of Thursday and the season-ending, three-game set from Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
But that collection could not matter if the Cubs don’t get up the subsequent three days and get again to inside shouting distance within the division race. They might go from consumers to sellers on the Aug. 1 commerce deadline at this price.
“I hate to say it but, I think they’re must-win games,” Fulmer mentioned. “When we have a lead like that, we’re going to have to hold it.”
Asked if these are certainly “must-win” video games, Swanson replied: “The intensity doesn’t change based on who you’re playing, what time of the year you’re playing. Every moment should be the same. That’s how I feel, at least.”
The Cubs can level to the London journey, air high quality alerts and lengthy rain delays in Chicago final week as obstacles which have affected them of their dropping stretch.
Madrigal did simply that, and mentioned “everyone is kind of feeling it a little bit.” But Swanson mentioned any alleged fatigue issue from these issues shouldn’t matter.
“The easy answer we could say is ‘yeah,’” he mentioned. “But on the finish of the day, that is the hand we’re dealt. We’ve received to clearly man up, mainly.
“Ain’t nothing altering. Ain’t no person feeling dangerous for us. We ought to nonetheless expect the identical issues out of ourselves.
“We’re pros. This is what we do. We’ve just got to find a way.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com